[i945gm] Slow intel graphics --> doesn't autodetect UseFBDev

[DavidBriscoe]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg-video-intel

I recently upgraded Ibex to Jaunty on my Dell Inspiron 6400. After the upgrade, graphics were really slow (lag when scrolling in Firefox, opening menus) and I couldn't play movies (Totem, VLC...).

I tried this:
    sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
And selected all defaults except for "use kernel frame buffer device interface", which I switched to yes.
(This screen: http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/files/www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/nodes/2540/dpkg_figure_5.jpg )

Now my graphics work. The screen says that it's probably safe to turn it on, so why wasn't it enabled by default (or autodetected)? I looked through my previous xorg.conf files and it wasn't enabled before, so I guess it was some of the Jaunty graphic updates that required the change.

One other detail: When I was using Ibex, the fancy Visual Effects (compiz) worked. Now they don't. I think they stopped working before the upgrade, but I'm not certain.

Debug info:
$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 9.04
Release: 9.04

$ uname -a
Linux blank 2.6.28-11-generic #42-Ubuntu SMP Fri Apr 17 01:57:59 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux

$ apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-video-intel
xserver-xorg-video-intel:
  Installed: 2:2.6.3-0ubuntu9
  Candidate: 2:2.6.3-0ubuntu9
  Version table:
 *** 2:2.6.3-0ubuntu9 0
        500 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ lspci -vvnn | grep -A 12 -e "VGA "
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:27a2] (rev 03)
 Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01bd]
 Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
 Latency: 0
 Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 16
 Region 0: Memory at dff00000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K]
 Region 1: I/O ports at eff8 [size=8]
 Region 2: Memory at c0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
 Region 3: Memory at dfec0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256K]
 Capabilities: <access denied>
 Kernel modules: intelfb

$ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf
# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#[snip comments]
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Device"
 Identifier "Configured Video Device"

# this line fixes it
 Option "UseFBDev" "true"
# end line
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
 Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
 Identifier "Default Screen"
 Monitor "Configured Monitor"
 Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Hi kalos-dev,

Please attach the output of `lspci -vvnn`, and attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log (and maybe Xorg.0.log.old) file from after reproducing this issue. If you've made any customizations to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf please attach that as well.

[This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[Piotr Morgwai Kotarbiński (morgwai)]

Hi,
I've got very similar problem: after upgrade to Jaunty to Intrepid on machine with intel graphics X is *very* slow: scrolling or moving any window consumes 100% of CPU, I can't play movies with totem nor enable compiz.
I'm attaching my xorg logs and output of 'lspci -vvnn'.

Cheers

  Morg

[Piotr Morgwai Kotarbiński (morgwai)]

very similar issues, attached logs.

[Piotr Morgwai Kotarbiński (morgwai)]

Enabling UXA in xorg.conf helped a lot just as in bug #375264 (these are probably duplicates, but I'll let some expert decide). However UXA limits virtual display width to 2048 on my card and now I can't have one display next to other. There wasn't such limitation in Intrepid (although I was using default accel method then so it could be sth different than UXA)

Cheers

  Morg

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

[This is an automatic notification.]

A new major version of the -intel driver is now available in Karmic.

This version includes a major reworking of the acceleration
architecture, which resolves a huge number of issues. We do not know
whether it resolves the issue you reported.

Would you mind testing Karmic Alpha-2 and seeing if it is still a
problem? CD ISO images are available here:

  http://cdimages.ubuntu.com/releases/karmic/

If the issue can still be reproduced on karmic, please report here with
your findings, and attach a fresh Xorg.0.log from your test, and we will
be able to forward the bug upstream.

Otherwise, if the bug no longer exists in Karmic, let us know that as
well.

In the off chance you encounter different bugs while attempting to test
Karmic, please report those as new bug reports.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.

It seems likely to me this bug is gone; the -intel driver has improved immensely in Karmic and a lot of bugs are being reported as no longer present. So hopefully that's the case here too.