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Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,583  

xserver-xorg-video-* unused packages

Hello:

After (more or less) getting my nouveau+compositor setup working, I set out to see about a bit of screen tearing I am still getting.
Not terrible ...

But it was not there when I used the (now unsupported) Nvidia drivers for my twin G96CGL / Quadro FX580 cards and would like to see if I can improve things.

While at that, I saw that the task-desktop package installs, besides the nouveau package, quite a few other xserver-xorg-video-* packages:

~$ apt list | grep installed | grep xorg-video
--- snip ---
xserver-xorg-video-all/stable,now 1:7.7+23 amd64 [installed,automatic]
xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu/stable,now 23.0.0-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
xserver-xorg-video-ati/stable,now 1:19.1.0-3 amd64 [installed,automatic]
xserver-xorg-video-cirrus/stable,now 1:1.5.3-1+b5 amd64 [installed,automatic]
xserver-xorg-video-fbdev/stable,now 1:0.5.0-2 amd64 [installed,automatic]
xserver-xorg-video-nouveau/stable,now 1:1.0.17-2 amd64 [installed,automatic]
xserver-xorg-video-radeon/stable,now 1:19.1.0-3 amd64 [installed,automatic]
xserver-xorg-video-vesa/stable,now 1:2.5.0-1+b1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
xserver-xorg-video-vmware/stable,now 1:13.3.0-3.1+b1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
~$ 

All automatically installed.

Save some severe hardware problem or coming across a more interesting ie: better+free/very cheap video card alternative, I have no plans to make any changes, so the Nvidia hardware will stay where it is, works perfectly well.

That being the case, I was wondering how to safely get rid of the driver packages I am loading and will not ever load.
After all, as the sole user of this box, if I need drivers for a different video card, I will be quite aware of that.
There will be no surprises.

I asked aptitude about them all:

~$ aptitude why xserver-xorg-video-all
i   task-desktop Depends xserver-xorg-video-all
~$ 

~$ aptitude why xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu
i   task-desktop           Depends xserver-xorg-video-all   
i A xserver-xorg-video-all Depends xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu
~$ 

~$ aptitude why xserver-xorg-video-ati
i   task-desktop           Depends xserver-xorg-video-all
i A xserver-xorg-video-all Depends xserver-xorg-video-ati
~$ 

~$ aptitude why xserver-xorg-video-cirrus
i   task-desktop              Depends  xorg                                      
i A xorg                      Depends  xserver-xorg (>= 1:7.7+23)                
i A xserver-xorg              Depends  xserver-xorg-video-all | xorg-driver-video
i A xserver-xorg-video-cirrus Provides xorg-driver-video                         
~$ 

~$ aptitude why xserver-xorg-video-fbdev
i   task-desktop           Depends xserver-xorg-video-all  
i A xserver-xorg-video-all Depends xserver-xorg-video-fbdev
~$ 

~$ aptitude why xserver-xorg-video-nouveau
i   task-desktop           Depends xserver-xorg-video-all    
i A xserver-xorg-video-all Depends xserver-xorg-video-nouveau
~$ 

~$ aptitude why xserver-xorg-video-radeon
i   task-desktop           Depends xserver-xorg-video-all   
i A xserver-xorg-video-all Depends xserver-xorg-video-ati   
i A xserver-xorg-video-ati Depends xserver-xorg-video-radeon
~$ 

~$ aptitude why xserver-xorg-video-vesa
i   task-desktop           Depends xserver-xorg-video-all 
i A xserver-xorg-video-all Depends xserver-xorg-video-vesa
~$ 

~$ aptitude why xserver-xorg-video-vmware
i   task-desktop           Depends xserver-xorg-video-all   
i A xserver-xorg-video-all Depends xserver-xorg-video-vmware
~$ 

From what I can make out, xserver-xorg-video-all drags in the amdgpu, ati, fbdev, nouveau, vesa and vmware driver packages while the cirrus and radeon packages have different dependencies.

I guess that this is (?) because they are fallback/basic drivers required by xserver-xorg to make sure there is always a screen at boot time if X is being used.

Unless I have missed something and some other package needs to remain installed ...
What would the proper/safe method for removing the unused packages and keep only the nouveau package?

Thanks in advance.

Best,

A.

aluma

Member

Registered: 2022-10-26

Posts: 646  

Re: xserver-xorg-video-* unused packages

I used the (now unsupported) Nvidia drivers...

Debian 12 "Bookworm", Version 525.105.17, supported devices Quadro FX 580.
https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

In repo  Devuan v.525.147...

Last edited by aluma (2024-06-10 11:43:29)

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,583  

Re: xserver-xorg-video-* unused packages

Hello:

Debian 12 "Bookworm", Version 525.105.17, supported devices Quadro FX 580.
https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers
In repo Devuan v.525.147...

Hmm ...
Me thinks not.

This is what I get in my up-to-date box ...

~$ uname -a
Linux devuan 6.1.0-21-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.1.90-1 (2024-05-03) x86_64 GNU/Linux
~$ 

... with nvidia-detect:

~$ nvidia-detect
Detected NVIDIA GPUs:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation G96CGL [Quadro FX 580] [10de:0659] (rev a1)
02:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation G96CGL [Quadro FX 580] [10de:0659] (rev a1)

Checking card:  NVIDIA Corporation G96CGL [Quadro FX 580] (rev a1)
Your card is only supported by the 340 legacy drivers series, which is only available up to buster.

Checking card:  NVIDIA Corporation G96CGL [Quadro FX 580] (rev a1)
Your card is only supported by the 340 legacy drivers series, which is only available up to buster.

Unless I have missed something, the G96CGL/[Quadro FX 580 card (PCI ID:0659) needs the 390.xx driver but it is not available in the Bookworm/Deadalus repository.

~$ sudo lspci -nn | grep -e VGA
[sudo] password for groucho: 
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation G96CGL [Quadro FX 580] [10de:0659] (rev a1)   # <-
02:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation G96CGL [Quadro FX 580] [10de:0659] (rev a1)   # <-
~$

Thanks for your input.

Best,

A.

aluma

Member

Registered: 2022-10-26

Posts: 646  

Re: xserver-xorg-video-* unused packages

Open the links and have a look.
And nvidia-detect works with errors, for my laptop with GeForce GT650M it was recommended by tesla.
Wiki may also be wrong, I would try..

Last edited by aluma (2024-06-10 14:29:28)

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,583  

Re: xserver-xorg-video-* unused packages

Hello:

... have a look.

But I did, I did !!!  8^)

This page has a section for the Debian 12 "Bookworm" Nvidia driver Version 525.105.17.

Consequently, that same section has a link to an Nvidia webpage labelled Appendix A. Supported NVIDIA GPU Products, this list being basically divided in two important parts:

The first part is the list of current NVIDIA GPUs supported in the unified driver and the second part is the list of all the legacy NVIDIA GPUs which are no longer supported in the unified driver.

The second part is in turn divided into separate sections, according the the different unified driver versions and their supported GPUs.

If you open that page in your browser and search for Quadro FX 580 or for the card's PCI_ID, 0659, you will only find it under the heading that reads "The 340.xx driver supports the following set of GPUs:"

The 340.xx driver supports the following set of GPUs:

NVIDIA GPU product    Device PCI ID* VDPAU features
GeForce 8800 GTX 	  0191 	           -
--- snip ---
Quadro FX 580 	          0659 	           A      ###
--- snip ---
NVS 300 	          10D8 	           C

Wiki may also be wrong ...

Of course, shit happens all the time.

But the link is to an official Nvidia web page.
They most probably got it right.

Thanks for your efforts to help.

Best,

A.

fanderal

Member

Registered: 2017-01-14

Posts: 86  

Re: xserver-xorg-video-* unused packages

removing the unused packages and keep only the nouveau package?

The text for xserver-xorg-video-all: "It does not provide any drivers itself, an may be removed if you wish to only have certain drivers installed."

Purging the video-all pkg may screw up a dependency or three but can probably be resolved. I don't have a formal DE or any xorg meta-pkgs. Xserver-xorg-core, its dependencies, xserver-xorg-input-evdev/kbd/mouse and a video driver run this screen.

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,583  

Re: xserver-xorg-video-* unused packages

Hello:

... xserver-xorg-video-all: "It does not provide any drivers itself, an may be removed ...

Interesting ...

Maybe installing/reinstalling what I know I need ie: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau, xserver-xorg-video-vmware and maybe some other one/s (have to figure out which) will keep them in the system (as manually installed) when I get rid of the ones I don't need.

I'll see what gives in a few days' time.

Thank you for your input.

Best,

A.