Some questions about xf86-video-intel driver

[Kyle McMartin]

On Fri, Oct 19, 2007 at 04:37:18PM +0200, Simon Pasch wrote:
> Hello list!
> 
> I have some problems with the intel driver in xorg. The memory usage
> of a self compiled X is nearly 260MB. With the vesa-driver it only
> needs some Megs.
> 

mmap of the graphics aperture is accounted for in this total.

> My Hardware Configuration:
> intel 945gm
> 
> I used:
> xorg-server 1.4
> x86-video-intel 2.1.1
> linux 2.6.22.9
> (Tried to use Mesa 7.0.1, libdrm 2.3.0, too)
> 
> I only need 2D...
> 
> After a week of trying I'm stuck now...
> 
> My questions are: (please keep in mind, that I'm a X-newbie...)
> - Am I right, that the Intel driver needs DRI for accelerated 2D, too?
> (is the missing DRI-usage possibly the reason, why X reserves so much
> memory?)
> 

DRI is needed for EXA, but not for XAA (so the answer is "sorta" since
XAA is the default at the moment.)

> - Do I need Mesa, if I only want to use 2D? Do I need Mesa to get DRI working?
> 

You don't need Mesa for 2D, but you need it for anything that uses GL
(it provides libGL.) Mesa provides the userspace component of direct
rendering, so yes.

> -The Kernel apggart driver reports that the AGP aperture size is
> 256MB. Is this possibly the reason, why X eats all the mem? (don't
> have a BIOS option to lower the AGP aperture size)
> 

Yes.

> -What do I have to do, that the intel-driver uses the kernel-drm?
> (currently it makes no difference, if the i915-module is loaded or
> not)
> 

Run "xdriinfo" to see.

> -Do I use the right combination of program-versions?
> 
> -Do you have an idea, what's the reason for the huge memory-allocation?
> I tried to lower the VideoRam by defining it in xorg.conf, but the
> driver reported:
> 
> (WW) intel(0): VideoRam configuration found, which is no longer recommended.
> (II) intel(0): Continuing with default 262144kB VideoRam instead of 8192 kB.
> 

You can just nuke it, it's fine.

> 
> I'm thankful for any hint...
> 
> Simon
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