What is an Xorg driver? Which one?

[Leonardo.b]

Today I'm trying to manually configure Xorg (/etc/X11/xorg.conf).
I'm confused about a couple of general aspects about X.
I hope that someone will be able to answer a couple of questions.

My Intel iGPU needs a kernel driver (built in the kernel), a firmware blob (built in the kernel), and a Xorg driver (probably xf86-video-intel).
How do these three things work togheter?
And why can't I put the Intel driver as module, without an initramfs?

Also, I have not understood which Xorg drivers should I install.
Are in general the specific drivers like xf86-input-elographics more reliable than generic evdev?

I read here on the forum that the wiki might be outdated about Intel drivers.
With a modern Intel GPU I ended up setting the following package.use
Is this correct for optimal performance?

[Buffoon]

Do you know what device nodes are? Here is some easy reading: https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/241173/how-are-dev-linux-files-created

Kernel driver creates this node for your GPU, /dev/dri/card0 (this is the first card, second would be card1, third card2). Nothing can access hardware directly, everything goes thru kernel. Without this node Xorg cannot access your GPU. Xorg driver uses this node to do the actual work and render the picture to your screen.

To my knowledge with Intel the firmware is optional, you get picture without firmware, but some features will be missing.

You do not need initramfs if you build firmware into kernel.

With Intel graphics you can use Xorg intel driver or Xorg modesetting driver. Latter is always built with Xorg, you do not have to set any variables to get it.

You are not supposed to install any Xorg drivers by hand, you set VIDEO_CARDS and INPUT_DEVICES variables in make.conf and the drivers will be pulled in by emerge.

[charles17]

[pietinger]

[NeddySeagoon]

Leonardo.b,

The video driver for almost all systems is in two or more pieces.
There is the kernel part, which will give you a framebuffer console at no extra change.
Then there is the userspace part.

For Intel chipsets that are a choice of kernel bits and userspace bits. You need all the right bits for your chipset.
To add to the interest, some Intel chipsets need firnware too.

Please post your

[Leonardo.b]

Ok, so the kernel handles all the hardware, while the Xorg drivers translate from the Xorg language to the kernel language. For this reason I can get a console without any additional software, but I need a driver for the keyboard on X
Is it correct?
Or does the userpace talk directly with the hardware?

This evening I'll go down the man pages for the details.

NeddySeagoon,
With libinput everything works, but I want to avoid catch-all solutions where possible.
If you don't mind, I'll try to configure it first, and then I'll post what you asked.


Leonardo

[Buffoon]

[Leonardo.b]

Good. I was confused because I didn't see the difference between kernel modules and Xorg drivers.
Thanks for the clarification.

[pietinger]

[NeddySeagoon]

Leonardo.b,

Configuring Xorg is only needed for fine tuning. Its operational, maybe suboptimally, with no configuration at all.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[pietinger]

[Leonardo.b]

Ok, I read the manpages for X and related. They are poor and I had to search for extra documentation online.
A good index avaiable with info would have been beautiful... bad luck, I didn't find it, and I don't need it anymore.
Anyway the subject is popular and the documentation doesn't miss. I should be able to walk by myself now.
As always, I thanks all you for all the advices.

Also, another question.
It seems that the only benefit in libinput is to be easy to configure.
I am moving away from it and trying the deprecated alternatives.
Am I doing a good deal?

pietinger,
do we need vaapi xvmc USE flags?
Portage complains to me saying that they are useless without a raedon or noveau card.
The advice about xf86-video-intel seems right; modesetting was slow and buggy.

NeddySeagoon;
I'm quite sure that I want a full xorg.conf because the automatic makes an horrible jobs since when I replaced udev with a static /dev, following your example.
But that's for another time, and for "Unsupported Software".


Leonardo

[pietinger]

[dmpogo]

[pietinger]

[Leonardo.b]

It took me some time; here the output you aksed...

lspci -nnk: https://dpaste.com/7HZSC8ZZS.txt
dmesg: https://dpaste.com/DW7DDU5TK.txt
Kernel config: https://dpaste.com/CDAACF7HH.txt

The Intel video card is 8086:3ea0 , the Nvidia one 10de:1d13 .
The touchscreen should be 04F3:23F4 , and the touchpad 06CB:CD4F , but check.
Is there a website like cateee.net for the X drivers?

My xorg.conf is still a work in progress - but at least now the video and the keyboard work.
I'm going to try the suggestions I read in your last two posts.
VIDEO_CARDS variable is a mess.

Leonardo

[NeddySeagoon]

Leonardo.b,

Lets go back to the beginning and understand what you want to achieve.

Yours lspci reads like its from a laptop with an Optimus Graphics system.
Optimus is one and a half graphics systems.

The Intel graphics system is complete. It can draw the display into the pixel buffer and paint the pixel buffer onto the display surface.
The nVidia graphics system is only half a graphics system. It can draw the display into the pixel buffer. That's all.

If you do have Optimus, then that places constraints on how things are configured.

Please confirm if you have Optimus or not and if you do, do you want to use the nVidia GPU at all?
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[Leonardo.b]

Oh! I forgot this detail... yes, I have an Nvidia card too.
I have a sticky on the laptop, so I think it's Optimus.

I don't want to use the nvidia card at all.

-- edit
I argument...
I don't want the nVidia binary drivers installed in the kernel, because I don't trust them; while the open source Nouveau is terrible both on performance and power usage, expecially for moderns Pascal cards like the one I own.
The most resource hungry games I run is gnuchess, so I like to keep the nVidia GPU powered off, and save battery life.
That's the most sane solution for me.

Then there is the possibility of installing the drivers, just for playing with them and see what happens.
I keep it for another day.

So I don't want the nvidia card at all.

Leonardo

[Leonardo.b]

I walk slowly; here what I have now:xorg.conf

I'm sure there is something very wrong since I had to hand copy the link because I can't copy/paste.
But as a general result, X works better than before.
Intel graphics works thanks to your suggestions.
I set the keyboard reading man kbd, that is avaiable with USE="-minimal" in xorg-server.

I think I should leave here a couple of links to some pages I found useful meanwhile.
I will not do because I can't copy/paste.

Leonardo

[NeddySeagoon]

Leonardo.b,

Driver "kbd" and Driver "synaptics" are both in the process of being removed.
In fact, kbd has already gone.

[Leonardo.b]

I think I have stolen xf86-input-keyboard from your gentoo-static on GitHub.
What's the idea behind removing it?

[NeddySeagoon]

Leonardo.b,

Heh. :)

Neither x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard nor x11-drivers/xf86-input-mouse have been required for many years, having been replaced by x11-drivers/xf86-input-evdev.
x11-drivers/xf86-input-evdev is itself being replaced by libinput now.

The final nail was upstream removing Linux support from x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard, so new releases won't work on Linux anyway, without that change being reverted. Gentoo tries to follow upstream and avoid carrying its own patch sets, so for old unused software, there was no point in keeping it.
Well, there are two users but we don't count :)
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[Leonardo.b]

Ok, I understand.

Being pratical, is it something I care?
Is there any need to upgrade the keyboard and touchpad drivers?

[NeddySeagoon]

Leonardo.b,

If it works, you don't care until it breaks. Its your Gentoo, your way.
Support will be minimal or even less though.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[Leonardo.b]

Okay, that's fine.

Thanks for your time
Leonardo