sony-vaio-z-series team mailing list archive

[Adam Hill <sidepipeuk@xxxxxxxxx>]

	Apologies if more than one of these gets to the list - I believe that I 
was sending from an un-subscribed e-mail address...

	I've been desperately trying to make a VPZ-Z12 work with Ubuntu, and have 
now managed to get the Intel graphic working, though with workarounds, without 
having to boot old kernels. However, to do this I needed to modify the sony-
laptop z series module to use \_SB.PCI0.P0P2.DGPU._DSM for graphics 
switching... I believe that this is the correct handle and should work with 
all versions ( and is the one detected by the in kernel VGA Switcheroo. )

	Also, I needed to hack the kernel drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_dp.c file as 
in:

https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=29141

	I also modified the sony-laptop module to examine the state of the 
speed/stamina switch on boot and go in to the correct mode. I won't attach a 
patch, because my way was just a hack to see if it works, but the relevant 
code is ( in sony_pf_probe ):

        /* initialize default, look at module param speed_stamina or switch */
        if (!ACPI_SUCCESS(acpi_callgetfunc(
                        NULL, "\\_SB.PCI0.LPCB.SNC.HSC1", &result))) {
                result = -1;
                dprintk("sony_nc_notify: "
                        "cannot query speed/stamina switch\n");
        }
        else
                printk(KERN_INFO "Speed/stamina switch: %s.\n", result & 
2?"stamina":"speed");

        if (speed_stamina == 1 || ((result >= 0) && !(result & 0x02))) {
                sony_dgpu_on();
                sony_led_speed();

	Using all of this, as long as there is a long enough delay between the 
loading of the i915 module and something trying to use it, it works every time 
( well, apart from when the keyboard doesn't respond which is another well 
known issue. )

	There are still some issues, mainly that this workaround requires booting 
with "text" as a kernel parameter, then using an rc.local script to load the 
module and the display manager, so not ideal, but workable.

	Other issues which I'd be grateful of any pointers to work already done:

- KDE desktop effects don't work with the intel driver, either the latest git 
stuff or the standard Ubuntu versions.

- The nouveau driver doesn't work. With the mods as above, it NEARLY works :(. 
When the module is loaded ( in speed mode ) it appears to find and initialise 
the chip. However, xserver-xorg-video-neuveau decides that the primary 
graphics controller is at 00:02.0, which unfortunately is actually the Intel 
card :(
- VGA Switcheroo does not add anything to /sys/kernel/debug... not sure why 
this is. On load, the nouveau driver reports that VGA switcheroo found 
\_SB.PCI0.P0P2.DGPU as the dsm switching method.

	If anyone wants any more info, or indeed has any more info, then let me 
know!

Adam