RPi 4: EOS is using software renderer (llvmpipe)

ARM General system
1

I’m a little ignorant on linux graphics tech so pardon me if I’m a little off track on how this is all supposed to work, terminology, etc.

I’m on a clean install of EOS on a Pi 4B, and I’m trying to get hardware graphics acceleration working. My installation is using llvmpipe software renderer by default, and I’m not entirely sure why or how to fix it.

$ uname -r
5.16.11-1-aarch64-ARCH

/boot/config.txt has dtoverlay=vc4-kms-v3d configured.

$ cat /boot/config.txt
enable_uart=1
dtoverlay=vc4-kms-v3d-pi4
initramfs initramfs-linux.img followkernel
disable_overscan=1
gpu_mem=512
max_framebuffers=2
hdmi_driver=2
[pi4]
# Run as fast as firmware / board allows
arm_boost=1

but glxinfo shows llvmpipe is in use

$ glxinfo | grep render
direct rendering: Yes
    GLX_MESA_query_renderer, GLX_MESA_swap_control, GLX_NV_float_buffer, 
    GLX_MESA_query_renderer, GLX_OML_swap_method, GLX_SGIS_multisample, 
Extended renderer info (GLX_MESA_query_renderer):
OpenGL renderer string: llvmpipe (LLVM 13.0.1, 128 bits)
    GL_ARB_conditional_render_inverted, GL_ARB_conservative_depth, 
    GL_NV_conditional_render, GL_NV_copy_image, GL_NV_depth_clamp, 
    GL_ARB_conditional_render_inverted, GL_ARB_conservative_depth, 
    GL_NV_blend_square, GL_NV_conditional_render, GL_NV_copy_depth_to_color, 
    GL_EXT_read_format_bgra, GL_EXT_render_snorm, GL_EXT_robustness, 
    GL_NV_conditional_render, GL_NV_draw_buffers, GL_NV_fbo_color_attachments, 
    GL_OES_element_index_uint, GL_OES_fbo_render_mipmap,

OpenGL renderer string should say VC4 V3D instead of llvmpipe

In my research, I read in a few places that there should be an overlay_map.dts file in /boot/firmware or /boot/firmware/overlays. Here’s a related issue/bug discussing this

My installation doesn’t have a /boot/firmware directory at all, nor does it have an overlay_map.dts file.

I do have Pi firmware installed

$ pacman -Q firmware-raspberrypi
firmware-raspberrypi 20211222-1

More info on this page for anyone who understands it :slight_smile:

Any idea what I can do to get this configured correctly?

Thank you

2

I have

uname -r
5.15.24-3-rpi-ARCH

which is the Raspberry Pi Foundation kernel patched for Arch Linux.

My glxinfo

glxinfo | grep render
direct rendering: Yes
    GLX_MESA_query_renderer, GLX_MESA_swap_control, GLX_NV_float_buffer, 
    GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer, GLX_MESA_query_renderer, GLX_MESA_swap_control, 
Extended renderer info (GLX_MESA_query_renderer):
OpenGL renderer string: V3D 4.2
    GL_OES_fbo_render_mipmap, GL_OES_geometry_point_size,

The
5.16.11-1-aarch64-ARCH
I believe is the mainline kernel compiled for aarch64.

I am running the
5.15.24-3-rpi-ARCH
which is the Raspberry Pi Foundation kernel. Perhaps the 5.16.11-1-aarch64-ARCH kernel does not supply the VD 3 4.2 driver?

If you want to try the 5.15.24-3-rpi-ARCH kernel, you can try this ( at your own risk of course)

sudo pacman -R --noconfirm linux-aarch64 uboot-raspberrypi
sudo pacman -Syu --noconfirm linux-rpi raspberrypi-bootloader raspberrypi-firmware
systemctl reboot

Also, in step two of installing RPi 4 one can read about the two different kernels, and choose to switch to the Raspberry Pi Foundation kernel.

768×462 15.1 KB

If you switch to the Raspberry Pi Foundation kernel, later in the process it will ask if you want to copy the OS to a USB SSD then finish installing on the USB SSD.

Pudge

4 Likes
3

Just remembered.

that vc4-kms-v3d-pi4 has a problem and the devs disabled V3D until they fix it.

My /boot/config.txt

dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d
dtparam=i2c_arm=on
dtparam=spi=on
dtparam=audio=on
dtoverlay=w1-gpio
camera_auto_detect=1
display_auto_detect=1
initramfs initramfs-linux.img followkernel
#hdmi_group:0=1
#hdmi_mode:0=4
#hdmi_drive:0=2
disable_overscan=1
gpu_mem=512
max_framebuffers=2

[pi4]
# Run as fast as firmware / board allows
# arm_boost=1

This dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d has fkms instead of just kms, notice the f

The entire section of

dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d
dtparam=i2c_arm=on
dtparam=spi=on
dtparam=audio=on
dtoverlay=w1-gpio
display_auto_detect=1

is required to get the work around configured for video.

This might be all you need to make the 5.16.11-1-aarch kernel to work with V3d?

If you used the step 3 script to install your DE or WM, it should have modified the config.txt like above.
The script copies this file to /boot/config.txt

Pudge

3 Likes
4

Swapping out the kernel went without a hitch and solved the problem!

$ glxinfo | grep render
direct rendering: Yes
    GLX_MESA_query_renderer, GLX_MESA_swap_control, GLX_NV_float_buffer, 
    GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer, GLX_MESA_query_renderer, GLX_MESA_swap_control, 
Extended renderer info (GLX_MESA_query_renderer):
OpenGL renderer string: V3D 4.2
    GL_OES_fbo_render_mipmap, GL_OES_geometry_point_size,

I was suspicious that the kernel could be the issue, and almost edited my original post about it. I selected the default during installation to be on the safe side (aarch64), but wasn’t aware of the graphics issue. I appreciate the info how to replace the kernel, that was going to be my next question.

I was only testing vc4-kms-v3d-pi4 to see if it might help, and forgot change it in my original post.

Thank you friend!

2 Likes
5

You are welcome. Thanks for giving EndeavourOS Arm a try.

Just out of curiosity, which DE or WM did you install?

Pudge

2 Likes
6

Xfce

It’s not my first rodeo with EOS on Arm. I’ve also got it running on my Pinebook Pro (w/ Budgie)

3 Likes
7

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