[Debian R3 and R4] Installing Mali Binary Drivers

[tlhingan]

These instructions are a bit wonky to follow for a n00b, so here's what is hopefully a simpler and more complete rewrite of those instructions.

edit /etc/modules to add

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ump
mali
mali_drm

create a file in /etc/udev/rules.d/ called "50-mali.rules" containing

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KERNEL=="mali", MODE="0660", GROUP="video"
KERNEL=="ump", MODE="0660", GROUP="video"


reboot
after loging in, type "lsmod" and make sure "mali" and "ump" are listed
then

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apt-get install build-essential xorg-dev xutils-dev libdrm-dev x11proto-dri2-dev libltdl-dev libtool automake
git clone https://github.com/linux-sunxi/sunxi-mali.git
cd sunxi-mali
git clone https://github.com/robclark/libdri2
cd libdri2
./autogen.sh --prefix=/usr
make
make install
cd ..
git submodule init
git submodule update
make install
cd ..
git clone https://github.com/ssvb/xf86-video-sunxifb.git
cd xf86-video-sunxifb
autoreconf -vi
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
make install
cp xorg.conf /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/99-sunxifb.conf

[tlhingan]

I guess one could copy/paste the last block into a script file.
I'll try that next time I need to setup another image.

[exotic]

After doing all this, startx say : no screens found!

Any help please.

[jeanyves]

These instructions are a bit wonky to follow for a n00b, so here's what is hopefully a simpler and more complete rewrite of those instructions.

Code Select Expand

apt-get install build-essential xorg-dev xutils-dev libdrm-dev x11proto-dri2-dev libltdl-dev libtool automake
git clone https://github.com/linux-sunxi/sunxi-mali.git
cd sunxi-mali
git clone https://github.com/robclark/libdri2
cd libdri2
./autogen.sh
make
make install
cd ..
git submodule init
git submodule update
make install
cd ..
git clone https://github.com/ssvb/xf86-video-sunxifb.git
cd xf86-video-sunxifb.git
autoreconf -vi
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
make install
cp xorg.conf /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/99-sunxifb.conf


You sould probably replace

cd xf86-video-sunxifb.git

with cd xf86-video-sunxifb

[exotic]

Yes this is a mistake in the script, but is not the problem

[tlhingan]

You sould probably replace

cd xf86-video-sunxifb.git

with cd xf86-video-sunxifb

Yes!
Thanks for catching that!
Top post edited to reflect changes.

[tlhingan]

After doing all this, startx say : no screens found!
Any help please.

Yes, there's a mistake in the provided configuration file.
Change the driver specified in 99-sunxifb.conf from "fbturbo" to "fbdev".
Top post edited to reflect changes.

[exotic]

With modification in conf file startx is now OK.
I was thinking that installing mali driver will improve mplayer performance with HD video but in fact no.
Is this normal?

[progmetalbg]

I was thinking that installing mali driver will improve mplayer performance with HD video but in fact no.
Is this normal?

Mali is the GPU driver.
AllWinner's multimedia (video & image) acceleration co-processor is called CedarX and its open source support in Linux is in alpha state at the moment (although I think it is well supported in Android via some binary blob).
http://linux-sunxi.org/CedarX
You can try changing mplayer renderer to gl or gl2 (OpenGL).

[tlhingan]

Edited top post to include /usr prefix for the libdri2 autogen
Also added mali_drm as a module to load.
And this does work quite nicely as a script.

[neslekkim]

Does this mean that these drivers are not installed on the image one can download on this site, or is this for those who create their own?

[Lurch]

They are not on the downloadable image - not everyone needs them.
You can use this procedure to download and install them on the image you downloaded.

[neslekkim]

*need* ?
It will give faster graphics i guess?, if I manage to get everything up,I want to use the a20 for mediastreaming, but heaps of debian stuff to learn first.

[tlhingan]

Edited top post to remove the editing step of xorg.conf.
fbturbo now loads with this config.

To make a scrip file out of the code:

• create a new text file, call it whatever you want
• type "#!/bin/bash" on the first line (without the quotation marks)
• paste the code into it
• save
• change the permissions to make it executable (try "chmod u+x <name of file here>" without quotation marks)
• from the command prompt, type the name of your file and press enter
• this will take a while, so you may as well go do something else

[woodward]

Thank you so much for these instructions. They executed without error, but I don't see a difference in performance. I am testing with glxgears "apt-get install mesa-utils" (I know not the best benchmark, but it is easy to get). I ran glxgears with and without the mali module from a terminal in lightdm and from ssh with "Xorg" then "glxgears -display :0". The frames per second were around 40.

I am testing with the debian-release5 image from olimex. Also, my display is the 10" lcd from olimex if that matters.

Are you guys seeing a speed up with the binary drivers? I certainly may have messed something up during my install. Thank you