Features/IntelKMS

= Enable kernel modesetting by default for Intel chipsets =

Summary
Enable kernel modesetting by default for Intel chipsets

Owner

 * Name: KristianHoegsberg

Current status

 * Targeted release:  Fedora 11
 * Last updated: 2009-04-17
 * Percentage of completion: 100%

Detailed Description
Kernel modesetting moves the task of initializing the graphics hardware to a specific graphics mode and resolution from the X server driver the the kernel drm driver.

Benefit to Fedora
Kernel modesetting let's plymouth use its graphical boot screen for prettier boot, allows faster VT switching between X servers for fast users switching, prints kernel oopses to the screen even under X and allows for more solid suspend/resume.

Scope
The work is all upstream in the kernel and xf86-video-intel. We just turn it on by default and fix all the bugs.

Test Plan
Get a pile of intel graphics devices and a bunch of monitors. Make sure that plymouth boots into graphics mode, that the monitors come up in the native resolution, that Fedora transitions into X from plymouth without flashes or blackouts, that X runs without issues, specifically make sure xrandr related functionality works.

Test Day
There was a Test Day on Intel graphics issues on 2009-03-12: see this page. Further results from the test cases covered in the Test Day page are very welcome.

User Experience
Users should see that plymouth now boots into graphics mode shortly after power on (just after grub) and when the X server starts up (typically GDM) the graphics mode should be unchanged. When in X nothing should be different, except VT switches will be a little faster.

Dependencies

 * kernel modesetting is implemented in the kernel rpm and depends on changes in xorg-x11-drv-intel and libdrm to work correctly.

Contingency Plan

 * We don't turn it on by default if it turns out to be unstable.

Documentation
Related links:
 * Features/KernelModesetting

Release Notes
Related links:
 * See release notes for Features/KernelModesetting