Re: Starting Sway a Wayland window manager

[Vagrant Cascadian]

On 2021-03-31, Bone Baboon wrote:
> Vagrant Cascadian writes:
>
>> On 2021-03-29, Bone Baboon wrote:
>>> When I run `dbus-run-session sway` on virtual terminal 1 sway does not
>>> start and I get this output:
...
>>                           vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
>>> [backend/backend.c:303] Failed to open any DRM device
>>                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> I think this is your fundamental problem. There's no DRM device
>> available (at least to your user). Are there devices in /dev/dri/, and
>> are they writeable by your user?
>
> What is the significance of the /dev/dri/ devices?
> Is /dev/dri/ related to the GPU of a computer?
> If there are no /dev/dri devices does that mean that the graphics card
> is not compatible with Linux-libre or Guix and that a Wayland window
> manager is not going to work?

Yes, you need /dev/dri for graphics acceleration to work, and wayland
needs at least basic graphics acceleration, as I understand it.

So missing/broken graphics drivers is the issue on two of your machines.


> I am trying to get Sway working on three computers.
>
> Computer 0:
> No /dev/dri/ directory.
> The sticker on the computer says AMD Radeon Vega Graphics.
> neofetch says the GPU is AMD ATI 05:00.0 Picasso.
>
> Computer 1:
> No /dev/dri/ directory.
> neofetch says the GPU is NVIDEA GeForce FX 5200.

Both NVIDIA and AMD have a history of not always having free
drivers/firmware/etc for their graphics hardware.


> Computer 2:
> Has a /dev/dri/ directory with devices that are writable by my user.
> noefetch says the GPU is Intel Mobile 4 Series Chipset.

And in my experience Intel chips usually work without problems...


> I have not got Sway working on computer 0 or 1.
>
> On computer 2 I am able to start Sway with `sway` on virtual terminal
> 1.

That's consistent with my assertion, then, at least. :)


So it sounds like you have sway configured correctly, but some of your
hardware may be incompatible with linux-libre.


live well,
  vagrant

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