Arch Linux

Kingis

Member

Registered: 2015-06-20

Posts: 14

OpenGL Version With Mesa and Open-source Radeon Drivers

1) I am using the open-source Radeon drivers and I don't want to use the proprietary ones. (My graphics card is Radeon HD 7970.)
2) I want to use OpenGL 4.1 or higher so I can play Steam games like Dirt Showdown, which requires it.
3) My version of Mesa (Mesa 11.0.4) supports it. But my system is still using OpenGL 3.0 with it.

Is there any way I can configure my system to use OpenGL version 4.1 or higher without installing the proprietary AMD drivers?

glxinfo | grep OpenGL:

OpenGL vendor string: X.Org
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on AMD TAHITI (DRM 2.43.0, LLVM 3.7.0)
OpenGL core profile version string: 4.1 (Core Profile) Mesa 11.0.4
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 4.10
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile
OpenGL core profile extensions:
OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 11.0.4
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.30
OpenGL context flags: (none)
OpenGL extensions:
OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.0 Mesa 11.0.4
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.00
OpenGL ES profile extensions:

bstaletic

Member

Registered: 2014-02-02

Posts: 658

Re: OpenGL Version With Mesa and Open-source Radeon Drivers

There's some patent black magic going on with mesa, so by default distros can't ship it with all features enabled. My pc with Geforce 7000M exposes 2.1 only, even though it supports 3.3. Gento solved the problem by introducing bindist USE flag. Compiling without that USE flag makes mesa expose everything you would expect it to, though the binary is no longer redistributable.

The bindist USE flag disables texture-float, so enabling that would solve your problem. You also need to compile mesa agains llvm-3.7 or newer for recent 4.0+ OpenGL extensions to work.

Since you want games I assume you have a decent CPU. For reference, my i5 2500 compiles mesa in under 1h (can't remember exact time needed).

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My dotfiles

Lone_Wolf

Forum Moderator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 11,971

Re: OpenGL Version With Mesa and Open-source Radeon Drivers

OpenGL core profile version string: 4.1 (Core Profile) Mesa 11.0.4

Kingis, mesa does expose OpenGL 4.1 on your system.

Is your problem that programs don't detect OpenGL 4.1 ?

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Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

(A works at time B)  && (time C > time B ) ≠  (A works at time C)

Kingis

Member

Registered: 2015-06-20

Posts: 14

Re: OpenGL Version With Mesa and Open-source Radeon Drivers

OpenGL core profile version string: 4.1 (Core Profile) Mesa 11.0.4

Kingis, mesa does expose OpenGL 4.1 on your system.

Is your problem that programs don't detect OpenGL 4.1 ?

Line 3 of the 'glxinfo | grep OpenGL' report:

OpenGL core profile version string: 4.1 (Core Profile) Mesa 11.0.4

Line 8 of the 'glxinfo | grep OpenGL' report:

OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 11.0.4

Whole 'glxinfo | grep OpenGL' report again:

OpenGL vendor string: X.Org
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on AMD TAHITI (DRM 2.43.0, LLVM 3.7.0)
OpenGL core profile version string: 4.1 (Core Profile) Mesa 11.0.4
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 4.10
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile
OpenGL core profile extensions:
OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 11.0.4
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.30
OpenGL context flags: (none)
OpenGL extensions:
OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.0 Mesa 11.0.4
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.00
OpenGL ES profile extensions:

Steam says:

Driver Version:  3.0 Mesa 11.0.4
OpenGL Version: 3.0

I suppose, that the OpenGL 4.1 is only enabled in some 'core profile' mode mentioned on the line 3 of the 'glxinfo | grep OpenGL' report but OpenGL 3.0 is used by default.
There is a video on youtube about how to unlock OpenGL 4.1 in Ubuntu with Mesa using some ppa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4GPgw2wyzg
But I have found nothing about Arch linux so far.

Lone_Wolf

Forum Moderator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 11,971

Re: OpenGL Version With Mesa and Open-source Radeon Drivers

Ubuntu 15.10 comes with mesa pre-11.x and llvm pre-3.7.x .
Those versions lack the support for OpenGL 4.x .
The video explains how to install Oibaf PPA, which is roughly a git version of mesa built against llvm 3.7.x .
The equivalent of Oibaf ppa for archlinux is mesa-git + llvm-svn (both AUR and Lordheavy unofficial repo version qualifiy for this) .

I suppose, that the OpenGL 4.1 is only enabled in some 'core profile' mode mentioned on the line 3 of the 'glxinfo | grep OpenGL' report but OpenGL 3.0 is used by default.

Close, but not entirely correct.

To use any OpenGL version above 3.0 with mesa, an application has to request a specific core profile .
If it doesn't make such a request, only OpenGL 3.0 and lower are available.

You could try contacting DIRT devs (maybe through steam support forums ?) to find out if they do support open source drivers .

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Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

(A works at time B)  && (time C > time B ) ≠  (A works at time C)

Kingis

Member

Registered: 2015-06-20

Posts: 14

Re: OpenGL Version With Mesa and Open-source Radeon Drivers

Well, this is embarasing. I've just found out Dirt Showdown really works with my system even if Steam tells me I have OpenGL 3.0 which is of course lower than the version Dirt Showdown requires.
You were totally right Lone_Wolf.
It seems the problem was my stupidity.
Anyway, thank you guys for your help.