Re: modesetting vs intel in 10.0

[Greg Troxel <gdt%lexort.com@localhost>]

nia <nia%NetBSD.org@localhost> writes:

> On Sat, Aug 26, 2023 at 06:47:01AM -0400, Greg Troxel wrote:
>> I am new to modern intel graphics.  I have a UHD 630 with a 9th
>> generation (coffee lake?) CPU.  It is using intel, and it works for
>> xterm :-) But I see artifacts while typing into github comment boxes.
>> Is this something I should try modesetting on?
>> 
>> Is there a wiki page that collects "this option works or doesn't work,
>> and is or isn't preferred" with various graphics, along with
>> instructions for choosing?  I know I could figure this out but it would
>> probably speed testing to have someone who already knows write it down
>> and post a link.
>
> Yes, the artifacts are a symptom.
>
> In general the intel driver has been discontinued since 2015 or so.
>
> In /etc/xorg.conf, try:
>
> Section "Device"
>         Identifier      "Card0"
>         Driver          "modesetting"
> EndSection
>
> (This is okay for the whole file if it doesn't exist already.)

Thanks, that worked fine.

Finally a data point (I don't like to exit and restart X because I have
too much state).

Earlier the screen would go black for a few seconds pretty often (like 2
every 30), with modesetting and also intel.  I am now pretty sure that
this was because I was running zpool scrub.  Without a scrub, I don't
get this.

My graphics is:

  i915drmkms0 at pci0 dev 2 function 0: Intel UHD Graphics 630 (rev. 0x02)
  i915drmkms0: interrupting at msi4 vec 0 (i915drmkms0)
  i915drmkms0: notice: Failed to load DMC firmware i915/kbl_dmc_ver1_04.bin. Disabling runtime power management.
  [drm] Initialized i915 1.6.0 20200114 for i915drmkms0 on minor 0
  intelfb0 at i915drmkms0
  intelfb0: framebuffer at 0xc0040000, size 2560x1440, depth 32, stride 10240

which is on a 2019 Dell with 9th gen i7:

  cpu0: "Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU @ 3.00GHz"
  cpu0: Intel 7th or 8th gen Core (Kaby Lake, Coffee Lake) or Xeon E (Coffee Lake) (686-class), 3000.00 MHz


With the intel driver, it is mostly great except typing text in firefox has
artifacts which resolve.  xterm is fine.  display blanking into hw
powersave is fine.

With the modesetting driver, it is also mostly great, except:

  same github comment box artifacts

  cursor is often not quite right and it's a little confusing to resize
  windows as the change-icon clues are a bit off.  It's like the "update
  cursor" write calls get garbled output and then resolve.

  scrolling in firefox has text with some scan lines messed up and then
  over a second or two they resolve.  I see this changing virtual
  desktops to firefox also.  switching to xterms is fine.
  
  
But really both are quite usable.