[i945] Unusable with Intel 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML [8086:27a2] (rev 03)

[Scott Kitterman]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg-video-intel

The default Intel driver produces extremely slow performance on Jaunty Kubuntu and is riddled with redraw artifacts that make it unusable. Uxa provides a smoother, faster experience without the redraw problems, but crashes several times per day.

This is a major regression from Intrepid and should be release noted.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.04
Package: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.6.3-0ubuntu9
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersion: Linux version 2.6.28-11-generic (buildd@rothera) (gcc version 4.3.3 (Ubuntu 4.3.3-5ubuntu4) ) #41-Ubuntu SMP Wed Apr 8 04:38:53 UTC 2009
SourcePackage: xserver-xorg-video-intel
Uname: Linux 2.6.28-11-generic i686

[lspci]
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS, 943/940GML and 945GT Express Memory Controller Hub [8086:27a0] (rev 03)
 Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:0201]
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 [1028:0201]

[Scott Kitterman (kitterman)]

The attached screen shot gives a relatively minor sample of the display artifacts.

[Scott Kitterman (kitterman)]

Additional screenshot to support the idea of unusable.

[verb3k (verb3k)]

I confirm this bug. It totally wrecks Blender.
If this doesn't get fixed, I'm gonna ditch ubuntu for anything else.

[verb3k (verb3k)]

I suggest changing the bug naming from "Unusable with Intel ..." to "Severe graphical artifacts with..."
Also, I think this bug should be marked as critical.

[Scott Kitterman (kitterman)]

Bug #359600 has a useful suggestion for the release note. I think we need a complete writeup on Intel video status for Jaunty.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

-intel issue already adequately covered in bugs 252094, 359600, 349992, et al, no need for another generic complaint about intel.

[Scott Kitterman (kitterman)]

OK. The main reason I filed this is none of the others seemed over-arching
to me and I think we need a 'master' bug to related to
ubuntu-release-notes. Which of the others is better for that?

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

Documented at <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/JauntyJackalope/ReleaseNotes#Performance regressions on Intel graphics cards>:

"Users of Intel video chipsets have reported performance regressions in Ubuntu 8.10 compared with previous releases (bug 252094). Many of the issues have been resolved in Ubuntu 9.04, but some remain.

  * Some users have found improved performance by using the "greedy" migration heuristic. This can be done by running "sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf", and adding Option "MigrationHeuristic" "greedy" to the Device section of your xorg.conf.
  * Alternately, a new experimental acceleration architecture option, "DRI2/UXA", is available for Intel graphics users which our testing has found provides significant performance improvements in some cases, but has also shown risk of severe stability problems. You can opt-in to enable this by running "sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf", and adding Option "AccelMethod" "UXA" to the Device section of your xorg.conf. Users wishing to maximize stability should stay with the standard default acceleration method, "EXA".
  * If none of the above helps, some users reported success with using an older driver version."

There will be further refinements of the text (in particular, to warn that UXA may make X unusable on some systems), but I think the current text covers this issue. If you think more is needed, please reopen the release notes task.