Gentoo Forums
Gentoo Forums
Gentoo Forums
Quick Search: in
Debugging radeon driver stuttering issues
View unanswered posts
View posts from last 24 hours

 
Reply to topic    Gentoo Forums Forum Index Kernel & Hardware
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
jasn
Guru
Guru


Joined: 05 May 2005
Posts: 439
Location: Maryland, US

PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 11:26 am    Post subject: Debugging radeon driver stuttering issues Reply with quote

I'm trying to sort out what may be causing the video stuttering issues I'm having on my Clevo P150HM/ATI 6970M laptop with the latest radeon driver set. The behavior is that the video display noticeably stutters all the time. It's easily seen when playing any video file, but it is also exhibited when editing a file, using the command line, and right now as I type in this post. There is a noticeable lag, and then the display catches up. My configuration is;
Code:
Gentoo Linux 3.6.2 x86_64
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2820QM CPU @ 2.30GHz
VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Blackcomb [Radeon HD 6900M series]
running at the middle power profile (echo mid > /sys/class/drm/card0/device/power_profile)

sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-3.6.2  - radeon drivers configured as modules

x11-base/xorg-server-1.13.0  USE="ipv6 kdrive nptl udev xorg xvfb -dmx -doc -minimal (-selinux) -static-libs -tslib -xnest"
x11-base/xorg-drivers-1.13  INPUT_DEVICES="evdev keyboard mouse synaptics wacom -acecad -aiptek -elographics -fpit -hyperpen -joystick -mutouch -penmount -tslib -vmmouse -void" VIDEO_CARDS="radeon -apm -ark -ast -chips -cirrus -dummy -epson -fbdev -fglrx (-geode) -glint -i128 (-i740) -intel -mach64 -mga -modesetting -neomagic (-newport) -nouveau -nv -nvidia (-omap) (-omapfb) -qxl -r128 -rendition -s3 -s3virge -savage -siliconmotion -sis -sisusb (-sunbw2) (-suncg14) (-suncg3) (-suncg6) (-sunffb) (-sunleo) (-suntcx) -tdfx -tga -trident -tseng -v4l -vesa -via -virtualbox -vmware (-voodoo)"

Live Ebuilds from the x11 overlay, emerged 10/15/12
x11-drivers/xf86-video-ati-9999::x11
x11-libs/libdrm-9999::x11  USE="libkms -static-libs" VIDEO_CARDS="radeon (-exynos) -intel -nouveau (-omap) -vmware"
media-libs/mesa-9999::x11  USE="egl g3dvl gallium gbm gles2 llvm nptl openvg shared-glapi vdpau xa xorg xvmc -bindist -classic -debug -gles1 -osmesa -pax_kernel -pic -r600-llvm-compiler (-selinux) -wayland" VIDEO_CARDS="r600 -i915 -i965 -intel -nouveau -r100 -r200 -r300 -radeon -radeonsi -vmware"

I also have the following additional configuration files;
Code:
File: /etc/default/grub

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash radeon.pcie_gen2=1"

File: /etc/env.d/99radeon

R600_ENABLE_S3TC=1
R600_STREAMOUT=1
R600_HYPERZ=1
R600_TILING=1
R600_SURF=1
R600_GLSL130=1

File: /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20radeon.conf

Section "Device"
        Identifier "6970M"
        Driver  "radeon"
        #Option "AGPMode"               "8"   #not used when KMS is on
        #Option "AGPFastWrite"          "off" #could cause instabilities enable it at your own risk
        Option  "SWcursor"              "off" #software cursor might be necessary on some rare occasions, hence set off by default
        Option  "EnablePageFlip"        "on"  #supported on all R/RV/RS4xx and older hardware and set off by default
        Option  "AccelMethod"           "EXA" #valid options are XAA and EXA. EXA is the newest acceleration method and it is the d$
        Option  "RenderAccel"           "on"  #enabled by default on all radeon hardware
        Option  "ColorTiling"           "on"  #enabled by default on RV300 and later radeon cards.
        Option  "EXAVSync"              "off" #default is off, otherwise on
        Option  "EXAPixmaps"            "on"  #when on icreases 2D performance, but may also cause artifacts on some old cards
        Option  "AccelDFS"              "on"  #default is off, read the radeon manpage for more information
EndSection

And;
Code:
eselect mesa list
64bit i915 (Intel 915, 945)
64bit i965 (Intel 965, G/Q3x, G/Q4x)
64bit r300 (Radeon R300-R500)
64bit r600 (Radeon R600-R700, Evergreen, Northern Islands)
  [1]   gallium *
64bit sw (Software renderer)
  [1]   gallium *
32bit i915 (Intel 915, 945)
  [1]   classic
  [2]   gallium *
32bit i965 (Intel 965, G/Q3x, G/Q4x)
  [1]   classic *
32bit r300 (Radeon R300-R500)
  [1]   classic
  [2]   gallium *
32bit r600 (Radeon R600-R700, Evergreen, Northern Islands)
  [1]   classic
  [2]   gallium *
32bit sw (Software renderer)
  [1]   classic
  [2]   gallium *

I've tried removing the /etc/env.d/99radeon and /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20radeon.conf configuration files and installing only the default drivers from the portage tree;
Code:
x11-drivers/xf86-video-ati-6.14.6-r1 USE="(-glamor%) (-udev%*)"
x11-libs/libdrm-2.4.39 USE="libkms -static-libs" VIDEO_CARDS="radeon (-exynos) -intel -nouveau (-omap) -vmware"
media-libs/mesa-9.0 USE="egl g3dvl gallium gbm gles2 llvm nptl openvg shared-glapi vdpau xa xorg xvmc -bindist -classic -debug -gles1 -osmesa -pax_kernel -pic -r600-llvm-compiler (-selinux) -wayland" VIDEO_CARDS="r600 -i915 -i965 -intel -nouveau -r100 -r200 -r300 -radeon -radeonsi -vmware"

But it doesn't seem to change the behavior. Anybody who has seen this issue, any hints would be appreciated.

Thanks..


Last edited by jasn on Fri Oct 26, 2012 11:39 pm; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DaggyStyle
Watchman
Watchman


Joined: 22 Mar 2006
Posts: 5941

PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

try without
Code:
radeon.pcie_gen2=1
, maybe it will help
_________________
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the former - Albert Einstein
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jasn
Guru
Guru


Joined: 05 May 2005
Posts: 439
Location: Maryland, US

PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks..

I tried removing the radeon.pcie_gen2=1 line from my system, and rebooting and it didn't help. I then continued by removing the 99radeon and 20radeon.conf config files, and the x11 overlay, and then downgraded libdrm, mesa, and xf86-video-ati. Basically a completely stock install. Still didn't help. Still experiencing stutter in the display. If it is something in the display driver, I suppose I can just try emerging the live ebuilds from time to time to see if it's been addressed.

<sigh>
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jasn
Guru
Guru


Joined: 05 May 2005
Posts: 439
Location: Maryland, US

PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 4:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmmm..

I just put my system back to the config I had in my OP, which meant re-emerging today's (10/17/12), live ebuilds of libdrm, mesa, and xf86-video-ati, and when I rebooted, the stutter seems to be gone. (I can't think of anything else it could be except updates to the drivers..)

Weird..
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jasn
Guru
Guru


Joined: 05 May 2005
Posts: 439
Location: Maryland, US

PostPosted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 12:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I changed the thread title (again), in the hopes that this thread can be used to provide debugging tips for folks using the open source radeon driver and experiencing display stutter. This appears to be a problem that appears from time to time.

Anyway, I've got my system configured as the OP, using the 10/26/12 live ebuilds of libdrm, mesa and xf86-video-ati, , and I noticed that there is noticeable stuttering in the 3.6.1 kernel, which is almost completely removed in the 3.6.2 kernel.

Thanks..


Last edited by jasn on Sat Oct 27, 2012 3:02 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
schorsch_76
Guru
Guru


Joined: 19 Jun 2012
Posts: 452

PostPosted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 7:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do you have linux-firmware installed?

Try
Code:
dmesg | grep firmware


It should be empty. If it shows you some lines it will tell you that some firmware files could not be loaded.

schorsch
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jasn
Guru
Guru


Joined: 05 May 2005
Posts: 439
Location: Maryland, US

PostPosted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 2:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

schorsch_76 wrote:
Do you have linux-firmware installed?

I do.
schorsch_76 wrote:
Try
Code:
dmesg | grep firmware


It should be empty. If it shows you some lines it will tell you that some firmware files could not be loaded.

I don't have any problems loading the microcode for my 6970M, and haven't since I switched from the proprietary driver, fglrx, to the open source radeon driver, when kernel 2.6.35 was released. So I believe that's not an issue with my system display stuttering. BTW, for a more complete output of radeon firmware microcode boot messages folks can try;
Code:
dmesg |grep -e firmware -e Microcode

or
Code:
dmesg |egrep '(firmware|Microcode)'

which should printout any radeon microcode messages from the system boot. Or
Code:
dmesg |grep -e drm -e firmware -e Microcode

or
Code:
dmesg |egrep '(drm|firmware|Microcode)'

which will provide a more complete output for most of the radeon system boot messages, one of which should include a successful microcode load. If you do see a message like;
Code:
ni_cp: Failed to load firmware "radeon/BTC_rlc.bin"

then there is a problem with loading the correct microcode as schorsch mentioned. Also you may want to read this post, which describes one microcode loading problem, and provides a possible solution.

Good Luck..
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Gentoo Forums Forum Index Kernel & Hardware All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum