Enabling AGP?

[neddie]

So the story starts like this. I'm running LE2005 on a Dell laptop, and notice that whenever something graphics-intensive is going on, the machine chugs. I saw this with Tuxracer, getting a frame rate of about 1 or 2 a second, and also with a complicated screensaver (Euphoria from the rss package). Very disappointing. I was told I should install a binary screen driver rather than the open source defaults, to up the performance and use all the hardware-specific whatnots.

 

Apparently I've got an Intel 855 graphics card, and I knew it wasn't going to be that hot anyway, it uses shared RAM rather than dedicated onboard. But anyway, it should probably be faster than it is, so I got an rpm from the Intel download site. Alas, when I tried to install the rpm (booting into failsafe mode and installing with rpm -i), I get the following message:

ERROR: AGPGART module did not compile
ERROR: AGPGART module did not compile - AGP module turned off in kernel ??
ERROR: Kernel modules did not compile
The DRI drivers can not be installed without the latest kernel modules.
Installation will be aborted. See the dri.log file for information on
what went wrong.

Unfortunately this dri.log file, although it exists, with a sensible timestamp, has zero size.

 

When I look at lsmod I can see agpgart and intel-agp, so I'm guessing that the modules are running ok - how can I see if something is turned off in the kernel? Can anyone offer any help on this please?

 

[moved from Software by spinynorman]

[pmpatrick]

If your compiling a kernel module, you need to have your kernel source installed first. Given the error message, I'd check that first and if it's not installed, install the kernel source. Make sure to install the kernel-source rpm that corresponds to your kernel. Also check that rpm and see if it's for a 2.4 kernel instead of a 2.6 kernel.

[ianw1974]

I have the intel chipset too, and I had to use the drivers. The installation in brief is as follows:

 

Pre-requisites:

 

Kernel-source as pmpatrick mentions above, and there may be some others. It will show them when you try and install with the rpm command.

 

RPM Command:

 

The command to run is rpm -Uvh dri-I915.......rpm (whatever the rest of the file is). I found this somewhere on the Intel website.

 

Then after this has done, you have to make sure "mesa" is installed and "libmesa" so that you have the OpenGL stuff. Then after this, add the following to /etc/X11/xorg.conf

 

Section "DRI"

Mode 0666

EndSection

 

then you're all set to go.

[neddie]

Hi guys, thanks for your replies.

 

I thought I already had my kernel source installed, I just added the only kernel-source rpm from my LE2005 DVD (I've got a more or less completely clean install from this DVD, and I've certainly not (at least, not knowingly) done anything with my kernel. But when I do "uname -r" I get:

2.6.11-6mdk-i686-up-4GB

and when I do "rpm -qa | grep kernel" I get:

kernel-2.6.8.1.12mdk-1-1mdk
kernel-source-2.6-2.6.11-6mdk
kernel-i686-up-4GB-2.6.11.6mdk-1-1mdk

 

so why have I got an "up-4GB" version of the kernel (which seems to be a special version for coping with up to 4GB RAM?? I've only got 768MB). Again, this is just what the DVD install gave me.

Next question: is changing the kernel just as simple as double-clicking on an rpm, or will that just break everything while the kernel is running? I'm assuming I only want one kernel, but de-installing what I've got will leave me with no kernel at all!!

[aioshin]

upon your pc boot-up, lilo or grub will of course load first, there you can choose which kernel to load, might be that the 4gig-kernel was set to default, so you can just scroll and select the other kernel that you want to use. If you want to change the default value of grub or lilo, just go to mcc - boot - boot loader

[neddie]

I don't get any options to select the kernel, either within lilo or within the mcc. I did however look at the rpms on the DVD and found 6 relating to the kernel:

 

kernel-2.6.11.6mdk-1-1mdk.i586.rpm - The Linux kernel

kernel-i586-up-1GB-2.6.11.6mdk-1-1mdk.i586.rpm - The Linux kernel compiled for smp with 4GB

kernel-i686-up-4GB-2.6.11.6mdk-1-1mdk.i586.rpm - The Linux Kernel compiled for up with 4GB (has appropriate configuration options enabled for the typical desktop with more than 4GB of memory)

kernel-smp-2.6.11.6mdk-1-1mdk.i586.rpm - The Linux kernel compiled for SMP machines

kernel-source-2.6-2.6.11-6mdk.i586.rpm - The source code for the Linux kernel

kernel-xbox-2.6.11.6mdk-1-1mdk.i586.rpm - The version of the Linux kernel used on XBox machines

 

The other one listed by rpm -qa is

kernel-2.6.8.1.12mdk-1-1mdk - Name kernel-2.6.8.1.12mdk Version 1-1mdk Summary The Linux kernel

I'm guessing that this one is from my previous install of Mdk10.1, left over after I upgraded to LE2005.

So apart from the obvious question of why I've got this 4GB (and what "for up with 4GB" means!), I'd also like to know which of the kernel rpms matches the source one. Does 2.6.11.6mdk-1-1mdk match 2.6-2.6.11-6mdk ?

[neddie]

Anyone?

 

Should I be installing one of the rpms on the DVD (and removing the kernel rpms I've got installed!?) or should I be looking for a pair of rpms elsewhere (and if so, which version number?) I'm quite lairy about messing with my kernel to be honest, as I figured the packaged LE2005 DVD would have the most standard / stable / compatible / tested versions of the core stuff. And why do I have two kernels listed by the rpm -qa command - does the old kernel version stay installed if I install a new one? Then which one runs? Or do I need to install the rpm, reboot into the new kernel, and then remove the old rpm? (confused)

 

Oh, and PS I'm not using easyurpmi cos the linux box isn't online - hence why I'm keen to use the DVD if possible or get the rpms online and transfer them over.

 

Sorry for the confused questions, and sorry this is in 'hardware' - it was moved from Software.

[scarecrow]

I guess when installing MDK autopicked "kernel-i686-up-4GB-2.6.11.6mdk-1-1mdk".

Anyway I don't have to guess anything: The output of "uname -a" in a console gives you the kernel revision you have installed and running.

The kernel sources you need are most obviously "kernel-source-2.6-2.6.11-6mdk.i586.rpm", and that "4GB" you are wondering about refers to total system RAM.

Next, you can cleanly uninstall the old 2.6.8 kernel, but of course not the running one.

Finally, the Intel i855 video driver is not any faster than the stock xorg one.

Edited August 18, 2005 by scarecrow