Question regarding addition of xf86-video-intel to latest garuda-video-linux-config

Issues & Assistance
1

Not quite sure about the right category for this hence posting it in Issues & Assistance category. As the title says I noticed the latest update of garuda-video-linux-config (1:r63.2f652e8-3 → 2:1.1.4-4) has xf86-video-intel as dependency. I wanted to ask why this package was added when even archwiki explicitly states that this is a problematic package,

The xf86-video-intel driver does not have proper support for Gen 10 and newer hardware, causing lack of acceleration and rendering issues. See [3].
There have been couple reports [4] [5] where the whole graphics stack hard freezes when xf86-video-intel is installed, not even switching to a different virtual console works (by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Fn), only killing the user processes with SysRq works.

Wiki article in case → Intel graphics - ArchWiki and to further prove my point we even have issue on forum where people have complained about weird screen issues that removing this software solved,

eg,

Thus the question why has it been recently added to garuda video config's meta package? 
pacman -Si garuda-video-linux-config
Repository      : garuda
Name            : garuda-video-linux-config
Version         : 2:1.1.4-4
Description     : Meta configuration package for common open source drivers on Garuda Linux
Architecture    : any
URL             : None
Licenses        : GPL
Groups          : None
Provides        : None
Depends On      : xf86-video-ati  xf86-video-amdgpu  xf86-video-intel  xf86-video-nouveau  vulkan-intel
vulkan-radeon  intel-compute-runtime  intel-media-driver  libvdpau-va-gl
libva-intel-driver  libva-mesa-driver  libva-vdpau-driver  mesa-vdpau  vulkan-mesa-layers
vulkan-swrast  lib32-vulkan-intel  lib32-vulkan-radeon  lib32-mesa-vdpau
lib32-libva-intel-driver  lib32-libva-mesa-driver  lib32-libva-vdpau-driver
lib32-vulkan-mesa-layers
Optional Deps   : None
Conflicts With  : None
Replaces        : None
Download Size   : 2.46 KiB
Installed Size  : 0.00 KiB
Packager        : Garuda Builder <[email protected]>
Build Date      : Friday 10 November 2023 12:46:16 AM
Validated By    : MD5 Sum  SHA-256 Sum  Signature
garuda-inxi 
System:
  Kernel: 6.5.11-1-clear arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 13.2.1
    clocksource: tsc available: acpi_pm
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-clear
    root=UUID=6a7bcee6-f3ae-4c03-b6b0-7cb27fb4c8d4 rw rootflags=subvol=@
    rootfstype=btrfs tsc=reliable rw quiet console=tty0
    console=ttyS0,115200n8 cryptomgr.notests initcall_debug
    intel_iommu=igfx_off kvm-intel.nested=1 no_timer_check noreplace-smp
    page_alloc.shuffle=1 rcupdate.rcu_expedited=1 rd.udev.log_priority=3
    vt.global_cursor_default=0
    resume=UUID=1b9b6f2d-a19b-4eee-b2bf-6af31dfdf566 loglevel=3
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.9 tk: Qt v: 5.15.11 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 2
    dm: SDDM Distro: Garuda Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Convertible System: LENOVO product: 81X1 v: IdeaPad Flex 5 14IIL05
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 31 v: IdeaPad Flex 5 14IIL05
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: LENOVO model: LNVNB161216 v: SDK0Q55722 WIN
    serial: <superuser required> UEFI: LENOVO v: ECCN41WW date: 06/27/2022
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 28.6 Wh (69.1%) condition: 41.4/52.6 Wh (78.6%)
    power: 10.9 W volts: 11.8 min: 11.5 model: Sunwoda L19D3PD6 type: Li-poly
    serial: <filter> status: discharging cycles: 2042
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i7-1065G7 bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Ice Lake
    gen: core 10 level: v4 note: check built: 2019-21 process: Intel 10nm
    family: 6 model-id: 0x7E (126) stepping: 5 microcode: 0xBC
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 4 tpc: 2 threads: 8 smt: enabled cache:
    L1: 320 KiB desc: d-4x48 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 2 MiB desc: 4x512 KiB L3: 8 MiB
    desc: 1x8 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 998 high: 1001 min/max: 400/3900 scaling:
    driver: intel_pstate governor: powersave cores: 1: 1001 2: 1000 3: 1000
    4: 1000 5: 1000 6: 990 7: 1000 8: 1000 bogomips: 23961
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities: <filter>
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 vendor: Lenovo driver: i915 v: kernel
    arch: Gen-11 process: Intel 10nm built: 2019-21 ports: active: eDP-1
    empty: DP-1, DP-2, DP-3, HDMI-A-1 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:8a52
    class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: NVIDIA GP108M [GeForce MX330] vendor: Lenovo driver: nvidia
    v: 545.29.02 alternate: nvidiafb,nouveau,nvidia_drm non-free: 545.xx+
    status: current (as of 2023-10; EOL~2026-12-xx) arch: Pascal code: GP10x
    process: TSMC 16nm built: 2016-2021 pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 4
    link-max: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:1d16
    class-ID: 0302
  Device-3: Bison Integrated Camera driver: uvcvideo type: USB rev: 2.0
    speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 3-2:2 chip-ID: 5986:212a
    class-ID: 0e02
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.9 with: Xwayland v: 23.2.2
    compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X: loaded: modesetting,nvidia unloaded: nouveau
    alternate: fbdev,intel,nv,vesa dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: :0
    screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.00x11.22")
    s-diag: 582mm (22.93")
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 model: ChiMei InnoLux 0x1406 built: 2019 res: 1920x1080
    hz: 60 dpi: 158 gamma: 1.2 size: 309x173mm (12.17x6.81") diag: 354mm (13.9")
    ratio: 16:9 modes: 1920x1080
  API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: intel iris drv: nvidia platforms: device: 0
    drv: nvidia device: 1 drv: iris device: 3 drv: swrast gbm: drv: kms_swrast
    surfaceless: drv: nvidia x11: drv: iris inactive: wayland,device-2
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6.0 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: intel mesa v: 23.2.1-arch1.2
    glx-v: 1.4 direct-render: yes renderer: Mesa Intel Iris Plus Graphics (ICL
    GT2) device-ID: 8086:8a52 memory: 14.92 GiB unified: yes
  API: Vulkan v: 1.3.269 layers: 12 device: 0 type: integrated-gpu
    name: Intel Iris Plus Graphics (ICL GT2) driver: mesa intel
    v: 23.2.1-arch1.2 device-ID: 8086:8a52 surfaces: xcb,xlib device: 1
    type: discrete-gpu name: NVIDIA GeForce MX330 driver: nvidia v: 545.29.02
    device-ID: 10de:1d16 surfaces: xcb,xlib device: 2 type: cpu name: llvmpipe
    (LLVM 16.0.6 256 bits) driver: mesa llvmpipe v: 23.2.1-arch1.2 (LLVM
    16.0.6) device-ID: 10005:0000 surfaces: xcb,xlib
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Ice Lake-LP Smart Sound Audio vendor: Lenovo
    driver: sof-audio-pci-intel-icl
    alternate: snd_hda_intel,snd_sof_pci_intel_icl bus-ID: 00:1f.3
    chip-ID: 8086:34c8 class-ID: 0401
  API: ALSA v: k6.5.11-1-clear status: kernel-api with: aoss
    type: oss-emulator tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.84 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    4: pw-jack type: plugin tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Ice Lake-LP PCH CNVi WiFi driver: iwlwifi v: kernel
    bus-ID: 00:14.3 chip-ID: 8086:34f0 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter>
  IF-ID-1: docker0 state: down mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel AX201 Bluetooth driver: btusb v: 0.8 type: USB rev: 2.0
    speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 1.1 bus-ID: 3-10:4 chip-ID: 8087:0026
    class-ID: e001
  Report: btmgmt ID: hci0 rfk-id: 8 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 5.2
    lmp-v: 11 status: discoverable: no pairing: no class-ID: 7c0000
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 476.94 GiB used: 191.53 GiB (40.2%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Samsung
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    fw-rev: 3L1QFXV7 temp: 35.9 C scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 459.82 GiB size: 459.82 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 191.53 GiB (41.7%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 300 MiB size: 299.4 MiB (99.80%)
    used: 576 KiB (0.2%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 maj-min: 259:1
  ID-3: /home raw-size: 459.82 GiB size: 459.82 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 191.53 GiB (41.7%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
  ID-4: /var/log raw-size: 459.82 GiB size: 459.82 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 191.53 GiB (41.7%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
  ID-5: /var/tmp raw-size: 459.82 GiB size: 459.82 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 191.53 GiB (41.7%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default) zswap: no
  ID-1: swap-1 type: zram size: 15.28 GiB used: 2.3 GiB (15.0%)
    priority: 100 comp: zstd avail: lzo,lzo-rle,lz4,lz4hc max-streams: 8
    dev: /dev/zram0
  ID-2: swap-2 type: partition size: 16.82 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
    priority: -2 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p3 maj-min: 259:3
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 57.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 309 Uptime: 16h 37m wakeups: 4 Memory: total: 16 GiB note: est.
  available: 15.28 GiB used: 6.7 GiB (43.9%) Init: systemd v: 254
  default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 13.2.1 Packages:
  pm: pacman pkgs: 1677 libs: 458 tools: paru Shell: fish v: 3.6.1
  running-in: konsole inxi: 3.3.31
Garuda (2.6.18-1):
  System install date:     2022-11-12
  Last full system update: 2023-11-10 ↻
  Is partially upgraded:   No
  Relevant software:       snapper NetworkManager dracut nvidia-dkms
  Windows dual boot:       No/Undetected
  Failed units:
2 Likes
2

So the following was the reason for it: we had a repository for this package, which got added to the PKGBUILDs repo. I just looked at it again since it seemed odd to me as well.

It turns out these packages are actually getting provided by another repository!

This hasn’t always been the case and seemingly got introduced by @TNE at some point

I don’t know why the previous repository hasn’t been archived or removed (after all it was definitely present in our previous PKGBUILDs category. In any case, it wasn’t obvious to me and didn’t get documented either. We can see that the package in question has already been removed a while back:

So the right way to proceed here is to revert the change, provide a properly versioned PKGBUILD for mhwd-db-garuda, and document those way of handling things.

3 Likes
3

That statement is either erroneous, mis-translated, or just simply confusing. Yes, xf86-video-intel is required only earlier Intel CPUs, but probably not since, what, around 2013/14/15 and beyond starting with what, Haswell CPUs?

If you do keep it, an overarching dot.conf is gonna be needed to prevent tearing, but allow acceleration.

My best guess is the majority of rigs in operation nowadays are new enough (even my 2013 Haswell rig), to receive no benefit from this driver, and it may make rendering worse if it is–almost certainly.

The authorities supporting this opinion are too numerous to quote.

4 Likes
4

Thanks for this additional insight!

I’ve created an issue here to track this particular task:

Edit: have an MR up, would be great if someone took at look :slight_smile:

6 Likes
5

image

:white_check_mark:

6 Likes
6

So should i update now?
My issue was related to this i believe

My issues post

7

Yes, this should be all set now. :slightly_smiling_face:

2 Likes
8

Ok i will do it as soon as i reach back home thanks

9

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