How do I check which graphics driver is in use?

English Hardware
1

Hello.
The graphics chip on this laptop is “Intel HD Graphics”.
I have installed the xf86-video-intel.
Want to check if the system is using this driver or the other driver that comes default with opensuse.
How do I do this?

Output of /usr/sbin/hwinfo --gfxcard:

12: PCI 02.0: 0300 VGA compatible controller (VGA)              
  [Created at pci.378]
  Unique ID: _Znp.Hog32BqzxFE
  SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:02.0
  SysFS BusID: 0000:00:02.0
  Hardware Class: graphics card
  Device Name: "Onboard IGD"
  Model: "Intel HD Graphics"
  Vendor: pci 0x8086 "Intel Corporation"
  Device: pci 0x1606 "HD Graphics"
  SubVendor: pci 0x1028 "Dell"
  SubDevice: pci 0x06c1 
  Revision: 0x09
  Driver: "i915"
  Driver Modules: "i915"
  Memory Range: 0xf6000000-0xf6ffffff (rw,non-prefetchable)
  Memory Range: 0xe0000000-0xefffffff (ro,non-prefetchable)
  I/O Ports: 0xf000-0xf03f (rw)
  Memory Range: 0x000c0000-0x000dffff (rw,non-prefetchable,disabled)
  IRQ: 44 (3118143 events)
  I/O Port: 0x00 (rw)
  Module Alias: "pci:v00008086d00001606sv00001028sd000006C1bc03sc00i00"
  Driver Info #0:
    Driver Status: i915 is active
    Driver Activation Cmd: "modprobe i915"                                                                                                                                                      
  Config Status: cfg=no, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                                                
Primary display adapter: #12

Thanks :slight_smile:

2

Hi, have a look at /var/log/Xorg.0.log and you should find a section reading something like:

...
     8.220] (II) LoadModule: "intel"
     8.220] (II) Loading /usr/lib64/xorg/modules/drivers/intel_drv.so
     8.224] (II) Module intel: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
     8.224]     compiled for 1.18.3, module version = 2.99.917
     8.224]     Module class: X.Org Video Driver
     8.224]     ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 20.0
     8.224] (II) intel: Driver for Intel(R) Integrated Graphics Chipsets:
    i810, i810-dc100, i810e, i815, i830M, 845G, 854, 852GM/855GM, 865G,
    915G, E7221 (i915), 915GM, 945G, 945GM, 945GME, Pineview GM,
    Pineview G, 965G, G35, 965Q, 946GZ, 965GM, 965GME/GLE, G33, Q35, Q33,
    GM45, 4 Series, G45/G43, Q45/Q43, G41, B43
     8.224] (II) intel: Driver for Intel(R) HD Graphics
     8.224] (II) intel: Driver for Intel(R) Iris(TM) Graphics
     8.224] (II) intel: Driver for Intel(R) Iris(TM) Pro Graphics
     8.224] (II) intel(0): Using Kernel Mode Setting driver: i915, version 1.6.0 20160919
     8.225] (--) intel(0): Integrated Graphics Chipset: Intel(R) HD Graphics 4600
     8.225] (--) intel(0): CPU: x86-64, sse2, sse3, ssse3, sse4.1, sse4.2, avx, avx2; using a maximum of 4 threads
     8.225] (II) intel(0): Creating default Display subsection in Screen section
...
3

**Install the package ****lshw.
**
Then run the command:

sudo lshw -c video

Look for the line with “configuration”. The loaded driver is prefixed with “driver=”

Example:

sudo lshw -c video  
*-display                 
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: HD Graphics 5500
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 2
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
       version: 09
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom

       **configuration: driver=i915 **latency=0

Another method:

sudo modinfo -F filename `sudo lshw -c video | awk '/configuration: driver/{print $2}' | cut -d= -f2`

Example:

 sudo modinfo -F filename `sudo lshw -c video | awk '/configuration: driver/{print $2}' | cut -d= -f2`
/lib/modules/4.12.14-lp150.12.4-default/kernel/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915.ko
4

For driver Xorg is using, this is simpler than perusing a log:

$ inxi -G -c0
Graphics:  Card: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.3 drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1920x1200@59.95hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Desktop GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.0.5
5

*Contents of /var/log/Xorg.0.log:
*https://paste.opensuse.org/47402729
*

Output of sudo lshw -c video:
*

*-display                 
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: HD Graphics
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 2
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
       version: 09
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
       configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
       resources: irq:45 memory:f6000000-f6ffffff memory:e0000000-efffffff ioport:f000(size=64) memory:c0000-dffff

Output of inxi -G -c0:*

Card: Intel HD Graphics
           Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.19.6 )
           drivers: intel (unloaded: modesetting,fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1366x768@60.00hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Broadwell GT1 version: 4.5 Mesa 18.0.2

What is i915? Intel’s driver or the default driver?
Could you please take a look at these logs/ outputs and confirm the driver in use?
Thank you.

1 Like
6

i915 is the kernel driver (lshw -c video is about hardware interfacing)
intel is the in-use Xorg driver (inxi -G is about userland graphics software)
modesetting is the default Xorg driver (unloaded; not currently in use)

7

So then, this computer is currently using Intel’s driver (xf86-video-intel), right?

8

YES, confirming that Intel Xorg driver is in use.

9

When Xorg is running, yes, and i915 too. i915 is the lower level (kernel) driver, intel the higher level (userland->Xorg). When Xorg is not running only the i915 is in use.

10

Thanks everyone. You guys have been very helpful. And taught me a few things in the process. :slight_smile:
:good::good: