145 lines
6.7 KiB
Markdown
145 lines
6.7 KiB
Markdown
% Experimental Nvidia GPU support on Dell Latitude E6400 variants, plus E6400 XFR support now confirmed
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% Leah Rowe
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% 9 May 2023
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<img tabindex=1 class="r" style="max-width:35%" src="https://av.libreboot.org/e6400/e6400xfr-seabios.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/e6400/e6400xfr-seabios.jpg" /></span>
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Introduction
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============
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[Dell Latitude E6400 *with Intel GMA 4500MHD* graphics](e6400.md) was added, and
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included in the recent Libreboot 20230423 release. *Today*, [experimental
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support](https://browse.libreboot.org/lbmk.git/log/?h=e6400nvidia_wip) is now
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available for variants with GPU: Nvidia Quadro NVS 160M. The Dell Latitude 6400
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XFR (rugged variant) was also tested today (Intel graphics) and confirmed
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working in Libreboot 20230423.
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The *Nvidia* variants are *not* supported in Libreboot 20230423. Support is
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available in an experimental branch of Libreboot. 6400 XFR testing+photo
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provided, courtesy Mark Cornick (`mcornick` on Libreboot IRC).
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Dell Latitude E6400 with Nvidia GPU
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===================================
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This section *also* applies to E6400 XFS and ATG models. [Testers are
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needed!](../docs/maintain/testing.md).
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*Some* models of Dell Latitude E6400 have Nvidia Quadro NVS 160M graphics
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device, instead of Intel GMA 4500MHD. The *initial* Libreboot port of Dell
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E6400 *only* supported models with Intel graphics, but experimental support
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for Nvidia graphics now exists, in a WIP branch of Libreboot.
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<img tabindex=1 class="l" style="max-width:25%" src="https://av.libreboot.org/e6400/e6400-seabios.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/e6400/e6400-seabios.jpg" /></span>
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The Libreboot documentation has been updated, to cover these models. Refer
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to Dell Latitude E6400 documentation in Libreboot; specifically,
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the [E6400 info page](../docs/hardware/e6400.md) and [E6400 flashing
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guide](../docs/install/e6400.md).
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Nicholas Chin, author of the original Dell E6400 port, has been helping me and
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I've been working on this experimental branch of Libreboot under his
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guidance:
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* <https://browse.libreboot.org/lbmk.git/log/?h=e6400nvidia_wip>
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*These* patches were already merged in Libreboot's master branch, which the
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changes in the WIP branch rely upon:
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* Import the `bios_extract` utilities in lbmk: <https://browse.libreboot.org/lbmk.git/commit/?id=6d0ff0286451dc43d32428a44a68d07bc13c058a>
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* Bug fixes from Nicholas for `bios_extract`: <https://browse.libreboot.org/lbmk.git/commit/?id=2e64f6397556b7e6fff8a7a305a5eaa1095acfc1>
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* blobutil: support downloading VGA ROM for Nvidia E6400: <https://browse.libreboot.org/lbmk.git/commit/?id=5a197b4ff160a348179a3350af266c6b87a3aa04>
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Ongoing development discussion is available, on the Libreboot bug tracker. See:
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* <https://codeberg.org/libreboot/lbmk/issues/14>
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For more information about the *Nvidia GPU* variants, please review the
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following pages (which have been updated, while publishing this news article):
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* [Dell Latitude E6400 hardware information](../docs/hardware/e6400.md)
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* [Dell Latitude E6400 flashing instructions](../docs/install/e6400.md)
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Nouveau(in Linux) currently broken
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----------------------------------
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Nouveau is the libre driver in Linux, for Nvidia graphics. Nvidia themselves
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do not provide binary drivers anymore, for these GPUs.
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If you're booting an Nvidia variant in Linux, boot Linux with
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the `nomodeset` kernel option at boot time. This means that graphics are
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rendered in software.
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More information about Nvidia E6400 models is written in
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the [regular E6400 hardware page](../docs/hardware/e6400.md). The reason it's
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in a WIP branch is because, on this day, more testing is needed; the Linux
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nouveau driver crashed when I tried to start xorg (tested in Debian
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Stable, 11.6, with default kernel and mesa - use of `nomodeset` kernel option
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at boot time makes Xorg work just fine, when I tested it, but this means that
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all video is being rendered in software) - this is being
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investigated, and when a fix is made, either to nouveau and/or coreboot, this
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variant of the E6400 will become available in Libreboot's master branch, and
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subsequent releases.
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The same Video BIOS Option ROM is used by Dell's boot firmware, and Xorg works
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just fine there under Linux, with the same nouveau driver. A trace could be
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performed, to see where Nouveau crashes.
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Development discussion, for Nvidia variants of E6400, is available here:
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<https://codeberg.org/libreboot/lbmk/issues/14>
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OpenBSD's Nvidia driver works perfectly
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---------------------------------------
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OpenBSD 7.3 was tested, on my Nvidia-model E6400, and works perfectly,
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including 2D and 3D acceleration. I *wholeheartedly* recommend OpenBSD in
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general, but it works *especially* well on these machines.
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<img tabindex=1 class="l" style="max-width:35%" src="https://av.libreboot.org/openbsd.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/openbsd.jpg" /></span>
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See: <https://www.openbsd.org/>
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OpenBSD is a complete free 4.4BSD Unix operating system focused on portability,
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security and *code correctness*. It's quite a competent OS for many purposes,
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and works very well on laptops. I use it myself for all sorts of things. If
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you're already familiar with Linux-based systems, OpenBSD will immediately
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feel familiar, and it has *the best* documentation. You can configure the
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entire system by just reading the FAQ page and *manpages*, and it's very easy
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to get a basic setup really quickly. A lot of the packages you might be familiar
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with in Linux are available in *ports*. You may have heard that Linux-based
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systems are *unix-like*, but BSD systems *are* Unix, by code heritage.
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You can find information in Libreboot about BSD operating systems on the
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main guide:
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* [BSD Operating Systems](../docs/bsd/)
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FreeBSD and newer Linux (e.g. Archlinux) untested!
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--------------------------------------------------
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[Testers needed! Please get in touch!](../docs/maintain/testing.html)
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**At the time of writing this post, FreeBSD
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and newer Linux have not yet been tested** (I plan to test *Arch Linux*), but
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the older Linux/Mesa version in Debian 11.6 works just fine in the Dell BIOS,
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and I've confirmed that it uses the exact same Video BIOS Option ROM.
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Dell Latitude E6400 ATG model
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-----------------------------
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[Testers needed! Please get in touch!](../docs/maintain/testing.html)
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We also found out about this model; it's another rugged design, assumed to
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be the same board as regular E6400, but testing is needed. If it's anything to
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go by, this model shares the same service manual as the regular E6400. If you
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have this board, please [get in touch](../docs/maintain/testing.md)!
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ATG is basically just a thicker chassis. It seems to use the same/similar
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heatsink compared to E6400 XFR.
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Were you expecting more?
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Well, that's all for now.
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Stay tuned for further development.
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