Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

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xenopeek
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Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by xenopeek »

Last generation of Intel Atoms: CedarView (D2300, D2500, D2550, D2600, D2700) and Cedar Trail (N2600, N2700, N2800) SoCs integrate a PowerVR GPU from Imagination instead of the usual Intel GPU. [...] An unsupported graphic card on Linux distributions, and which can't properly support a basic desktop environnment like Unity or Gnome 3.
Read more: https://gist.github.com/2925633. The GPU on these processors is the GMA 500, GMA 600, GMA 3600 or GMA 3650.

This may impact users wanting to run Cinnamon (though the upcoming version of Cinnamon has a "Cinnamon 2D" session, that will allow it to work), or Compiz. Before you buy a new system with an Intel Atom, check if it has one of these. (See also the comments from AlbertP on http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 9&start=20 for more background about the problems with this.)

To be very clear, this is just about these specific Intel Atom models, for which there is currently a problem on using them with Linux + hardware accelerated graphics.

Intel processors generally work very well with Linux, as Intel actively contributes to the Linux kernel and is an important sponsor and driver of Linux on multiple fronts. Just avoid these models for now when buying new hardware.

Edit: Also Intel Atom processors from the upcoming Clover Trail series again use Imagination's PowerVR GPU, and even Intel itself has now declared these processors will not work properly with Linux. Read more here http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=112507. It won't be until 2013 that Intel will offer a new Atom processor series that will be fully supported on Linux.
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intok

Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by intok »

eh, rather get an low end AMD APU if you need sometihng in that class they are the Z-01, C-50, C-60, E-350, E-450, and apparently an updated version supposed to be out soon is the E2-1800.
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Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by AlbertP »

If you want to read people's complaints about the integrated graphics of these Atoms, you can take a look here: http://communities.intel.com/thread/291 ... 0&tstart=0
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markosjal
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Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by markosjal »

According to thos page
https://launchpad.net/~sarvatt/+archive/cedarview/

These drivers are now in ubuntu multiverse repos. Has anyone tested?
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Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by AlbertP »

The page already says that OpenGL is very sketchy. I still think the older Atoms like D525 will be working much better. Also, I'm afraid that those drivers are Cedarview only and not supporting Poulsbo (Atom Z5xx) and Lincroft (Atom Z6xx), while especially Z5xx is often found in older netbooks.

(Edit) Anyway, Valley View will come in 2013 and then we'll again be able to use the latest Atoms with Linux.
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Oyabunbaba

Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by Oyabunbaba »

Overall choose Intel GPU or Nvidia any others can be problematic.
altscribe

Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by altscribe »

Many of the new devices coming out are "ARM" compliant (http://www.softwarefreedom.org/blog/201 ... -down-ARM/) and will only work with Microsoft products. The entire line of Atom processors is supposed to be afflicted by this decision. More info available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture
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Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by AlbertP »

ARM is certainly becoming popular but Intel Atom is not using ARM. Intel is trying to compete with ARM, with the Atom CPUs they are introducing the next few years.

Also ARM devices run Windows RT instead of normal Windows 8; any computer with the desktop function included in Windows 8, has an x86 compatible CPU on which it is also possible to run Linux.
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justy39

Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by justy39 »

Is this still a issue in mint 13 mate 64?

Daughter has a little netbook with the atom n2600. I'm having issues with video working correctly. Sometimes she plugs in a hp vs17e monitor for a bigger screen. I can not get mint to recognize it. Shows up with 0 hz.. Also doesn't allow you to switch or turn off monitors. Is there a better linux that supports this type of pc?
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Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by AlbertP »

@ justy39: On Linux Mint 13 you can install cedarview-graphics-drivers from the repository; this package is not available on newer Mints.
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justy39

Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by justy39 »

Great! I'll give it a try..
texadactyl

Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by texadactyl »

I have an Intel D2550MUD2 mobo (Atom, CedarView - GMA3650). I am currently using Xubuntu 13.10 Alpha2 (should be very similar to Mint Xfce) with the following setup:
  • Desktop - XFCE version 4
  • Xorg driver - xserver-xorg-video-modesetting 0.8.0-0ubuntu1.1
  • Kernel module - gma500_gfx
The Xorg driver is automatically selected at boot time; I have no xorg.conf file. This seems to work well for me. My Acer S211HL 22" monitor displays nicely in 1920x1280x60 mode after I manually selected that mode once.

I am a programmer, not a gamer nor an artist. So, my multimedia needs are more focused.

As I said in another Mint thread, Intel, IMO, has dropped the ball on their own hardware products. Fortunately, the Linux communities have a lot of talented people to make up for it.

Best wishes to all Cedar View folks with your Intel woes. Had I known what I know now (had I bothered to google! :oops: ), I would have purchased a different motherboard!

Richard

[url]http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/motherboards/desktop-motherboards/desktop-board-d2550mud2.html?wapkw=d2550mud2[/url]
[url]http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/category/dsktpboards/db-d2550mud2/doc_guide?format-type=Technical+Documents[/url]
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_GMA[/url]
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Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by AlbertP »

texadactyl wrote:As I said in another Mint thread, Intel, IMO, has dropped the ball on their own hardware products.
The GMA 3650 is in fact not an Intel product, but a PowerVR graphics core licensed from Imagination Technologies. Same goes for GMA 500, 600 and 3600. Other "Intel" graphics products are fine.
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texadactyl

Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by texadactyl »

Albert,

When I said that Intel dropped the ball, I probably should have explicitly referenced the D2550MUD2 and other similar motherboards. They are Intel products. I understand that they, and others, routinely incorporate other folks components into their mobo products.

Richard
texadactyl

Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by texadactyl »

Have a look: [url]http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=140219&p=765368&hilit=cedar#p765368[/url]

I just installed Mate 15. It looks nice. So far, so good. You may not need a special driver.
Babylon1234

Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by Babylon1234 »

Anyway, Valley View will come in 2013 and then we'll again be able to use the latest Atoms with Linux.
Hello,
I am new here.
I have recentely installed Linux Mint 15 "Olivia" (i686) Cinnamon version 1.8.8 on a Asus eee pc 1015CX 32bit with Intel Atom N2600.
My system is still running on rendering mode without the graphics acceleration. Is there any new/compatible version available, like AlbertP has said it would be in 2013?
Thanks very much in advance.
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Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by AlbertP »

You can use Mint 13 32-bit with the "cedarview-graphics-drivers" package from the repository, as has been suggested a few times in this topic.

The Atoms that are introduced this year are a new series of processors. Your computer still has an old one with PowerVR graphics built-in, and that won't change unless you buy a different computer.
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Babylon1234

Re: Watch out for newest Intel Atom processors

Post by Babylon1234 »

Thanks, AlbertP. I'll look at other posts for what to do next.
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