video stuttering bad

mrmazda · 02-14-2019, 01:46 PM

Modesetting is two things. In the kernel it's a process usually referred to as KMS (kernel mode setting, referring to video mode management). In X, it's both a process, same as in the kernel, and the name of a DDX driver. The (newer technology) Modesetting DDX driver became default after 17.3 was released, so in 17.3 it's provided by a separate package, xserver-xorg-video-modesetting. Enabling its use instead of xserver-xorg-video-intel can be accomplished by having installed only the one you wish used. It can also be accomplished while both DDX driver packages remain installed by specification within /etc/X11/xorg.conf*. The Modesetting DDX driver should work nicely on your Haswell. It might eliminate stuttering. I highly recommend at least trying use of the Modesetting DDX driver.

tmoble · 02-15-2019, 10:00 AM

Thank You again mr mazda.

tmoble · 02-17-2019, 09:39 PM

ahhh dang. back to unsolved status. Was doing great last night after re-installing the intel driver from scratch. was away from computer for for 12-14 hours, came back to discover it's back to it's old trix with the video stuttering. Shall I just go back to my old solution with the shotgun and swimming pool?

mr mazda, you still out there? going back to check on the mode shifting driver

mrmazda · 02-17-2019, 11:40 PM

Your PC's current configuration state is unclear to me. Please post output from:

Code:

inxi -GxxSM

using the code tag button [#] around your paste.

tmoble · 02-18-2019, 02:06 AM

Code:

tom@mint ~ $ inxi -GxxSM
System:    Host: mint Kernel: 3.16.0-38-generic i686 (32 bit gcc: 4.8.2)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 2.8.8 (Gtk 3.10.8) dm: mdm
           Distro: Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa
Machine:   System: ASUS product: All Series
           Mobo: ASUSTeK model: H97-PLUS v: Rev X.0x
           Bios: American Megatrends v: 2504 date: 05/20/2015
Graphics:  Card: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller
           bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0412
           Display Server: X.Org 1.15.1 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.0hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Desktop x86/MMX/SSE2
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.1.3 Direct Rendering: Yes

I think it's the same as before, but I'm cross-eyed looking at this stuff.

tmoble · 02-18-2019, 04:02 AM

so, I decided to go off on my own, sort of. back in your post #12 you recommended going to the mode-setting driver.

so I dumped the regular intel driver with

Code:

sudo apt purge xserver-xorg-video-intel
[sudo] password for tom: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
  linux-image-extra-4.4.0-138-generic
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove it.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  xserver-xorg-video-intel*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 125 not upgraded.
After this operation, 2,934 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database ... 302882 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing xserver-xorg-video-intel (2:2.99.910-0ubuntu1.7) ...
Purging configuration files for xserver-xorg-video-intel (2:2.99.910-0ubuntu1.7)sudo sudo apt purge xserver-xorg-video-intel
[sudo] password for tom: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
  linux-image-extra-4.4.0-138-generic
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove it.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  xserver-xorg-video-intel*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 125 not upgraded.
After this operation, 2,934 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database ... 302882 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing xserver-xorg-video-intel (2:2.99.910-0ubuntu1.7) ...
Purging configuration files for xserver-xorg-video-intel (2:2.99.910-0ubuntu1.7)sudo apt purge xserver-xorg-video-intel

rebooted, ran

Code:

sudo apt install xserver-xorg-video-modesetting

but got an error saying that I that I already had the latest version of the driver:

Code:

tom@mint ~ $ sudo apt install xserver-xorg-video-modesetting
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
xserver-xorg-video-modesetting is already the newest version.
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
  linux-image-extra-4.4.0-138-generic
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove it.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 125 not upgraded.

any suggestions gratefully received. I couldn't quite figure how to just install an already existing version. that

Code:

apt install....

seems like it would do it since it doesn't have the

Code:

get

mrmazda · 02-18-2019, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmoble

Code:

tom@mint ~ $ inxi -GxxSM
System:    Host: mint Kernel: 3.16.0-38-generic i686 (32 bit gcc: 4.8.2)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 2.8.8 (Gtk 3.10.8) dm: mdm
           Distro: Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa
Machine:   System: ASUS product: All Series
           Mobo: ASUSTeK model: H97-PLUS v: Rev X.0x
           Bios: American Megatrends v: 2504 date: 05/20/2015
Graphics:  Card: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller
           bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0412
           Display Server: X.Org 1.15.1 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.0hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Desktop x86/MMX/SSE2
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.1.3 Direct Rendering: Yes

I think it's the same as before, but I'm cross-eyed looking at this stuff.

It's not clear to me you have ever managed to get the DDX driver that I switched to over two oveer two years ago: modesetting:

Code:

 inxi -GxxSM
System:    Host: 00srv Kernel: 4.4.165-81-default x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 4.8.5 Desktop: KDE 3.5.10 tk: Qt 3.3.8c
           wm: kwin dm: KDM Distro: openSUSE Leap 42.3
Machine:   Type: Desktop Mobo: MSI model: B85-G41 PC Mate(MS-7850) v: 1.0 serial: <root required> BIOS: American Megatrends
           v: 2.9 date: 03/30/2015
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel 4th Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: i915
           v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:041e
           Display: server: X.Org 1.18.3 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa alternate: intel resolution: 1920x1200~60Hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell v: 4.3 Mesa 17.0.5 compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes

tmoble · 02-18-2019, 11:18 AM

This is what I got after trying to install that driver.

Code:

xserver-xorg-video-modesetting is already the newest version.

so, no, I don't think it's installed.

tmoble · 02-18-2019, 11:32 AM

apparently, it's on the machine. I don't understand why it tried to go and get another instead of installing or switching to the existing one which is apparently the latest version. Any wisdom here?

tmoble · 02-18-2019, 06:05 PM

mr mazda, you still out there?

mrmazda · 02-19-2019, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmoble

apparently, it's on the machine. I don't understand why it tried to go and get another instead of installing or switching to the existing one which is apparently the latest version. Any wisdom here?

I've had other things pulling me away from the computer, and Internet trouble while I'm not away, and it's not over yet.

Already at the newest version is telling you that the package is already installed, and it did not try to get it again.

Switching drivers requires you do something more than run an apt command. Did you reboot or restart Xorg after removing xserver-xorg-video-intel? Simply logging out of Cinnamon and back in is unlikely to be enough to restart Xorg, which is required to make the DDX driver switch from intel to modesetting. Once you have done so please provide output from a terminal within a Cinnamon session running:

Code:

inxi -GxxSM

and do

Code:

pastebinit /var/log/Xorg.0.log

(if it exists) and post the URI it provides here. It may be in ~/.local/share/xorg instead, so

Code:

pastebinit ~/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.0.log

in that case. If either inxi or pastebinit produce a command not found error, use any package manager (e.g. apt-get, aptitude, apt, Synaptic, etc.) to install, then try again.

zeebra · 02-19-2019, 05:47 AM

Have you looked into CPU frequency?

Have a look:
Either:

Code:

cpupower frequency-info

or

Code:

cpufreq-info

tmoble · 02-19-2019, 09:12 PM

Code:

inxi -GxxSM
System:    Host: mint Kernel: 3.16.0-38-generic i686 (32 bit gcc: 4.8.2)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 2.8.8 (Gtk 3.10.8) dm: mdm Distro: Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa
Machine:   System: ASUS product: All Series
           Mobo: ASUSTeK model: H97-PLUS v: Rev X.0x
           Bios: American Megatrends v: 2504 date: 05/20/2015
Graphics:  Card: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller
           bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0412
           Display Server: X.Org 1.15.1 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.0hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Desktop x86/MMX/SSE2
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.1.3 Direct Rendering: Yes

Looks like pastebinit has gone south

Code:

tom@mint ~ $ pastebinit /var/log/Xorg.0.log
Bad API request, invalid api_dev_key
tom@mint ~ $ sudo pastebinit /var/log/Xorg.0.log
[sudo] password for tom: 
Bad API request, invalid api_dev_key

Code:

tom@mint ~ $ pastebinit /var/log/Xorg.0.log
Bad API request, invalid api_dev_key
tom@mint ~ $ sudo pastebinit /var/log/Xorg.0.log
[sudo] password for tom: 
Bad API request, invalid api_dev_key

tom@mint ~ $ sudo pastebinit ~/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.0.log
Unable to read from: /home/tom/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.0.log
tom@mint ~ $

mrmazda · 02-21-2019, 12:02 AM

It looks like the 17.3 pastebinit may have been replaced by simply /usr/bin/pastebin. All it is is a cmdline option to upload diagnostic information to a temporary viewing host that otherwise would be done using a web browser. See: pastebin. Here are some places you can upload to that way:
http://paste.debian.net/
http://paste.fedoraproject.org
http://paste.opensuse.org/
http://pastebin.com/
http://paste.ubuntu.com/
http://susepaste.org/
https://gist.github.com/
Please be sure to share the resulting URL here once you have used one.

Every time I've asked to see your output from inxi it has reported X is using the ancient and in-maintenance-mode-only Intel DDX driver that hasn't had an official release in 4 years. If you were using the latest version of any of the popular distros, I would be fairly sure that the Intel DDX driver is not the optimal DDX driver for your Haswell. As old as 17.3 is, I can't be sure of this, but nevertheless the modesetting DDX should be competently tested, and you apparently have not yet managed to do so.

After purging xserver-xorg-video-intel I expect the use of modesetting DDX to be automatic. As you described what you did I'm not sure whether that failed to happen automatically, or you didn't even succeed to try it. If it failed to load automatically while xserver-xorg-video-intel was not installed, then you could have had X fail altogether, or it could have been using a crippled very slow fallback driver, FBDEV or VESA. It may be necessary to configure use of modesetting explicitly in 17.3 for your Haswell. You could do that by creating a file named /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf. You might not have that directory already and need to create /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ as a separate first step and then add 50-device.conf to it. It should contain the following:

Code:

Section "Device"
    Identifier "DefaultDevice"
	Driver	"modesetting"
EndSection

If this fails to cause inxi -Gxx to report modesetting is in use after an X restart or reboot, a more complicated .conf file may be necessary, which I may suggest only if you successfully upload (pastebin) the Xorg.0.log file generated by your attempt to use the modesetting DDX.