Modern video cards - Good 3D hardware acceleration

[Amarildo]

Hello,

After reading the BSD license I realized it's a much more mature and less viral license than the GPL, so I decided to fully come to OpenBSD. Here I am, running 5.7 with KDE 4.14.3 and a few applications..... the problem is, I depend on Blender, a 3D modeller, to bring the 'vegan bacon' home and I can't work with the current state of 3D acceleration.

Before installing OpenBSD I read it's manual and it listed my card as being compatible with the X-org driver and 3D acceleration. My card is an AMD R9 270X. Is there a way to get proper 3D acceleration? I couldn't find info out there.

I'm trying to quit gaming because I used to game 16 hours a day once in my life and I don't think it gives me back something productive. Gaming on Linux is A-OK but the distro developers don't test the non-free packages for what it does on the Kernel or more. So if I can't get a proper 3D acceleration on OpenBSD I will have to go back to Windows.

Regards,
Amarildo

[ibara]

I am not certain that card works with OpenBSD Radeon KMS.
Run `fw_update` as root, reboot the machine, and post your dmesg.

[shep]

Originally Posted by Amarildo

Hello,

So if I can't get a proper 3D acceleration on OpenBSD I will have to go back to Windows.

You can get 3D acceleration on OpenBSD but unless this mailing list post has changed, not for your R9 card for the time being.

[jggimi]

Hello, and welcome! Along with the recommended dmesg(8), which lists what the kernel believes about your hardware, please also post a copy of /var/log/Xorg.0.log, which will tell us what X.Org is doing with it.

The R9 (HAWAII) series became listed in radeon(4) less than a week after tedu@'s post that shep cited above, and became part of OpenBSD 5.6 later in 2014. I'm not certain what that may mean for your particular card.

[shep]

I believe that OpenBSD's Xenocara build system packages the upstream manual for the radeon(4) video driver.The other necessary component is the drm(4) kernel module. The kernel module in 5.6 was based on linux kernel version 3.8 and I think it is awaiting update.

[jggimi]

Sorry I wasn't clear. Its the integration between kernel and X for DRM that I was questioning. Thus, my recommendation for both kernel and X logs.

[ibara]

Originally Posted by shep

I believe that OpenBSD's Xenocara build system packages the upstream manual for the radeon(4) video driver.The other necessary component is the drm(4) kernel module. The kernel module in 5.6 was based on linux kernel version 3.8 and I think it is awaiting update.

Correct.

[Amarildo]

Originally Posted by ibara

I am not certain that card works with OpenBSD Radeon KMS.
Run `fw_update` as root, reboot the machine, and post your dmesg.

OK. In a few minutes I'll post the results.

EDIT = NEW dmesg http://pastebin.com/1t8vjwQr

Originally Posted by shep

You can get 3D acceleration on OpenBSD but unless this mailing list post has changed, not for your R9 card for the time being.

Well, since my card is based off of the 7950 chip (basically identical chip) I don't think I'll be getting 3D acceleration then. But this "time being" usually means how much on OpenBSD terms?

Originally Posted by jggimi

Hello, and welcome! Along with the recommended dmesg(8), which lists what the kernel believes about your hardware, please also post a copy of /var/log/Xorg.0.log, which will tell us what X.Org is doing with it.

Hi! Thanks.

I'll edit this message as soon as I reboot my machine. But for the time being, here's my current dmsg: http://pastebin.com/C2HSaTP8

Xorg.0.log: http://pastebin.com/777UMGgS

Originally Posted by jggimi

The R9 (HAWAII) series became listed in radeon(4) less than a week after tedu@'s post that shep cited above, and became part of OpenBSD 5.6 later in 2014. I'm not certain what that may mean for your particular card.

I don't know either, but I'll try to find out. I'm very new to OpenBSD, haven't used this great system for more than 30 minutes.

Originally Posted by shep

I believe that OpenBSD's Xenocara build system packages the upstream manual for the radeon(4) video driver.The other necessary component is the drm(4) kernel module. The kernel module in 5.6 was based on linux kernel version 3.8 and I think it is awaiting update.

Thanks but I'm not sure what you just said. I need to install some package named "drm" or compile my own kernel with that?

I'll be looking for a "newbie manual" for OpenBSD that doesn't require too much knowledge for a human to understand I've been an Arch Linux user for several years now and I'm used to that. Coming to OpenBSD is like changing my car, it's "different" at the beginning but I'm sure I'll get used to it with time.

Thanks everyone.

[jggimi]

Originally Posted by Amarildo

But this "time being" usually means how much on OpenBSD terms?..

It can mean years. New features/functions, including support of new hardware, come with twice yearly releases. (There is a continuous development branch of the OS, -current, where you can get early access and assist with testing. FAQ 5.1 discusses the "flavors" of the OS.)

http://pastebin.com/C2HSaTP8

Thanks, it's an ATI Pitcairn, according to your dmesg.

Xorg.0.log: http://pastebin.com

Hmmm... bad link on the X.org log. Could you double check and repost, or copy/paste here?

I need to install some package named "drm" or compile my own kernel with that?

Nope. drm is built-in, and the radeondrm driver is active in your kernel; it's mentioned in your dmesg.

(OpenBSD's kernel doesn't have kernel modules any longer. It's been effectively a monolithic kernel for many years, and -- misquoting Star Wars -- the last vestiges of the old kernel module system have finally been swept away.)

I'll be looking for a "newbie manual" for OpenBSD that doesn't require too much knowledge for a human to understand...

The most useful book is Absolute OpenBSD, Second Edition, by Michael W. Lucas, ISBN 978-1593274764 and other ISBNs in eBook formats. The OpenBSD Project's only "howto" is the FAQ, which is always recommended, though not as detailed nor as accessible as Mr. Lucas' well regarded work.

Be extremely wary of third party "howtos" you find online. They are often out of date, written by (justfiably proud) newbies, or sometimes give guidance which, politely, no one on directly involved with the project would consider best practice.

The only other third party source of note is the OpenBSD Journal. While its information can rapidly go out of date, articles are juried by a team of editors (including OpenBSD developers) and were accurate at the time of publication.

[jggimi]

Looking at your dmesg, I note:

si_cp: Failed to load firmware "radeon-pitcairn_pfp"
 error: [drm:pid0:si_startup] *ERROR* Failed to load firmware!

As ibara noted. Pitcairn firmware is included in the firmware package installable with fw_update(1).

[Amarildo]

Originally Posted by jggimi

It can mean years. New features/functions, including support of new hardware, come with twice yearly releases. (There is a continuous development branch of the OS, -current, where you can get early access and assist with testing. FAQ 5.1 discusses the "flavors" of the OS.)

Thanks.

Originally Posted by jggimi

Hmmm... bad link on the X.org log. Could you double check and repost, or copy/paste here?

I may have edited my message while you were posting yours

Originally Posted by jggimi

Nope. drm is built-in, and the radeondrm driver is active in your kernel; it's mentioned in your dmesg.

I noticed that I couldn't install the radeondrm firmware, for whatever reasons. So a procceeded to installing everything:

# fw_update -a                                                                 
pgt-firmware-1.2p3: ok
rsu-firmware-1.2p0: ok
upgt-firmware-1.1p3: ok
iwi-firmware-3.1p2: ok
bwi-firmware-1.4p3: ok
uath-firmware-2.0p1: ok
urtwn-firmware-1.1p2: ok
iwm-firmware-0.20141130p0: ok
ipw-firmware-1.3p2: ok
iwn-firmware-5.11p1: ok
athn-firmware-1.1p1: ok
wpi-firmware-3.2p1: ok
otus-firmware-1.0p1: ok
acx-firmware-1.4p4: ok
uvideo-firmware-1.2p1: ok
malo-firmware-1.4p3: ok

You can see that radeondrm was supposedly not installed, this could mean that it already is isntalled but not loaded.

# fw_update radeondrm-firmware                
# fw_update -v                 
Path to firmware: http://firmware.openbsd.org/firmware/5.7/
Updating: radeondrm-firmware-20131002p0 malo-firmware-1.4p3 ipw-firmware-1.3p2 bwi-firmware-1.4p3 upgt-firmware-1.1p3 rsu-firmware-1.2p0 iwn-firmware-5.11p1 otus-firmware-1.0p1 uath-firmware-2.0p1 pgt-firmware-1.2p3 iwi-firmware-3.1p2 iwm-firmware-0.20141130p0 athn-firmware-1.1p1 uvideo-firmware-1.2p1 acx-firmware-1.4p4 wpi-firmware-3.2p1 urtwn-firmware-1.1p2
# fw_update radeondrm-firmware                
#

Originally Posted by jggimi

Be extremely wary of third party "howtos" you find online. They are often out of date, written by (justfiably proud) newbies, or sometimes give guidance which, politely, no one on directly involved with the project would consider best practice.

Don't worry, I usually check with 5-6 different -reliable- sources before entering unknown commands into the terminal.

Originally Posted by jggimi

Looking at your dmesg, I note:

si_cp: Failed to load firmware "radeon-pitcairn_pfp"
 error: [drm:pid0:si_startup] *ERROR* Failed to load firmware!

As ibara noted. Pitcairn firmware is included in the firmware package installable with fw_update(1).

Thanks. I posted my 'fw_update' commands above so you can see them too.

I have the following 'radeon_pitcairn' firmware in /etc/firmware:

radeon-pitcairn_ce
radeon-pitcairn_mc
radeon-pitcairn_me
radeon-pitcairn_pfp
radeon-pitcairn_rlc
radeon-pitcairn_smc

How could I load 'radeon-pitcairn_pfp'?

[jggimi]

X recognizes the Pitcairn, but disables acceleration, because the required firmware will apparently not load.

[    18.587] (WW) RADEON(0): Direct rendering disabled
[    18.587] (II) RADEON(0): Acceleration disabled

You can list all your installed firmware and any other 3rd party packages with a simple $ pkg_info command. Firmware packages are installed and updated with fw_update(1) rather than pkg_add(1) but they're otherwise managed with the pkg_* tools.

[Amarildo]

Yes, the firmware is installed

 radeondrm-firmware-20131002p0 firmware binary images for radeondrm(4) driver

I'm trying to figure out how to load it, hopefully by the end of tonight since I must finish a kitchen project until Saturday.

[jggimi]

You've got multiple dmesgs in your log ... as the buffer continues (and will wrap when it reaches the end). The failure to load is only occurred once; it appears the firmware is loaded on each subsequent boot. (The first dmesg in your pastebin was from your installation, it was the RAMDISK_CD kernel.)

[Amarildo]

So dmesg doesn't output the CURRENT status... sorry, I didn't know that.

I rebooted several times and I still have poor 3D acceleration. I really have no idea why this is happening. I do, however, think that this is just how it is with my card for now.