[Intel-gfx] Two GMA 950 issues

[Alan W. Irwin]

I have recently upgraded my Asus Eee b202 box (with 945GM chipset and
GMA 950 graphics core) from Debian stable to Debian testing.

Before I was just using this rather underpowered box as a thin client
(using the X -query method to access a remote box xdm to help log in
to that remote box to actually do my work or play low-end 3D games
such as foobillard).  However, as a test I tried installing KDE on
this box. This new KDE version is much faster than the Debian stable
version so that experiment turned out to be a huge success.  So on the
whole I am completely satisfied with the KDE graphics experience I have
directly on this box.

However, I have noticed two issues with this box that probably indicate
that the software in the Intel graphics driver needs some
additional testing/maintenance for GMA950 graphics cores.

(1) The first issue (full bug report at
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=688812) is fiddling
with desktop effects (specifically turning the "Outline" effect off
than on again) brings the GPU to a near halt (it took about a minute
to respond to even hovering the mouse over part of the desktop and
another minute to respond to clicking on the mouse).  I ascribe the
slowdown to the GPU because "top" showed the cpu was idle and there
was tonnes of free memory available as well. That huge slowdown is
"permanent" in the sense that logging off and/or (warm) rebooting does
not solve the issue.  The only way out of this trap that I found was
to mv the .kde directory aside and reconfigure everything from
scratch.

(2) The second issue (full bug report at 
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=688822)
is a regression (when compared to Debian stable) in playing
remote games with LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=1 using the X -query method to gain access
to a remote box.  Interestingly, I can run those remote games just fine
if I use the ssh method rather than X -query to gain access to
the remote box.

The Eee box was first introduced only 4 years ago so it is fairly
modern equipment.  Also, it might experience a bit of a renaissance
now that it appears sophisticated Linux desktop environments like KDE
appear to run on it with no speed issues at all.  So it would be a
shame if the above bugs were not addressed in some way by the Intel
developers here.

My own feeling is perhaps the best way to deal with such bugs is not
to worry too much about the high-level specifics that triggered them,
but instead do full-blown tests on equipment with GMA 950 graphics
core similar to the tests Intel runs on their latest hardware.  In the
long run, such tests are the only way to make sure the latest Intel
graphics stack works properly on somwhat older equipment like this.

I would be happy to run such comprehensive tests, but this is a
production box (i.e., I am trying to use this box to help develop my
own free software).  I don't mind pausing my own development work to
run the tests, but if setting up such tests is too time-consuming or
would take too much of my time learning about how to build the Intel
graphics stack from scratch, I would prefer someone else to run the
tests instead.

Alan
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Alan W. Irwin

Astronomical research affiliation with Department of Physics and Astronomy,
University of Victoria (astrowww.phys.uvic.ca).

Programming affiliations with the FreeEOS equation-of-state
implementation for stellar interiors (freeeos.sf.net); the Time
Ephemerides project (timeephem.sf.net); PLplot scientific plotting
software package (plplot.sf.net); the libLASi project
(unifont.org/lasi); the Loads of Linux Links project (loll.sf.net);
and the Linux Brochure Project (lbproject.sf.net).
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Linux-powered Science
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