Intel 3.0 X.Org Driver Still Baking, New Development Release
While it looked like development on xf86-video-intel 3.0 was winding down some time ago, work is still happening but Chris now feels that this v2.99.913 release may be one of the last development releases. Chris wrote in the release announcement, "This should be it... A few fixes from testing the new code, we should be ready for the final release. However, we do have one standout feature in this snapshot, we now officially recognise HD Graphics 5300/5500/5600, Iris Graphics 6100 and Iris Pro Graphics 6200/P6300 (formerly known as Broadwell)."
The Broadwell graphics names were recently revealed within the open-source Intel Linux driver for the upcoming hardware. In just this latest xf86-video-intel 2.99.913 release, Chris Wilson did more than 250 changes, mostly coming down to his never-ending process of tuning his SNA 2D acceleration architecture. With the xf86-video-intel 3.0 driver, one of the big features for end-users is SNA is now enabled by default over UXA, although many Linux distributions have been using "Sandy Bridge New Acceleration" for some time. The SNA work is still ongoing, single-handedly by Chris while other Intel Linux developers have been focusing their efforts on GLAMOR, since that is needed to for XWayland.
An early feature of the xf86-video-intel 3.0 driver that was since reverted was support for XMir. The other important feature to xf86-video-intel 3.0 is the already mentioned Intel Broadwell support for when the Haswell successor starts shipping in a few months time. There's also tear-free improvements and other enhancements in this massive Intel DDX driver update.
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