Testing Out ATI Kernel Mode-Setting On Ubuntu

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Testing Out ATI Kernel Mode-Setting On Ubuntu

Kernel mode-setting for Intel graphics hardware can already be found in the mainline Linux kernel and will be included by default in the release of Ubuntu 9.10 later this year. While Intel's kernel mode-setting support has been maturing in a steadfast manner, this support has not been moving along quite as fast for ATI and NVIDIA hardware. It is possible we will see ATI/AMD kernel mode-setting along with the necessary memory management support enter the Linux 2.6.31 kernel and potentially see this feature appear in Ubuntu 9.10 as an end-user option, but currently this support is still deemed under development. For those with ATI Radeon hardware looking to test out kernel mode-setting, there is now a Launchpad PPA and a LiveCD available for testing out these mode-setting capabilities atop Ubuntu.

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=13938

[susikala]

There is also no kernel mode-setting at this time for the ATI Radeon R600/700 (HD 2000 series and later) hardware.

So how is KMS support on those chips coming along? Can we expect to see some fruit in the over-next round of distros?

[remm]

I did fall asleep during the first video, which cannot be good ;)

[Kano]

Because of the bootmedia. I prefer booting from USB - hybrid or converted to syslinux (for beginners maybe using unetbootin) or network boot. 2 min is extreme... when you installed once from USB/network then you know that you only use a cd/dvd if you can not boot it in another way. Not sure if you could gain a few seconds using aufs, the new U kernels do not have got aufs or unionfs, but the live image is using unionfs-fuse. Compared to Kanotix is definitely lools slow ;) Old pcs can try PLoP Boot Manager, thats needed for one via based s775 oem board - it did not work with s775 intel or nforce3 boards. 45s from USB or 100mbit network is no problem.

[bugmenot]

Michael:
Could you provide an alternative for people that have no flash installed? Just upload it here for example:
http://tinyvid.tv

Or tell us with a comment here that we are allowed to upload (read: to convert it from youtube to there, see http://tinyvid.tv/convert to there) it there.

Thanks :)

[The_Monkey_King]

ATI + Fedora + KMS? Is it possible? I may try out that distro, if so.

[glisse]

ATI + Fedora + KMS? Is it possible? I may try out that distro, if so.

Fedora was the first distro to ever provide KMS (it was in F10 as experimental) and it's in F11 and it will definitely be in F12 (F12 will also likely be the first to have r6xx/r7xx kms support). So to sumup Fedora is the easiest way to test KMS :)

[remm]

Michael:
Could you provide an alternative for people that have no flash installed?

Gnash works fine, and it's free software.

[RealNC]

Gnash works fine, and it's free software.

Don't start again. We had that already. bugmenot will not use Flash ever.

People who don't want a Flash plugin installed and are on Firefox might want to try the "DownloadHelper" add-on for Firefox. It should be able to fetch the *.mp4 file of the video.

[bugmenot]

I just try to stay with fedora without enabling 3rd repositories (so also no mp3 support) as long as possible ^^.

And it works, but it would be nice if i got permission by michael to put this on http://tinyvid.tv

Flash is simply not necessary in my opinion for videos. But yes, no discussion, that's not the topic here, you are right, RealNC. :)

[suokko]

<video src="...">

Everyone has Shiretoko, right? :)

[energyman]

I am pretty much unimpressed right now. But maybe its the video quality.
First video - nothing happens, you have a black screen, than X. How is that different from the way it is currently done? And oh boy, I hate splash screens so much...

The second one has me even more puzzled - I mean, switching to a vt is fine. But how is that exactly great news?
I mean, to demnstrate that KMS works in a way is nice - but what do I get from it in the future?

[AdamW]

The article is very Ubuntu-specific but doesn't really make that clear...

So, yeah, Fedora is the place to be if you want to be playing with KMS. :)

Kernel modesetting is default for ATI chips up to R500 (Radeon X1xxx) on Fedora 10 and 11. You can enable it for R600 and R700 chips with the kernel parameter drm.modeset=1 (though it's still experimental for these chips).

Kernel modesetting is not default for NVIDIA chips in Fedora 11, but it is available: you can try it with the kernel parameter nouveau.modeset=1 .

The video doesn't look that impressive because Ubuntu isn't really doing anything with kernel modesetting. On Fedora, kernel modesetting is used to keep the monitor in the same mode all the way from initrd load through to X load, so you get no mode switches (no black screens and sync noises).

[Culex]

Which versions of what with which patches and what other requirements are necessary to test out kms on R600/R700 hardware?

[AdamW]

Which versions of what with which patches and what other requirements are necessary to test out kms on R600/R700 hardware?

In Fedora, you don't need anything outside of the repos, just set that kernel parameter. For Ubuntu, I'm not sure, sorry.

[project_phelius]

Uggh! These instructions are utterly hideous,
but that was probably intentional to keep unqualified people (like me :) from using it. Just download the Fedora 11 RC livecd to play with KMS and DRI2 and burn it to a rewritable dvd and preserve your sanity and xorg config.

It was cool to play with on my r430 for all of 2 minutes that I ran glxgears and got to see the flicker-free boot and my monitor finally didn't sound like it was being s0d0mized when I did a VT switch (which was instantaneous, nice). It crashed and/or corrupted when I tried to do anything useful with it like watch a movie or play a game or do compiz or composite.

Not sure how much early adopter info is needed really, the developers seem to have more than enough apps, to flex opengl, xv, plus
performance regressions and crashes don't take any effort to produce. There really isn't anything to see yet.

But more test data can only help, so far be it from me to discourage anyone from giving it a go...

Appreciate all the effort these radeon guys are doing for the linux community!

Peace out!

[Culex]

In Fedora, you don't need anything outside of the repos, just set that kernel parameter. For Ubuntu, I'm not sure, sorry.

Thankies AdamW, project_phelius, I'll probably try the Fedora 11 livecd and then find out what's needed to do the same on Karmic Koala.

project_phelius: Do you think that the R600/R700 support would end up being just as crashy as the R430 you tried out? How was 2D support in the driver?

[Yfrwlf]

<video src="...">

Everyone has Shiretoko, right? :)

You read my mind. May see Flash become extremely rare for videos within the next year. Yay for open standards and real competition!