Newer kernels for Debian stable

[fred44nl]

could the "older" kernel I am using be the cause of the fact that VLC does not show it's GUI, when I double-click on the icon on the desktop ??
I am running Debian 9.5 Stretch, with kernel 4.9.110-3+deb9u6
there is an update coming with probably 4.9.130-2
would this be of much help for me ??

[stevepusser]

could the "older" kernel I am using be the cause of the fact that VLC does not show it's GUI, when I double-click on the icon on the desktop ??
I am running Debian 9.5 Stretch, with kernel 4.9.110-3+deb9u6
there is an update coming with probably 4.9.130-2
would this be of much help for me ??

It might be, but we'd have to know what hardware you have to make that call. Install inxi and post the output, as a regular user, of

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inxi -Fxz

[fred44nl]

thank you.
the output of inxi is:

fred44nl@Debian:~$ inxi -Fxz
System: Host: Debian Kernel: 4.9.0-8-amd64 x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 6.3.0) Console: tty 0
Distro: Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)
Machine: Device: desktop Mobo: Compulab model: fitlet2 v: 1.1
UEFI: American Megatrends v: FLT2.MBM2.0.40.01.00 date: 07/05/2018
CPU: Quad core Intel Celeron J3455 (-MCP-) cache: 1024 KB
flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 11980
clock speeds: max: 2300 MHz 1: 888 MHz 2: 899 MHz 3: 1484 MHz 4: 905 MHz
Graphics: Card: Intel Device 5a85 bus-ID: 00:02.0
Display Server: X.org 1.19.2 drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
tty size: 136x40 Advanced Data: N/A for root out of X
Audio: Card Intel Atom/Celeron/Pentium Processor N4200/N3350/E3900 Series Audio Cluster
driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:0e.0
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.9.0-8-amd64
Network: Card-1: Intel Wireless 8260 driver: iwlwifi bus-ID: 01:00.0
IF: wlp1s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Card-2: Intel I211 Gigabit Network Connection driver: igb v: 5.4.0-k port: e000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
IF: enp2s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Card-3: Intel I211 Gigabit Network Connection driver: igb v: 5.4.0-k port: d000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
IF: eno1 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives: HDD Total Size: 1063.6GB (58.8% used)
ID-1: /dev/sda model: NT size: 63.4GB
ID-2: USB /dev/sdb model: External_USB_3.0 size: 1000.2GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 54G used: 3.4G (7%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2
ID-2: swap-1 size: 4.11GB used: 0.05GB (1%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda3
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 40.0C mobo: N/A
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info: Processes: 238 Uptime: 30 days Memory: 1479.7/3778.2MB Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: N/A
Client: Shell (sudo) inxi: 2.3.5

[Head_on_a_Stick]

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CPU:       Quad core Intel Celeron J3455 (-MCP-)

This was introduced in August 2016:

https://en.wikichip.org/wiki/intel/celeron/j3455

Debian stretch was released 2017-06-17 and so should already support that processor (just).

It may be that a newer kernel would offer some improvements (test it and see, the old kernel can still be picked from GRUB) but this would have to be offset against the risk of the new bugs that will almost inevitably have been introduced because of these improvements (IMO).

Anyway, video problems such as those you describe are more likely to be down to the DDX driver: try installing xserver-xorg-video-intel, that may work better on your hardware than the modesetting driver in use now.

[fred44nl]

thank you, but I seem to have xserver-xorg-video-intel already

fred44nl@Debian:~$ sudo apt policy xserver-xorg-video-intel
xserver-xorg-video-intel:
Geïnstalleerd: 2:2.99.917+git20161206-1
Kandidaat: 2:2.99.917+git20161206-1
Versietabel:
*** 2:2.99.917+git20161206-1 500
500 http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian stretch/main amd64 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Try removing it then

The Debian package page recommends the modesetting driver, FWIW.

[stevepusser]

The inxi output already says it's running the modesetting driver.

Fred, could you run "inxi -G" as a REGULAR user instead of root, since we can't see how the openGL rendering is working when you ran the first inxi command as root? That may affect VLC, since the Stretch version defaults to the openGL output instead of xv like the 2.X VLC versions did.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

The inxi output already says it's running the modesetting driver.

That's strange because my Debian box loads the Intel DDX driver automatically if it is installed so I would expect the OP's system to do the same.

@fred: check your Xorg.0.log, that will show the driver.

Here is mine:

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[    71.045] (==) intel(0): Depth 24, (--) framebuffer bpp 32
[    71.045] (==) intel(0): RGB weight 888
[    71.045] (==) intel(0): Default visual is TrueColor
[    71.045] (**) intel(0): Option "TearFree" "yes"
[    71.046] (II) intel(0): Output LVDS1 has no monitor section
[    71.061] (**) intel(0): Found backlight control interface intel_backlight (type 'raw') for output LVDS1
[    71.061] (II) intel(0): Enabled output LVDS1
[    71.061] (II) intel(0): Output VGA1 has no monitor section
[    71.061] (II) intel(0): Enabled output VGA1
[    71.061] (II) intel(0): Output HDMI1 has no monitor section
[    71.061] (II) intel(0): Enabled output HDMI1
[    71.061] (II) intel(0): Output DP1 has no monitor section
[    71.061] (II) intel(0): Enabled output DP1
[    71.061] (--) intel(0): Using a maximum size of 256x256 for hardware cursors
[    71.062] (II) intel(0): Output VIRTUAL1 has no monitor section
[    71.062] (II) intel(0): Enabled output VIRTUAL1
[    71.062] (--) intel(0): Output LVDS1 using initial mode 1280x800 on pipe 0
[    71.062] (**) intel(0): TearFree enabled
[    71.062] (==) intel(0): Using gamma correction (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
[    71.062] (==) intel(0): DPI set to (96, 96)
[    71.062] (II) Loading sub module "dri3"
[    71.062] (II) LoadModule: "dri3"
[    71.062] (II) Module "dri3" already built-in
[    71.062] (II) Loading sub module "dri2"
[    71.062] (II) LoadModule: "dri2"
[    71.062] (II) Module "dri2" already built-in
[    71.062] (II) Loading sub module "present"
[    71.062] (II) LoadModule: "present"
[    71.062] (II) Module "present" already built-in
[    71.066] (II) intel(0): SNA initialized with Ironlake (gen5) backend
[    71.066] (==) intel(0): Backing store enabled
[    71.066] (==) intel(0): Silken mouse enabled
[    71.067] (II) intel(0): HW Cursor enabled
[    71.069] (==) intel(0): DPMS enabled
[    71.069] (==) intel(0): Display hotplug detection enabled
[    71.069] (II) intel(0): [XvMC] xvmc_vld driver initialized.
[    71.069] (II) intel(0): [DRI2] Setup complete
[    71.069] (II) intel(0): [DRI2]   DRI driver: i965
[    71.069] (II) intel(0): [DRI2]   VDPAU driver: va_gl
[    71.069] (II) intel(0): direct rendering: DRI2 enabled
[    71.069] (II) intel(0): hardware support for Present enabled

^ I'm running xserver-xorg-video-intel, as you can see.

[fred44nl]

as far as I can see there is or was no difference between running inxi with sudo or not.
anyway, this is inxi -G definitively as a regular user:

fred44nl@Debian:~$ inxi -G
Graphics: Card: Intel Device 5a85
Display Server: X.org 1.19.2 drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
tty size: 136x40 Advanced Data: N/A out of X

[fred44nl]

@fred: check your Xorg.0.log, that will show the driver.

don't know where to look, or what to look for
this is a small part:

[2552203.833] (==) Depth 24 pixmap format is 32 bpp
[2552203.972] (==) modeset(0): Backing store enabled
[2552203.972] (==) modeset(0): Silken mouse enabled
[2552203.972] (II) modeset(0): RandR 1.2 enabled, ignore the following RandR disabled message.
[2552203.999] (==) modeset(0): DPMS enabled
[2552203.999] (II) modeset(0): [DRI2] Setup complete
[2552203.999] (II) modeset(0): [DRI2] DRI driver: i965
[2552203.999] (II) modeset(0): [DRI2] VDPAU driver: i965
[2552203.999] (--) RandR disabled
[2552204.007] (II) SELinux: Disabled on system

[Head_on_a_Stick]

^ Yup, stevepusser & `inxi` were right, you're running Xorg's builtin modesetting driver.

Switch to the Intel DDX driver with an Xorg configuration file, for example:

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empty@buster:~ $ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-intel.conf                                
Section "Device"
        Identifier "Intel Graphics"
        Driver "intel"
        Option "TearFree" "yes"
EndSection
empty@buster:~ $

The file will work without the Option line.

[fred44nl]

Switch to the Intel DDX driver with an Xorg configuration file, for example:

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empty@buster:~ $ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-intel.conf                                

The file will work without the Option line.

this file did not exist, so I created it, without any change to the problem.


digging deeper, I found the command:

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sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/dri/0/i915_guc_load_status

this gave me:

fred44nl@Debian:~$ sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/dri/0/i915_guc_load_status
GuC firmware status:
path: i915/bxt_guc_ver8_7.bin
fetch: SUCCESS
load: SUCCESS
version wanted: 8.7
version found: 8.7
header: offset is 0; size = 128
uCode: offset is 128; size = 140544
RSA: offset is 140672; size = 256
etc.etc....

on internet I found that there is version 9.14
does this make my version too old ??

[Head_on_a_Stick]

VLC does not show it's GUI, when I double-click on the icon on the desktop

Does VLC show it's GUI otherwise?

Anything relevant in ~/.xsession-errors?

[fred44nl]

Does VLC show it's GUI otherwise?

nope, other software in the same category does, but not VLC

Anything relevant in ~/.xsession-errors?

~/.xsession-errors refers to .cache/lxsession/LXDE/run.log
and there I find:

Gtk-Message: Failed to load module "atk-bridge"

libatk-bridge2.0-0 and libgtk-3-0 are installed

when I try to open the GUI of VLC, this is logged in .cache/lxsession/LXDE/run.log as

/usr/bin/vlc --started-from-file

[Head_on_a_Stick]

What if you launch VLC from the command line? Any error messages then?

[fred44nl]

What if you launch VLC from the command line? Any error messages then?

oh yes

fred44nl@Debian:~$ vlc
VLC media player 3.0.4 Vetinari (revision 3.0.4-0-gf615db6332)
[00005597abb35cf0] main interface error: no suitable interface module
[00005597aba511a0] main libvlc error: interface "globalhotkeys,none" initialization failed
[00005597abb36e40] skins2 interface error: cannot initialize OSFactory

this seems to be with more users, when they updated from version 2.2.x to version 3.0.x

[stevepusser]

Since Stretch only has VLC 3.0.3, and 3.0.4 is not in stretch-backports, this makes me have to ask how you installed 3.0.4. I do have 3.0.4 in my OBS multimedia backports repo, though.

just

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apt policy vlc

would also be quite informative.

[fred44nl]

I do have 3.0.4 in my OBS multimedia backports repo, though.

that's where I got it

fred44nl@Debian:~$ sudo apt policy vlc
vlc:
Geïnstalleerd: 3.0.4-1~obs
Kandidaat: 3.0.4-1~obs
Versietabel:
*** 3.0.4-1~obs 500
500 http://download.opensuse.org/repositori ... Debian_9.0 Packages
3.0.3-1-0+deb9u1 500
500 http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian stretch/main amd64 Packages
500 http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates/main amd64 Packages
2.2.8-2~obs 500
500 http://download.opensuse.org/repositori ... Debian_9.0 Packages

[stevepusser]

Well, that's weird. Let's make sure the installed vlc libraries all match. What does

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apt policy libvlc*

show? You can cut out all the stuff that's not installed.

Also, what does

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glxinfo

show?

[fred44nl]

Well, that's weird. Let's make sure the installed vlc libraries all match.

ok, this is what I got, there is only 3 of them:

fred44nl@Debian:~$ sudo apt policy libvlc* | grep Geïnstalleerd
Geïnstalleerd: (geen)
Geïnstalleerd: 3.0.4-1~obs
Geïnstalleerd: (geen)
Geïnstalleerd: 3.0.4-1~obs
Geïnstalleerd: 3.0.4-1~obs
Geïnstalleerd: (geen)
Geïnstalleerd: (geen)
Geïnstalleerd: (geen)
Geïnstalleerd: (geen)

fred44nl@Debian:~$ sudo apt policy libvlc*

libvlc5:
Geïnstalleerd: 3.0.4-1~obs
Kandidaat: 3.0.4-1~obs
Versietabel:
*** 3.0.4-1~obs 500
500 http://download.opensuse.org/repositori ... Debian_9.0 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

libvlccore9:
Geïnstalleerd: 3.0.4-1~obs
Kandidaat: 3.0.4-1~obs
Versietabel:
*** 3.0.4-1~obs 500
500 http://download.opensuse.org/repositori ... Debian_9.0 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

libvlc-bin:
Geïnstalleerd: 3.0.4-1~obs
Kandidaat: 3.0.4-1~obs
Versietabel:
*** 3.0.4-1~obs 500
500 http://download.opensuse.org/repositori ... Debian_9.0 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status