Unity unnecessarily goes to low graphics mode

[Sinclair Yeh]

Unity goes into low graphics mode when it detects "LLVM" in the renderer string. "LLVM" is not the right pattern to match because there are now accelerated Gallium drivers those also report "LLVM" in the render string, e.g. VMWare and Radeon.

For example, this bug that showed up recently: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=91747#c3

Gallium drivers may fall back to the Gallium Draw module for certain operations, and the Draw module can go down an LLVM path if necessarily and enabled.

I think the original intention of this check is to catch "llvmpipe" driver, so I've attached a patch to do just that. Also, instead of matching "on softpipe", it seems that "softpipe" is sufficient.

FYI, this fix can hopefully end up in Ubuntu 14.04 onwards.

Unfortunately, I can't get through my company's proxy to push my branch, so instead of a merge request, please see the patch attached.

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

The attachment "LLVM fix" seems to be a patch. If it isn't, please remove the "patch" flag from the attachment, remove the "patch" tag, and if you are a member of the ~ubuntu-reviewers, unsubscribe the team.

[This is an automated message performed by a Launchpad user owned by ~brian-murray, for any issues please contact him.]

[Andrea Azzarone (azzar1)]

Here [1] you can find the MP with the attached patch. Thanks!

[1] https://code.launchpad.net/~azzar1/unity/lp-1491555/+merge/270350

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package unity - 7.3.2+15.10.20150910.1-0ubuntu1

---------------
unity (7.3.2+15.10.20150910.1-0ubuntu1) wily; urgency=medium

  [ Andrea Azzarone <email address hidden> ]
  * Add unit tests for unity::lockscreen::DBusManager.
  * Add/Update tests for gnome session manager.
  * Do not allow shutdown when screen is locked. (LP: #1460626)
  * Make sure we update the maximized window when "show
    desktop"/"restore desktop". (LP: #1485559)
  * Merge patch from https://launchpadlibrarian.net/216192448/llvm-
    fix.patch (LP: #1491555)
  * Merge patch from https://launchpadlibrarian.net/216276242/low-gfx-
    override.patch (LP: #1491913)

  [ Andrea Azzarone <email address hidden> ]
  * Properly hide decorations when on "Show Desktop" mode. (LP:
    #1485073)

  [ Marco Trevisan (Treviño) ]
  * UnityScreen: force shell to be on top when there's a window
    fullscreen and we've a menu open. (LP: #591189)

 -- Marco Trevisan (Treviño) <[e-mail]> Thu, 10 Sep 2015 15:37:46 +0000

[Sinclair Yeh (sinclair-yeh)]

Hi, can I request this patch to be backported to 14.04 here or should I file another bug for it?

[Shane Synan (digitalcircuit)]

This will cause issues for upgraded Ubuntu installs on Radeon hardware with the upcoming release of 14.04.4 LTS. The version string now includes LLVM, just like in 15.10. On my system, "Gallium 0.4 on AMD BONAIRE" became "Gallium 0.4 on AMD BONAIRE (DRM 2.43.0, LLVM 3.6.0)".

Seconding Sinclair Yeh's request, should this be backported here, or should a new bug be filed?

[Amr Ibrahim (amribrahim1987)]

Please backport to Trusty as all users of AMD graphics with radeon drivers and 14.04.4 LTS w/ wily HWE stack are affected.

[Amr Ibrahim (amribrahim1987)]

In terminal in an affected 14.04.4 LTS:

:~$ /usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test -p
OpenGL vendor string: X.Org
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on AMD KAVERI (DRM 2.43.0, LLVM 3.6.0)
OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 11.0.2

Not software rendered: yes
Not blacklisted: yes
GLX fbconfig: yes
GLX texture from pixmap: yes
GL npot or rect textures: yes
GL vertex program: yes
GL fragment program: yes
GL vertex buffer object: yes
GL framebuffer object: yes
GL version is 1.4+: yes

Unity 3D supported: yes

[Amr Ibrahim (amribrahim1987)]

Unity is still in low graphics mode after upgrading to 14.04.5 (Xenial HWE stack).

:~$ /usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test -p
OpenGL vendor string: X.Org
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on AMD KAVERI (DRM 2.43.0, LLVM 3.8.0)
OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 11.2.0

Not software rendered: yes
Not blacklisted: yes
GLX fbconfig: yes
GLX texture from pixmap: yes
GL npot or rect textures: yes
GL vertex program: yes
GL fragment program: yes
GL vertex buffer object: yes
GL framebuffer object: yes
GL version is 1.4+: yes

Unity 3D supported: yes

[Amr Ibrahim (amribrahim1987)]

Please backport this fix to Trusty 14.04.