[SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

LittleSandra · 2023-01-27 19:00:00

Dear all

When I add

Section "Device"
  Identifier "Intel Graphics"
  Driver "intel"
  Option "TearFree" "true"
EndSection

to /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-intel.conf as described on https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/intel_graphics then LDM won't start anymore.

I have also tried to add

Option "TripleBuffer" "true"

but no luck.

I selected the OSS gfx drivers when installing Arch.

It is a ThinkPad 470s with Intel 620 GPU.

Does anyone have an idea what the problem could be?

Hugs,

Sandra

Last edited by LittleSandra (2023-01-28 22:22:08)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2023-01-27 19:18:42

Is xf86-video-intel installed? If not then you're trying to force the loading of a non-existent driver.

Note that the modesetting DDX driver should probably be preferred for that card. That driver also has a TearFree option.

But to properly deal with screen tearing you should switch to Wayland. X is broken in that respect and the TearFree option is a hack that induces lag.

LittleSandra · 2023-01-27 19:38:37

I am not sure which I am using.

➜  ~ pacman -Qn|grep -i intel
intel-gmmlib 22.3.3-1
intel-media-driver 23.1.0-1
intel-ucode 20221108-1
libva-intel-driver 2.4.1-2
vulkan-intel 22.3.3-3

If I switch to Wayland and Sway (instead of i3wm) will I then still be able to make screenshots? I heard that isn't possible in Wayland?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2023-01-27 19:46:45

So xf86-video-intel isn't installed then. Try changing the "Driver" line to "modesetting".

For sway I use grim for screenshots. There's also wf-recorder for screencasts.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Screen_capture#Wayland

LittleSandra · 2023-01-27 19:59:21

Ok, very nice that screenshots and captures are possible!!

I have now tried with

Section "Device"
  Identifier "Intel Graphics"
  Driver "modesetting"
  Option "TearFree" "true"
EndSection

and it didn't crash LDM, but I still have tearing.

Should

Option "TripleBuffer" "true"

also have been there?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2023-01-27 20:10:20

Actually I'm not sure if the current modesetting driver in Arch has the TearFree option yet. It might be just in the development branch. Check the X.Org log for details.

Reference: https://www.phoronix.com/news/xf86-vide … g-TearFree

EDIT: picom can be used to eliminate tearing. But sway is the correct solution here IMO.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2023-01-27 20:11:11)

LittleSandra · 2023-01-27 20:19:50

Ok, is there an easy way to switch to Wayland and Sway without reinstalling Arch from scratch?

I don't suppose Wine works under Wayland?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2023-01-27 20:23:28

No need to reinstall, just follow the sway ArchWiki page.

I use Proton all the time under sway and it works fine as long as xorg-xwayland is installed so I think Wine itself should also work.

LittleSandra · 2023-01-28 11:07:12

I can't see a "migration guide" from X to Wayland. The closest I can find is

➜  ~ sudo pacman -S sway wayland
warning: wayland-1.21.0-2 is up to date -- reinstalling
resolving dependencies...
looking for conflicting packages...

Packages (5) seatd-0.7.0-2  wlroots-0.16.1-2  xcb-util-errors-1.0.1-1  sway-1:1.8-3  wayland-1.21.0-2

but I am alfraid it will break, as it doesn't install GDM as a dependency. Reading the wiki, LDM sadly doesn't work, so I would expect GDM is required?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2023-01-28 12:12:55

There is no "migration guide". Just install sway. It will be available as an option in GDM or SDDM.

I don't like display managers so I just have something like this at the end of ~/.profile:

[ "$(tty)" = /dev/tty1 ] && exec sway > ~/.sway.log 2>&1

^ That will start sway automatically after log in at TTY1 with a log file at ~/.sway.log.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2023-01-28 12:13:21)

LittleSandra · 2023-01-28 19:12:22

I feel exactly the same way about display managers. I think they are bloated. Really really cool trick you did there with .profile ! I will do that too I imagine that you also have removed "quite" in /etc/default/grub

So if I remove LDM now, won't I need to change boot to level 3 instead of 5?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2023-01-28 19:54:29

LittleSandra wrote:

Really really cool trick you did there with .profile !

Thanks but it wasn't really my idea at all: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xinit# … X_at_login ← that version is actually ever so slightly quicker and "lighter" than mine because it tests for environmental variables rather than running a command.[1]

LittleSandra wrote:

I imagine that you also have removed "quite" in /etc/default/grub

I use EFI_STUB booting with a unified kernel image. GRUB is bloat :-)

LittleSandra wrote:

So if I remove LDM now, won't I need to change boot to level 3 instead of 5?

Arch doesn't use run levels. To disable the display manager link default.target to muti-user.target, as per https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System … _boot_into.

[1] My version works without systemd though and I dual-boot with Alpine Linux; it's simpler to use the same code in both.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2023-01-28 20:01:40)

LittleSandra · 2023-01-28 21:22:37

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Thanks but it wasn't really my idea at all: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xinit# … X_at_login ← that version is actually ever so slightly quicker and "lighter" than mine because it tests for environmental variables rather than running a command.[1]

Nice!

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

I use EFI_STUB booting with a unified kernel image. GRUB is bloat :-)

It sure is, and I considered going with a simpler bootloader but I felt UEFI were even more bloat than Grub... My understanding is, that the simpler boot loaders require UEFI to work.

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Arch doesn't use run levels. To disable the display manager link default.target to muti-user.target, as per https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System … _boot_into.

I had no idea that systemd handled that also.

A bonus question. I use xmodmap to rearrange Home,End,Pg Up Pg Down, to have the same layout sa up,down,left,right arrows. And Delete is to the right of backspace. Insert and Caps Locks are disabled.

clear Lock
keycode 66 = NoSymbol
keycode 118 = Delete
keycode 119 = Home
keycode 117 = End
keycode 110 = Prior
keycode 115 = Next
keycode  49 = 0

What is the equipment of xmodmap in sway?

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

[1] My version works without systemd though and I dual-boot with Alpine Linux; it's simpler to use the same code in both.

I though Alpine were only for containers?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2023-01-28 21:35:02

LittleSandra wrote:

My understanding is, that the simpler boot loaders require UEFI to work.

Yes but if you have a UEFI motherboard then using "Legacy" mode emulates non-UEFI firmware, which adds more complexity at a level for which the source code is unavailable.

LittleSandra wrote:

What is the equipment of xmodmap in sway?

XKB: https://purisa.me/blog/remap-keys-on-sway/

LittleSandra wrote:

I though Alpine were only for containers?

It's certainly popular for containers because of it's minimal resource footprint but the about page describes it as a "general purpose Linux distribution". It even includes a setup-desktop script for the various DEs. Not that I bother with that :-)

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2023-01-28 21:36:15)

LittleSandra · 2023-01-28 22:04:41

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Yes but if you have a UEFI motherboard then using "Legacy" mode emulates non-UEFI firmware, which adds more complexity at a level for which the source code is unavailable.

Interesting point. I was thinking complexity on the OS. One need to have an /EFI partition, correct?

I tried to install Arch without a /boot partition, but the installer crashes. There is a ticket for fixing it, so it doesn't expect /boot to be a partition.

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

XKB: https://purisa.me/blog/remap-keys-on-sway/

Thanks. And it is even for Arch

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

It's certainly popular for containers because of it's minimal resource footprint but the about page describes it as a "general purpose Linux distribution". It even includes a setup-desktop script for the various DEs. Not that I bother with that :-)

When would one use Alpine when Arch exist for desktop?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2023-01-28 22:14:54

Yes, EFI system partitions are needed for a UEFI system but only for the unified kernel image (in my case). I use Alpine because it's significantly simpler than Arch, I like that. It's only Proton/Steam that keeps me on Arch at all.

We'll have to conclude now though, this is all off-topic for this thread. Sorry.

If you consider the original problem to be [SOLVED] then please indicate that by editing the thread title. Thanks.

Arch Linux

#1 2023-01-27 19:00:00

[SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#2 2023-01-27 19:18:42

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#3 2023-01-27 19:38:37

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#4 2023-01-27 19:46:45

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#5 2023-01-27 19:59:21

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#6 2023-01-27 20:10:20

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#7 2023-01-27 20:19:50

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#8 2023-01-27 20:23:28

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#9 2023-01-28 11:07:12

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#10 2023-01-28 12:12:55

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#11 2023-01-28 19:12:22

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#12 2023-01-28 19:54:29

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#13 2023-01-28 21:22:37

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#14 2023-01-28 21:35:02

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#15 2023-01-28 22:04:41

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

#16 2023-01-28 22:14:54

Re: [SOLVED] Enabling TearFree with default OSS drivers makes LDM not work

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