Ubuntu Wiki

This page details support for the Intel GMA500 "Poulsbo" video hardware in various Ubuntu releases.

• Karmic (9.10)

• Jaunty (9.04)

• Intrepid (8.10)

• Hardy (8.04)

Karmic (9.10) - New Method

1) PPA-based (UbuntuMobile & Milone):
wget http://gma500re.altervista.org/scripts/poulsbo_ppa.sh && sh ./poulsbo_ppa.sh

or

2) FTP-based (no ppa repositories):
wget http://gma500re.altervista.org/scripts/poulsbo.sh && sh ./poulsbo.sh

Note: after a kernel update, the following steps are needed to re-enable the driver. Prior to a computer reboot, print these instructions so you have them available. Choose a "Recovery" option from the boot menu, and run the following commands from prompt.

# apt-get remove psb-kernel-source
# wget http://gma500re.altervista.org/_altervista_ht/psb-kernel-source_4.41.2-0ubuntu1~910um1_all.deb -O /tmp/psb-kernel-source_4.41.2-0ubuntu1~910um1_all.deb
# dpkg -i /tmp/psb-kernel-source_4.41.2-0ubuntu1~910um1_all.deb

Karmic (9.10) - Old Method

Run the following commands as root:

#
# Add PPAs
#

echo 'deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/lucazade/gma500/ubuntu/ karmic main' >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/psb-kernel.list

echo 'deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/lucazade/gma500/ubuntu/ karmic main' >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/psb-kernel.list

echo 'deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-mobile/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main' >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu-mobile.list

echo 'deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-mobile/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main' >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu-mobile.list

echo 'deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/albertomilone/poulsbo-graphics/ubuntu jaunty main ' >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/poulsbo-graphics-alberto-milone.list

echo 'deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/albertomilone/poulsbo-graphics/ubuntu jaunty main' >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/poulsbo-graphics-alberto-milone.list


#
# Add keys for PPAs
#

apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 6699F3D9

apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys C6598A30

apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 99C0198F


#
# Install new packages
#
# Note: installing psb-kernel-source may take a while.
#

apt-get update

apt-get install dkms \
                fakeroot \
                libdrm-poulsbo1 \
                poulsbo-driver-2d \
                poulsbo-driver-3d \
                psb-firmware \
                psb-kernel-source \
                psb-kernel-headers \
                psb-modules

echo "blacklist i915" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

update-initramfs -u

Create xorg.conf with following content and whitelist psb in /usr/bin/compiz by adding "psb" to the WHITELIST line.

Section "Device"
        Identifier      "GMA500"
        Option "AccelMethod" "EXA"
        Option "DRI" "on"
        Option "MigrationHeuristic" "greedy"
        Option "IgnoreACPI" "yes"
        Driver "psb"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
    Mode    0666
EndSection

Now reboot, and your video should work correctly.

If it does not and fails while DKMS is trying to build your psb module, try downloading lucazades psb-kernel-*.deb packages from http://swiss.ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=7773647&postcount=13 and then do a:

 sudo dpkg -i psb-kernel-* 

Kernel parameters (in grub).

If you have a Vaio-P or if you are experiencing extremely slow performance (less than 14 fps running "/usr/bin/xscreensaver/glblur -fps -window") add "mem=2000mb" to /etc/default/grub, at the end of GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT, if using grub2, or at the end of the "# defoptions=" line in /boot/grub/menu.lst. For both grub versions run update-grub after editing those files. This reserves memory for the video driver and should improve your 3D performance.

Attention: For machines with only 1GB ram, the entry should be "mem=980mb"

Intrepid (8.10) and Jaunty (9.04)

The drivers for the Poulsbo chipset are shipped in the ubuntu-mobile PPA.

Add the ubuntu-mobile PPA

Edit a file called /etc/apt/sources.list/psb.list, and add the following line to it: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-mobile/ppa/ubuntu YOUR RELEASE HERE main

You may also wish to add the key to the keyring by following the instructions here.

Which kernel are you running?

If you are using a kernel that you have compiled yourself, or are not using the latest kernel provided by either Intrepid or Jaunty, install the psb-kernel-source package (and make sure the headers for your kernel are available!) and then remove psb-modules.

Install packages

Install poulsbo-driver-2d if you only require 2D, and poulsbo-driver-3d if you also require 3D acceleration to work. Make sure your user is a member of the video group before using 3D.

Hardy (8.04)

The Poulsbo hardware is reputed to "just work" on Hardy. The writer of this document has not verified that.

Common problems

X doesn't start

Double check that the psb kernel module can be loaded into the running kernel by running modprobe psb.

Other problems?

If you're still having problems, please mail ubuntu-mobile@lists.ubuntu.com, and do not submit bug reports.