Arch Linux

metal

Member

From: Russia,Moscow

Registered: 2006-01-23

Posts: 45

new intel linux driver.

Hello!

I have laptop with integrated video card from Intel. I used a "i810" driver, but Intel makes a development of new full functionality driver, it is better:). And now, I have "intel" driver. In last time, I have noted starvation of memory, when a lot of memory expensive task is gone. Searches led me to Xorg server. It takes more then 200M after starting. I tried to reduce his appetite adding in xorg.conf: VideoRam 32768. Unfortunately, it doesn't take effect. I see in log:

(WW) intel(0): VideoRam configuration found, which is no longer recommended.
(II) intel(0): Continuing with default 131072kB VideoRam instead of 32768 kB.

How to force it use my value?

Thanks.

skottish

Forum Fellow

From: Here

Registered: 2006-06-16

Posts: 7,942

Re: new intel linux driver.

Unless something changed in the last week, that driver is buggy as hell. It's causing all sorts of headaches for lots of people.

iphitus

Forum Fellow

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2004-10-09

Posts: 4,927

Re: new intel linux driver.

Instead of blindly switching away which only perpetuates bugs -- file a bug report.

http://bugs.archlinux.org

Last edited by iphitus (2008-03-16 07:06:47)

schivmeister

Developer/TU

From: Singapore

Registered: 2007-05-17

Posts: 971

Website

Re: new intel linux driver.

It's dynamic. It won't use what's not needed, the default value is safe. Your BIOS sets it too, depending on the amount of RAM you have.

---

I need real, proper pen and paper for this.

metal

Member

From: Russia,Moscow

Registered: 2006-01-23

Posts: 45

Re: new intel linux driver.

I don't sure, that this is bug, may be features, but developers is very optimistic I have 512MB of memory and stealing 128Mb of them by video is not good idea. Setting of bios is 16MB. I try to find solution, if is not, will post in bugs.

metal

Member

From: Russia,Moscow

Registered: 2006-01-23

Posts: 45

Re: new intel linux driver.

It looks as feature. I saw source code:

#if 0
      from = X_CONFIG;
      pScrn->videoRam = pI830->pEnt->device->videoRam;
#else
      /* Disable VideoRam configuration, at least for now.  Previously,
       * VideoRam was necessary to avoid overly low limits on allocated
       * memory, so users created larger, yet still small, fixed allocation
       * limits in their config files.  Now, the driver wants to allocate more,
       * and the old intention of the VideoRam lines that had been entered is
       * obsolete.
       */
      from = X_DEFAULT;
      pScrn->videoRam = pI830->FbMapSize / KB(1);

      if (pScrn->videoRam != pI830->pEnt->device->videoRam) {
     xf86DrvMsg(pScrn->scrnIndex, X_WARNING,
            "VideoRam configuration found, which is no longer "
            "recommended.\n");
     xf86DrvMsg(pScrn->scrnIndex, X_INFO,
            "Continuing with default %dkB VideoRam instead of %d "
            "kB.\n",
            pScrn->videoRam, pI830->pEnt->device->videoRam);
      }
#endif

I'm posting feature request.