i810-HOWTO

TobyRussell v0.1, January 2001 This HOWTO describes getting XFree86 4.x running on Intel's i810 graphics chipset by using special features of the 2.4.0 kernel. Introduction This document has a very specific purpose; to help people who are failing to get X working on Intel's i810 graphics chipset (hereafter "the i810"). It is written by a beginner (me), and it is imagined that it will be of use primarily to other beginners. The author would be flattered to hear that he has helped anyone more skilled than he. Furthermore, I know that the i810 works with XFree86 3.3.6, but I personally have not trod that path. My experience comes purely from XFree86 4.0 (hereafter "X4.x") and the 2.4.0 kernel, and consequently this HOWTO tackles that solution, or procedure, alone. Even though I know this procedure works I feel obliged to point out that what I have recorded here is mostly that which I have worked out in my own bumbling way. It may well be that others know a quicker and more efficient method than that which follows. If so I will be happy to hear from them. As I mentioned previously, the i810 will work with XFree86 3.3.6, if one uses also some drivers designed by Intel for the task (namely XFCom_i810-1.2-3 and I810Gtt-0.2-4) but, in the interests of Linux purity, and of course knowing one does not have to use Intel's software, I recommend the method detailed here. It does not need Intel drivers. Finally, no introduction would be complete without the following words of caution; I feel this mini-HOWTO should be regarded as a 'bare bones' set of instructions and should therefore be followed with all relevant README literature to hand. What follows is not exhaustive by any stretch of the imagination, and needs, at least for beginners, said README stuff. Down to business Note Do everything that follows logged on as root. There are three distinct stages that need not be followed in the order listed here (please feel free to use your imagination). Said stages are; get and install X4.x get and compile kernel 2.4.0 (including mknod agpgart stuff) nimbly tweak XF86Config Getting and installing X4.x The first stage is of course listed only as a guide for those who have perhaps tried getting XFree86 3.3.6 working with the i810 and failed, or perhaps those who have not even heard that X4.x supports the i810 and have been struggling vainly with their XF86Config file. I suppose the majority of people who find these instructions useful will have already loaded X4.x. You lot can skip this bit. Anyway, if you do need to know, X4.x can be got from; But before you rush ahead and download away you must first be sure which version of X4.x suits your system. So download Xinstall.sh on its own and run (from within the folder containing Xinstall.sh): sh Xinstall.sh -check The results will direct you to the correct folder within the above mentioned URL from where the appropriate files for your system can be downloaded. For a basic installation and to save time downloading one needs only the following absolute necessities, without exception (the others are optional and when included in the install process, I feel, increase the chances of things going wrong for the unwary and inexperienced): extract[.exe] Xbin.tgz Xlib.tgz Xman.tgz Xdoc.tgz Xfenc.tgz Xfnts.tgz Xetc.tgz Xvar.tgz Xxserv.tgz Xmod.tgz Now knowing which set of files are suited to your system you can go ahead and download whichever suits. Then install with the following command (from within the folder containing freshly downloaded files): sh Xinstall.sh If you have been good everything will proceed smoothly. You will be asked some questions which the README file can explain/answer better than I. If something doesn't work as expected I refer you to the far more detailed, aforementioned README file, which you should definitely peruse. As a newbie I always read the readme files before downloading, installing, compiling and even getting up from my seat to go to the toilette. You can never be too sure. That is the end of this stage. Get and compile kernel 2.4.0 (including mknod agpgart stuff) You can get kernel 2.4.0 from . Of course, read everything called README while you are at it. For each of the kernel updates/compiles I have done, I have always chucked the kernel source file in my home directory, then run the following sequence, which I learned from a linuxnewbie article to which you should refer if my directions are not clear enough for you. It can be found at the following address; . Of course, the location of the still-packed kernel is not really relevant, it only matters that it is unpacked in a conventional place. I personally use my home directory for no stronger reason than it seems neat and is easy to remember. OK, now for the commands: cd /usr/src ls -l Revealed should be, amongst other things, a symbolic link from linux to your existing kernel sources directory. Remove it as follows: rm linux If there is no symbolic link named linux it's no big deal; not all distributions follow this method. In that case there may or may not be a folder named after the kernel running on your system (this depends on whether the kernel sources were included during installation), in which case there is no need to remove any symbolic link! Then open the sources file tar -xzvf /home/[whatever]/linux-2.4.0.tar.gz and watch the screen spew out pages of information about what's happening. When it is finished it will have created a new linux folder. Rename it as follows: mv linux linux-2.4.0 then create a new symbolic link as follows: ln -s linux-2.4.0 linux This is a more important stage than it appears. Some scripts refer to /usr/src/linux and if they do not find it they will not run. And it is useful to name the kernel source folders themselves by their release number for two reasons. First for clarity and second because if you are compiling various kernels you will probably want to keep the ones you know are stable for safety reasons. If you are sure you will only need the 2.4.0 kernel, then you need only store the one source folder and call it simply /usr/src/linux, in which case, all the stuff I have included here is of no relevence to you. Again, I invite the reader to use his/her imagination. OK, so, change to the new directory: cd linux and begin the compile process proper... make config Or preferably make menuconfig There's also make xconfig, but you haven't got X running, or you wouldn't be reading this. So that won't work. And I'm embarrassed to mention it in such an imperfect fashion but there is also something like make oldconfig but I can't find any reference to it in my books. In any case I am not addressing it here, though I am sure the procedure for it is very similar to that which follows for make menuconfig. Now, I have gone through three text based kernel compiles (make config) and know how long winded they are. I reommend make menuconfig instead, which requires only that ncurses be loaded (you don't need X) and you will be taken through the pretty face of kernel recompilation. I loaded ncurses during a custom install of Red Hat 6.1, but I forget exactly at which stage that option is available. Otherwise ncurses is, I'm sure, on your distro's CD in rpm format, so if issuing make menuconfig just produces errors, install the ncurses rpm and try again. The most relevant stages of the make process for solving our particular problem are: to select EXPERIMENTAL early on (by hitting return while the very first option is highlighted and then selecting the only suboption which is consequently revealed), towards the bottom of the base options, to enter "Character Devices" and select (not as "M" but as "*") "/dev/agpgart (AGP) support" (only available if the above instruction has been followed), and select the appropriate sub-option of "/dev/agpgart (AGP) support" (again not as a module "M" but as a static part of the kernel "*"), namely the "I810/I810 dc100I810e support" part. Note The above explanation assumes you have run make menuconfig and so a little thinkology will be required to map it to a situation where make has been issued instead. But only a little. When all is over and you feel calm enough, do this; make dep make clean (not violently necessary but does no harm) make bzImage (takes a while, this bit) make modules make modules_install Now have a look at the /boot directory. You will probably see that System.map is a symbolic link to System.map-[your_kernel_version] and vmlinuz is a symbolic link to vmlinuz-[your_kernel_version]. This arrangement is true for many distros, but not all. I think some store vmlinuz in /, while System.map resides in /boot. Whatever the case is, use your brain and apply these instructions accordingly. So, basically you need to remove the symbolic links like so: rm System.map rm vmlinuz Then new symbolic links need to be created to the about-to-be-copied-over-while-simultaneously-being-renamed, recently created files. It goes like this (assuming you have an i386 computer): cp /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.0 ln -s /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.0 /boot/vmlinuz cp /usr/src/linux/System.map /boot/System.map-2.4.0 ln -s /boot/System.map-2.4.0 /boot/System.map You don't need to use absolute pathnames if you are within /boot. But if you are the excessively cautious type and do use absolute pathnames, you just have longer names for your symbolic files. Now you need to tell lilo about all your masterly work. This is achieved thusly. First edit your /etc/lilo.conf file as follows, by adding the following type of thing somewhere after the first (generic) stanza: image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.0 label=[what-ever-you-want-that-is-relevant-easy-to-type-and-remember] read-only root=/dev/hda[n] After editing lilo.conf you must do this: /sbin/lilo so that the crisp, shiny, new linux kernel is known by lilo, otherwise (I have experienced this) the new kernel will not be available for booting. Which would be silly. So after all this take a deep breath and reboot, select your new kernel and with fingers crossed, watch. It should work. If it does, go and celebrate a little. But don't let it get to your head because you have yet to mknod the agpgart module, a simple yet essential procedure done thusly: cd /dev mknod agpgart c 10 175 which basically, and here I shall fully expose my weak understanding of this bit, creates the very essential (X won't run without it) module that the i810 requires to do its thing. Pretty scientic stuff there. Sorry about that. That is the end of this stage. Nimbly tweak XF86Config I've done a lot of this and it get's mighty tedious when it fails 23 times in a row I CAN TELL YOU, so pay attention and read very closely the man page (run man XF86Config at the command prompt). First of all I recommend running the in-no-way-user-friendly xf86config (observe case!) to genertate a base XF86Config file as the other tools seem to produce XF86Config files which are in my experience incompatible with X4.x. When you run through the questions xf86config asks and you reach the card section, there will be nothing for you to choose, so choose that very nothing. You'll be entering the right stuff later, after the base file has been created. Then, after answering all the questions as well as you can, save the file as /etc/X11/XF86Config. So, finally, the all important addition is: Section "Device" Identifier "i810" Driver "i810" VideoRam "4096" and it should be inserted in the Graphics Device Section. There should in any case be an existing "Device" section which you could edit if you prefer. From thereon you should, having defined the i810 for X, enter "i810" wherever you see a "Device" field. I am including a couple of sections from my XF86Config file as an example, and hopefully to make a little clearer what I mean: Section "Device" Identifier "i810" Driver "i810" VideoRam "4096" Section "Screen" Identifier "Screen 1" Device "i810" Monitor "Highscreen 17inch" DefaultColorDepth 24 SubSection "Display" Depth 8 Modes "1024x768" EndSubSection SubSection "Display" Depth 15 Modes "1024x768" EndSubSection SubSection "Display" Depth 16 Modes "1024x768" EndSubSection SubSection "Display" Depth 24 Modes "1024x768" EndSubSection SubSection "Display" Depth 32 Modes "1024x768" EndSubSection EndSection As you can see I have only given X the option of "1024x768", and have a default colour depth of 24 bits, which you should only use if you know your monitor can handle it. Consult the accompanying monitor literature or the monitor manufacturer if you are unsure. If you can not put your hands on any clear information use a default colour depth of 8. Probably you can't do any damage at that setting. As for the resolution, use whatever you prefer and you should be ready to rock. I am going to be boring and say it again, but a more complete understanding than I can give here of the mysteries of the XF86Config file can be achieved by closely reading the man page (see above). This is really important if you want to have a chance of solving any problems that are bound to come up now and again, that have not been covered here. That should do it. Now save XF86Config and run: startx It should work. It did for me. You will be happy. If not contact me at trussl@hotmail.com and I will endeavour to help you. Note This is a kind of a p.s. to this section but may be helpful. I had a wee problem when going through the XF86Config part of this HOWTO during a test run. It stemmed from having read but not fully understood some blurb about the i810 and X4.x not working at all resolutions with a buffer extension (or something like that). Anyway, I made no notes about this and cannot therefore remember exactly what I read. Because I remember this vaguely I can only say the following with certainty; you need the following stanza at the beginning of your XF86Config file: # This loads the DBE extension module Load "dbe" # Double buffer extension # This loads the miscellaneous extensions module, and disables # initialisation of the XFree86-DGA extension within that module. SubSection "extmod" Option "omit xfree86-dga" # don't initialise the DGA extension EndSubSection So if X reports errors about a "shape extender" or "shape extension", you may well find that your XF86Config file is missing the above listed stanza. Thank you I must point out that I would not have known how to fix the i810 and X4.x problem if it were not for the pioneering efforts of Val Henson who guided me through the process and recommended the 2.4.0 kernel in the first place. I have also received help of a quite delectable variety from Bill McClain, who kindly polished my rough draft with his highly pronounced editing skills until it became the shining beast you have just so enjoyed.