HOW TO: Install experimental X.Org and the latest graphics drivers

[SteveRiley]

UPDATE: xorg-edgers is also applicable for those with AMD and nVidia graphics. intel-sna, of course, isn't.
UPDATE 2: SNA is enabled by default now, so the SNA step below can be omitted.

Linux graphics are in constant flux. Two package archives in Launchpad contain updated versions of the X.Org stack and popular graphics drivers. These have been known to improve graphics performance and also provide for proper operation of effects in KWin.

It's a fairly easy process to try this yourself. And with the proper precautions, you can uninstall these packages and return to your original X.Org and graphics drivers if these updates should ever cause problems. Be sure to follow all of the steps below. You will be working at a command line, so open a Konsole window and let's get started.

First, install the package ppa-purge:

sudo apt-get install ppa-purge

Read the PPA description which contains relevant, current, important notices on using the PPA at xorg crack pushers > xorg-edgers fresh X crack

Next, add the xorg-edgers repository:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xorg-edgers/ppa

If you have Intel graphics, I'd recommend trying the Sandy Bridge New Acceleration driver, which is in the intel-sna repository: {EDIT: skip this if you're installing a driver dated on or after 29 June 2012, as since that date SNA is enabled by default.}

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:sarvatt/intel-sna

Then, update and upgrade:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

This will bring in newer versions of X Server, Mesa, and ATI/nVidia/Intel drivers. These have greatly improved effects for me, and I've encountered no problems.

But if they don't work for you, you can easily return to your prior state:

sudo ppa-purge ppa:sarvatt/intel-sna
sudo ppa-purge ppa:xorg-edgers/ppa
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

[pauly]

Yeh these drivers gave me problems when I was using citrix. I didn't render the citrix apps properly. Purging the ppa's and downgrading forced me to remove a lot of packages I wanted due to dependency problems. Now I will have to go back and re install a lot of things I had working. I should have stuck with what I had. Too bad I didn't realize until after I had created a new system image.

[pnunn]

The graphics drivers seem to have installed OK and the new kernel it bought with it.. but virtual box is now borked. (there is no vboxdrv anywhere to be seen.. )sigh. Now to try and fix that.

[pnunn]

Installing the latest virtual box seems to have done the trick.. nice one.

[Snowhog]

Do you have the dkms package installed?

DKMS is a framework designed to allow individual kernel modules to be upgraded without changing the whole kernel. It is also very easy to rebuild modules as you upgrade kernels.

With this installed, when ever the kernel is updated, the modules used by virtualbox will be upgraded/rebuilt as well.

[vinnywright]

well I should have known better "sigh" and tested on one of my testing partitions ....but I did not "sigh" .
I am just glad that I did install the ppa-purge and copyed this

sudo ppa-purge ppa:sarvatt/intel-sna sudo ppa-purge ppa:xorg-edgers/ppa

to .txt file first!!

after adding the ppa's and "sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade" I got a LOT of packages and a new kernel 3.5.0-5-generic which also gave this warning

ERROR (dkms apport): kernel package linux-headers-3.5.0-5-generic is not supported
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 3.5.0-5-generic (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/vboxhost/4.1.12/build/make.log for more information.

however on reboot I was left with a black screen and no TTY's .
A ctrl>alt>delete and remove the "quiet splash" from the grub boot line got me the TTY's back and let me cat the .txt file I had saved the ppa-purg commands to and run them .
However besides removing the offending ppa packages it removed google-earth hplip-gui and other hp packages and some sane related packages and what elce I haven’t found yet who knows ..........But I have my desktop back and the new kernel as well and most seems ok so far
Whew .....thought I had rely messed up their for a wile 8)

VINNY

[pnunn]

I do have dkms installed but got a similar error to the one below by vinnywright but talking about vboxdrv instead. Installing the latest vbox has it all sorted though.

[sixonetonoffun]

I don't use vbox but I am going to give the ppa:sarvatt/intel-sna driver a try on this GM965 /GL960 chipset. Sounds like it should work and offer some performance increase. Not about to benchmark before and after but if it still boots I'll consider it a success.

[pnunn]

Just discovered another problem, the laptop no longer recovers from hibernation. This is a real bummer, everything else is working great. I'm not sure if this is related to the xorg bits or something else that was updated at the same time.

Any clues as to where to start looking for this one?

Also, since the update, synaptic panel doesn't recognize taps of any description (although multi touch still works) and when I try and open it in system settings it just crashes system settings (not that it did much before the updates anyway in system setting, but certainly didn't crash the whole thing).

Peter.

[sixonetonoffun]

I don't think the ppa:sarvatt/intel-sna is needed anymore from xedgers page

June 29th, 2012: SNA is now on by default on intel. If you have problems (such as screen corruption), save this as /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Section "Device"
Identifier "intel"
Driver "intel"
Option "AccelMethod" "uxa"
EndSection

By adding it to my xedgers install I think I down graded from
2:20.0
to
2:19.0

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

[SteveRiley]

I don't think the ppa:sarvatt/intel-sna is needed anymore from xedgers page

Right, not after 29 June, according to the PPA's description.

By adding it to my xedgers install I think I down graded from
2:20.0
to
2:19.0

On your PC, what's the output of

apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-video-intel

[sixonetonoffun]

I had changed it earlier today. Thanks for the apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-video-intel tip! Synaptic was reporting in error the 2:2.17 version so I'd made sure 2:2.20 was installed using ForceVersion but it was already 2:2.20 I should probably clean out the cache now that I have a good running system. Used your tip on PulseAudio 2 and have to say that was pretty much all that was missing. Now just to clean up some few apps that aren't functioning properly and aren't really needed.

The last thing on my wish list is getting control of the fan on here. Seems to me it could run a little more and rely less on cpu scaling for temp control?

xserver-xorg-video-intel:
  Installed: 2:2.20.0+git20120720.f92a64dd-0ubuntu0sarvatt~precise
  Candidate: 2:2.20.0+git20120720.f92a64dd-0ubuntu0sarvatt~precise
  Version table:
 *** 2:2.20.0+git20120720.f92a64dd-0ubuntu0sarvatt~precise 0
        500 [URL]http://ppa.launchpad.net/xorg-edgers/ppa/ubuntu/[/URL] precise/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2:2.17.0-1ubuntu4 0
        500 [URL]http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/[/URL] precise/main i386 Packages

[SteveRiley]

Thanks for the apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-video-intel tip!

The last thing on my wish list is getting control of the fan on here. Seems to me it could run a little more and rely less on cpu scaling for temp control?

Yeah, apt-cache policy is very useful indeed.

Not sure how to advise you about fans. I'm pretty familiar with using thinkfan on ThinkPads, but have no experience digging into fan control for other types of machines.

[67GTA]

This works awesome with my new Intel HD 4000 laptop and KDE. Much better performance! There is however a bug with Unity that makes all the launcher icons invisible FYI, but the performance is still better even with invisible icons!

[67GTA]

Running 12.10 with xorg-edgers and savatt repos. Running minecraft with all features set to high with no lag. I'm pretty happy with the HD4000 so far. Most of the crappy reviews were from gamers with hard core gaming rigs. There is a visual glitch with chromium tabs not showing text.