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Asked: 2024-09-25T14:34:07+05:30 In:

What steps can I take to install graphics drivers for Alder Lake on Ubuntu 20.04?

So, I’m diving into the world of Alder Lake CPUs and recently decided to give my gaming rig a spin with Ubuntu 20.04. I’m super excited about the potential performance boost and all that jazz, but I’ve hit a bit of a snag. As you might guess, I’ve run into some issues with installing the graphics drivers.

Honestly, I’m a bit of a noob when it comes to Linux. I’ve done the usual stuff: a couple of installations, some terminal commands, but nothing that gets too deep into driver territory. I read that Alder Lake has some unique features, especially with the mix of performance and efficiency cores, so I want to make sure I’m set up right to get the most out of it.

I’ve heard conflicting things about which drivers I need to use. For instance, I’ve seen some folks swear by the Mesa drivers, while others keep talking about Intel’s official drivers. Then, there’s the whole issue of whether I should go for the latest versions or just stick with what’s readily available in the Ubuntu repositories. The last thing I want is to mess something up and end up with a black screen—talk about panic mode!

Also, if anyone has experience with handling graphical issues after installation, I’d love to hear about it. Like, what steps do I take if I run into glitches or my display just refuses to cooperate? Should I be looking into any specific tools or commands?

In case it matters, I’m mostly into gaming and some light development work, so performance is key for me. I would also appreciate any tips on how to confirm that the drivers are installed correctly and optimized for my system.

Any help you guys can provide, tips, commands, or even links to good tutorials, would be greatly appreciated! Can’t wait to get this machine running smoothly so I can finally enjoy that next-level performance everyone talks about!

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    2 Answers



    1. Ubuntu 20.04 Alder Lake CPU Graphics Driver Help

      Getting Graphics Drivers for Alder Lake on Ubuntu 20.04

      It sounds like you’re diving into some exciting stuff with your Alder Lake setup! Don’t worry too much about being a noob; we all start somewhere. Here’s some info that might help you get those graphics drivers sorted.

      Choosing the Right Drivers

      For Intel CPUs, you generally have two options: the Mesa drivers or Intel’s official drivers. Most users stick with the Mesa drivers, as they usually provide great support for Intel graphics, especially with newer hardware like Alder Lake. However, if you want to be sure you have the latest features and bug fixes, you can consider going for the Intel drivers.

      If you’re unsure, it’s generally a safe bet to go with the drivers in the Ubuntu repositories first. They’re tested and stable. After that, if you want to explore the latest versions, you can consider adding a PPA for Mesa:

              sudo add-apt-repository ppa:oibaf/graphics-drivers
        sudo apt update
        sudo apt upgrade

      Installation Commands

      When you’re ready to install the drivers, here’s a quick rundown of commands:

              sudo apt update
        sudo apt install mesa-utils

      This will install Mesa and some utility tools to help verify the installation.

      Checking if Drivers are Installed Correctly

      After installation, you can check if your drivers are working by running:

              glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version"

      If you see a version number, it means your drivers are installed correctly!

      Tackling Graphical Issues

      If you run into graphical glitches or a black screen, try these steps:

      • Reboot into recovery mode and select “Resume” or “Failsafe graphics” to start with basic settings.
      • Check logs for errors: 
                        cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep EE
      • Update your drivers, as it could be a known bug that’s already been fixed.
      • If all else fails, consider using nomodeset as a kernel parameter during boot.

      Performance Tips

      For gaming and light development, making sure your drivers are not only installed but optimized can make a huge difference. You might want to tweak settings in your game using tools like xrandr, or use gaming modes if your desktop environment supports them.

      Resources

      Here are a couple of links that might help:

      Hopefully, this helps you get everything set up! Best of luck with your gaming rig, and enjoy that next-level performance!



    2. For your Alder Lake setup on Ubuntu 20.04, the best course of action is to utilize the Mesa drivers, which generally provide solid support for Intel GPUs, especially for gaming and graphical applications. Ubuntu 20.04 comes pre-packaged with fairly recent versions of Mesa, so unless you are looking to experiment with bleeding-edge features, the available versions in the repositories should suffice. However, to ensure optimal performance, consider installing the latest Mesa drivers from a PPA. To do this, you can use the following commands:

      sudo add-apt-repository ppa:oibaf/graphics-drivers
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

      After installation, confirm that the drivers are functioning correctly by running the command glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version" in your terminal. This should display the version of OpenGL that your system is using, indicating that the drivers are installed. If you encounter any graphical issues, try using sudo apt-get install --reinstall xserver-xorg-core to reinstall the X server, as it can help resolve most display problems. Additionally, ensure that your system has the latest kernel updates for improved hardware compatibility. For troubleshooting, familiarize yourself with the dmesg command to check for any driver-related errors. Joining gaming and Linux communities can also provide you with peer advice and more tailored help regarding specific games or applications.


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