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-   -   how to tell what video driver is installed and if i need an update (GM965/GL960) (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/how-to-tell-what-video-driver-is-installed-and-if-i-need-an-update-gm965-gl960-705914/)

akuthia 02-19-2009 09:18 AM
how to tell what video driver is installed and if i need an update (GM965/GL960)
 
title pretty much says it all, i found how to get the actual mobile chip name, but in some searches on google, i wasnt able to figure out how to determine which driver i have using Ubuntu intrepid ibex... Any help is greatly appreciated.

jdkaye 02-19-2009 10:04 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by akuthia (Post 3449689)
title pretty much says it all, i found how to get the actual mobile chip name, but in some searches on google, i wasnt able to figure out how to determine which driver i have using Ubuntu intrepid ibex... Any help is greatly appreciated.
Look in the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file for the section that looks something like this:
Code:
Section "Device"
        Identifier      "Generic Video Card"
        Driver          "fglrx"
As you can see from the line labelled "Driver", I'm using the fglrx driver.

So the quoted word following the Driver label will tell you what driver you're using.
I'm sure there are other ways of finding this but this is the first one that comes to mind
cheers,
jdk

akuthia 02-19-2009 11:25 AM
looks like a generic driver to me...

Code:
Section "Device"
        Identifier        "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier        "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier        "Default Screen"
        Monitor                "Configured Monitor"
        Device                "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

akuthia 02-19-2009 02:57 PM
so how do i upgrade this to an intel driver, as opposed to a generic one? i checked their website, and it gave instructions for a... git tree, with a warning that its for experienced users... <checks what forum he's in> so yea... it recommends a precompiled version from a repository, but all i have in "hardware drivers" is a restricted one for my wireless card in the laptop... so i have no idea how to acquire something that is windows-idiot safe :D

jdkaye 02-19-2009 11:48 PM
You need to install the package xserver-xorg-video-intel (if it's not already installed) and then adjust your xorg.conf file accordingly. You can get some ideas here (which took me 10 seconds to find googling on
Code:
linux driver gl960
http://hardware4linux.info/component/28740/
cheers,
jdk

akuthia 02-20-2009 08:25 AM
ok, so based on that website, i would relplace what i have in section device configured video device with

Code:

Section “Device”
Identifier “Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller”
Driver “intel”
BusID “PCI:0:2:0”
Option “DRI” “true”
Option “XVideo” “true”
#Option “DisplayInfo” “true”
Option “RenderAccel” “true”
Option “XAANoOffscreenPixmaps” “true”
#Option “AccelMethod” “EXA”
EndSection
correct? Sorry if this seems a bit troublesome, but when searching, im not sure what info is good or not, being a newb, and not really understanding various lines of code :\

farslayer 02-20-2009 09:34 AM
I think you should be able to look in your Xorg.0.log to see what driver is being loaded
cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep -i driver

if it comes back with intel then you can check the version with modinfo
modinfo intel (or whatever the proper module name is)
or
sudo apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-video-intel


Since it's not listed in your xorg.conf it is all being done by autodetection, your system may already be using the proper driver.

akuthia 02-20-2009 07:55 PM
this is what i got from that one

Code:
        X.Org Video Driver: 4.1
        X.Org XInput driver : 2.1
(II) Scanning /usr/share/xserver-xorg/pci directory for additional PCI ID's supported by the drivers
(==) Matched intel for the autoconfigured driver
(==) Assigned the driver to the xf86ConfigLayout
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//intel_drv.so
        Module class: X.Org Video Driver
        ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 4.1
(II) intel: Driver for Intel Integrated Graphics Chipsets: i810,
        ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 4.1
        ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 4.1
        ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 4.1
        ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 4.1
(II) intel(0): [drm] framebuffer mapped by ddx driver
(II) EXA(0): Driver registered support for the following operations:
(II) AIGLX: enabled GLX_texture_from_pixmap with driver support
        Module class: X.Org XInput Driver
        ABI class: X.Org XInput driver, version 2.1
        Module class: X.Org XInput Driver
        ABI class: X.Org XInput driver, version 2.1
(II) Synaptics touchpad driver version 0.15.2
so that is the intel driver, right?

farslayer 02-20-2009 11:08 PM
Yes it looks like your system is using the intel driver.
the direct rendering module (drm) is being loaded and GLX is enabled.. it looks like everything is working perfectly from that log entry.

are you experiencing some specific issue ? or were you just trying to ensure your system was using the optimal video driver ?

if you want to verify through another method that Direct rendering is working and enabled.
Code:
default@debianetch:~/$ glxinfo | grep direct
direct rendering: Yes

akuthia 02-21-2009 08:26 PM
Well, as to why, it was partly to confirm i was using the latest driver, and secondly, to see if maybe the driver was why i was experiencing some oddities with some of the games i had found and had been experimenting with. However, i think it may just be that the games might be older/no longer supported, or just using older design methods for gfx, so they're just a little too far behind in what i personally find acceptable at this time for my games. My next struggle, i think, is going to be setting up, i guess what are essentially, multiple graphics windows so i can "alt-tab" between a game, and the desktop. i saw something i believe it was on the Scorched3D page about it, but i couldnt wrap my head around it, when i tried to follow the instructions, i get Bash errors.... so maybe another day...

in trying Battle for Wesnoth though, it seems like all my fears are for naught, as it is playing excellently, and is in the type of genre that i've been missing for a while so i'm enjoying it.


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