(Crowd funded) fix for SiS 671/771 video cards

[Pander]

On 05/07/2013 09:24 PM, Connor Behan wrote:
> On 07/05/13 06:17 AM, Pander wrote:
>>> On 7 May 2013 14:04, Pander <pander at users.sourceforge.net>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> The sis671 driver:
>>>> # xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration
>>>> file)
>>> ...
>>>> Section "Device" Identifier      "Configured Video Device" 
>>>> Driver          "sis671" Option          "NoAccel"
>>>> "true" EndSection
>>> ...
>>> 
>>> doesn't seem to be a proper module:
>>>> http://pastebin.com/fwXeTCq1
>>> ... [ 12247.125] (II) LoadModule: "sis671" [ 12247.125] (II)
>>> Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/sis671_drv.so [
>>> 12247.125] (EE) LoadModule: Module sis671 does not have a 
>>> sis671ModuleData data object. [ 12247.125] (II) UnloadModule:
>>> "sis671" [ 12247.125] (II) Unloading sis671 [ 12247.125] (EE)
>>> Failed to load module "sis671" (invalid module, 0) ...
>> It used to be a properly working module. See 
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/linuxmint/+bug/301958/comments/202 on
>> support for XAA acceleration needed for this driver.
> 
> SiS drivers support EXA and will probably use that by default when
> you start one of the newer Xservers that lacks XAA. This could
> easily crash if the SiS EXA hooks haven't been updated in awhile so
> that's why I suggested "NoAccel" to help diagnose the problem.
>> 
>>> Then it tries the other sis driver: ... [ 12247.125] (II)
>>> LoadModule: "sis" [ 12247.125] (II) Loading
>>> /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/sis_drv.so ... This one looks
>>> like it doesn't support your card. (No 671 listed in within the
>>> supported chipsets.)
>>> 
>>>> from and 
>>>> http://ajoliveira.com/ajoliveira/gen/bin/sis_driver_64-bit_12.04.tar.gz
>>>>
>>>> 
on
>>>> Ubuntu 13.04
>>> (Haven't had time to look into this.)
> 
> I can only find binary blob drivers on that site. A search for 
> xf86-video-sis671 source turned up 
> https://gitorious.org/xf86-video-sis671 so try compiling that. A
> comment by an Arch user mentioned something about it working in
> 2013 but the module was renamed to sisimedia.
> 

Thanks. Here is the latest version that works with NoAccel:
  https://gitorious.org/xf86-video-sis671/sis-671-fix

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"
	Driver		"sisimedia"
	Option		"NoAccel"	"true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Monitor		"Configured Monitor"
	Device		"Configured Video Device"
	DefaultDepth 	24
EndSection

The log file is here:
  http://pastebin.com/nSpWUB7S

When acceleration is enabled it freezes the system completely. Usually
with the left side of the screen purple (Ubuntu) and the right side of
the screen in many different colors (memdump?). That logfile is here:
  http://pastebin.com/HKBcCySP

At least I can use my laptop again at maximum resolution. However, the
acceleration support that was working should be fixed. Who is can help
out?

At the same time, can this driver get included with Xorg so it will
work out of the box with the next release?