Meteor Lake i915 firmware exists but fails to load (Solved)

[krsupertux]

Hello. I'm trying to get the intel meteor lake gpu working on gentoo, but for some reason it can't load an existing firmware.

the problem:

`mtl_dmc.bin` and `mtl_guc_70.bin` exists but does not load, as can be seen here:
1. output for `dmesg | grep i915` https://paste.gentoo.zip/dwWPyfxd

2. output for `ls /lib/firmware/i915/ | grep mtl*`
https://paste.gentoo.zip/rEBkgk2W

I tried:
installing `sys-kernel/linux-firmware` again.

rebuilding initramfs

downloading the firmware again

Why is i915 failing to find the firmware?

Edit; my kernel version is `6.12.31-gentoo`.

[SOLVED]:
You have to compile all needed firmware into your kernel, as mentioned here.

[Hu]

Welcome to the forums.

What is the output of emerge --pretend --verbose sys-kernel/linux-firmware ; zgrep FIRM /proc/config.gz ; find /lib/firmware/ -type f -ls? You may need to use a pastebin for the find output.

[krsupertux]

Hello, thanks for the reply! Here is the output:
https://paste.gentoo.zip/yCe5RRfp

Edit: I think the first emerge command and the second zgrep command was not included, so including it here:

https://paste.gentoo.zip/EIFSHmMF (emerge)
https://paste.gentoo.zip/X8k5j0KD (zgrep)

[NeddySeagoon]

krsupertux,

Welcome to Gentoo.

There is a wrinkle with all devices needing firmware.
All the bits are required to be available when the kernel module is initialised. It will need it's firmware an that time.

Here's the wrinkle when the kernel module is initialised varies. For built in modules, that's before root is mounted, so /lib/firmware cannot be read.
The firmware is there but its inaccessible.
The fix for that is to list it in

Code: Select all

CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE=""

so it gets included in the kernel binary.

Now it gets worse.
If the kernel code is configured as <M> for loadable module, it all depends on what the root filesystem is. It can be the initrd, if you have one or the real root filesystem.
It depends where the module is loaded from.

Long story short. All the bits must be in the same place, or they will miss one another.

[pietinger]

[...] Long story short. All the bits must be in the same place, or they will miss one another.

The same is described here: https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/User:Pieti ... s_Firmware

[Hu]

OP: please pastebin the full dmesg (without grep) of a boot with this failure, and pastebin your full kernel configuration. As Neddy and pietinger describe, I suspect, but cannot conclude from the information posted so far, that you have the kernel component set as =y, meaning that the firmware would need to be built in because drivers that are =y request their firmware before the root filesystem is available. I can confirm from what you showed that you do not have the firmware built-in. So, either you need the i915 driver to be a module to force it not to load until the root filesystem is available (and can provide firmware) or you need to have the firmware built into the kernel image.

[pietinger]

[...] As Neddy and pietinger describe, I suspect, but cannot conclude from the information posted so far, that you have the kernel component set as =y [...].

Because of the timestamp (1.08 ) i assumed that i915 was statically configured in the kernel, because normally the modules are not loaded after 1 second (or he really has an insanely fast computer).

Code: Select all

[    1.087397] i915 0000:00:02.0: Direct firmware load for i915/mtl_dmc.bin failed with error -2

[krsupertux]

Thanks for the reply!

dmesg: https://paste.gentoo.zip/We82gQ5f

.config:
https://paste.gentoo.zip/sXdZDGXx

[krsupertux]

Hey it worked!

I followed the instructions in:

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/User:Pieti ... s_Firmware

and the kernel loaded the modules. Thanks everyone for helping me out!!

[NeddySeagoon]

krsupertux,

On to your next Gentoo learning experience.
The modules/firmware thing applies to all kernel code that needs firmware.

Some things need firmware to work at all. Others load firmware for bugfixes, in which case they workebut are buggy without it.

Check your dmesg every kernel update because firmware can be added.

[pietinger]

[...] Thanks everyone for helping me out!!

You are very Welcome!

Have fun with Gentoo!