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Intel VAAPI howto with Leia v18 nightly based on Ubuntu 18.04 server - Printable Version

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Intel VAAPI howto with Leia v18 nightly based on Ubuntu 18.04 server - fritsch - 2015-07-12

For AMD Users and VAAPI: You need to upgrade Ubuntu 18.04's Mesa to at least 18.0.1 - also for hw acceleration to work with VAAPI for your devices you need to use kodi 18.
For Intel users with Generation 10, don't install the intel xorg driver and please start with Ubuntu 20.04.

Introduction
This is a new era for VAAPI. We worked together with the intel mesa people in order to get rid of the vaPutSurface method, that was the only way, besides some cpu intensive copying, to get the decoded surfaces via a texture from pixmap method to display. This always needed twice the amount of surfaces, as all the decoded surfaces needed to be copied and transfered to a texture again. Besides the additional gpu memory, this copy used too much performance and therefore high quality content like 3840x2160 with 60 frames (60p) were not really watchable even on highly performant hardware.

Besides the performance issue, this putSurface method always scaled the limited color range of the original files to FULL RGB. Introducing Banding or even worse it was scaled twice, e.g. back to limited, by the driver itself. All this won't happen anymore, cause the new zero copy approach allows us to directly render the decoded NV12 surface with our own shader. So all color conversions are in our hands now. You can savely use "Prefer VAAPI Render Method" set to on again and don't need to waste CPU cycles with bypassing this Method. All colors will be fine. If you have a Limited Range TV - you need to set "Use Limited Range" to On additionally. Also make sure that your GPU itself is running at full range, which this howto and also all OpenELEC images will do by default.

Furthermore we got implemented a feature called dithering, which will add random noise to the color scaled image when it is output on a FULL RGB monitor / lcd. So even perfect full range without any banding is now possible for VAAPI decoded material.

This thread is for guiding and testing this new approach, mainly implemented by - whom else - fernetmenta. The dithering algorithm realization in the shader was done by laurim. Wsnipex has done the packaging for the Ubuntu ppa for ease of use.

While we are trying to get this code tested and merged into kodi v17 - the daily builds and updates might get rough from time to time, whenever big changes appear in kodi. This code won't go into kodi v15 as development started right now. Also v16 does not have this code.

To use hevc-vaapi a Braswell or newer architecture is needed. Haswell and Broadwell and older arches will use the CPU for decoding.

So in short: Whatever is possible on linux nowadays on Intel hardware we have here in this build.

This thread is a follow up of: http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=165707

Installation
-1.) Hardware Requirements / Software Requirements
SNB, IVB, HSW, BSW, BDW, BXT, and newer Intel Hardware
This installation is based upon the server iso for Ubuntu 18.04.1 64 bit: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/18.04.1/release/ubuntu-18.04.1-server-amd64.iso
0.) Basic Installation and script tuning
First install the server iso as you would normally do, don't select any additional packages besides perhaps ssh. Also make sure to not use "encrypted home directory" cause this render the simple systemd service unusable. After installation continue with the following steps:
 
Code:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ssh software-properties-common xorg xserver-xorg-legacy alsa-utils mesa-utils git-core librtmp1 libmad0 lm-sensors libmpeg2-4 avahi-daemon libnfs11 libva2 vainfo i965-va-driver linux-firmware dbus-x11 udisks2 openbox pastebinit udisks2 xserver-xorg-video-intel
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

For AMD-Users: If you are running on modern AMD hardware, please also install mesa-va-drivers and the corresponding xorg-drivers matching your hardware xserver-xorg-video-radeon or xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu - we don't support amdgpu-pro.
 
Code:
sudo apt-get install [b]xserver-xorg-video-radeon xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu mesa-va-drivers[/b]

Allow "everyone" to start the Xserver
 
Code:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg-legacy

Now edit /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config and add the following into a new line at the end of the file:
 
Code:
needs_root_rights=yes

Make sure we use the intel xorg driver (This is only needed on version newer than 16.04, 16.04 uses intel driver by default), but NOT supported for very modern intel GPUs NUC 10 and beyond, for these, skip the next step. Additionally make sure to use Ubuntu 19.10 or better 20.04:
 
Code:
sudo mkdir -p /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d
cd /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/
sudo ln -s /usr/share/doc/xserver-xorg-video-intel/xorg.conf 10-intel.conf

Create the kodi user and it add it the relevant groups. If you have created the kodi user during installation only do the usermod part.
 
Code:
sudo adduser kodi
sudo usermod -a -G cdrom,audio,video,plugdev,users,dialout,dip,input kodi

Now we give the permission to shutdown, suspend the computer, therefore create the file /etc/polkit-1/localauthority/50-local.d/custom-actions.pkla with the following content (don't introduce line breaks, especially the Action= line must be exactly one line (especially no linebreaks or auto ".." in freedesktop.login1.*), verify this) - btw. udisks2 will start to work the very moment the PR adding udisks2 support gets merged:
 
Code:
[Actions for kodi user]
Identity=unix-user:kodi
Action=org.freedesktop.login1.*;org.freedesktop.udisks2.*
ResultAny=yes
ResultInactive=yes
ResultActive=yes

[Untrusted Upgrade]
Identity=unix-user:kodi
Action=org.debian.apt.upgrade-packages;org.debian.apt.update-cache
ResultAny=yes
ResultInactive=yes
ResultActive=yes

We need a simple systemd service file (this one actively waits on network connection, see: network-online.target remove that if you don't need to wait)
Create the following file and put the listing into it: /etc/systemd/system/kodi.service
 
Code:
[Unit]
Description = kodi-standalone using xinit
Requires = dbus.service
After = systemd-user-sessions.service sound.target network-online.target

[Service]
User = kodi
Group = kodi
Type = simple
PAMName=login
ExecStart = /usr/bin/xinit /usr/bin/dbus-launch --exit-with-session /usr/bin/openbox-session -- :0 -nolisten tcp vt7
Restart = on-abort

[Install]
WantedBy = multi-user.target

edit /etc/security/limits.conf and add before the end. remember kodi is the username, not the application. This will allow your user to get the audio thread a bit more priority.
 
Code:
kodi             -       nice            -1

Fake display-manager.service to not make plymouth or something else complain.
 
Code:
sudo ln -s /etc/systemd/system/kodi.service /etc/systemd/system/display-manager.service

1.) Now we install the final Krypton v18 stable version:
 
Code:
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:team-xbmc/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get install kodi kodi-x11

As we use openbox as our display manager, we need to auto start kodi, therefore create:
 
Code:
sudo mkdir -p /home/kodi/.config/openbox
sudo touch /home/kodi/.config/openbox/autostart
sudo chown kodi:kodi /home/kodi/.config -R

now we write the following into the created /home/kodi/.config/openbox/autostart file, this will automatically switch your TV to full range (please copy the lines, don't try to type the '` and so on, this code only works for one (1) connected TV, if you have multiple devices extend it to a loop):
 
Code:
OUTPUT=`xrandr -display :0 -q | sed '/ connected/!d;s/ .*//;q'`
xrandr -display :0 --output $OUTPUT --set "Broadcast RGB" "Full"
xsetroot #000000
xset s off -dpms
 /usr/bin/kodi --standalone
while [ $? -ne 0 ]; do
 /usr/bin/kodi --standalone
done
openbox --exit

Now, we can start kodi:
 
Code:
sudo systemctl start kodi

The usual kodi configuration is done as follows:

2.) KODI settings
System ->Player->Processing:
Enable HQ Scalers for scaling above: 20%
Allow hardware acceleration - VAAPI: on
Use Mpeg-2 VAAPI: Yes
Use Mpeg-4 VAAPI: if you like
UseVC-1 VAAPI: on
Use VP8 VAAPI: on (if your device supports it)
Use VP9 VAAPI: on (if your device supports it)
Use HEVC VAAPI: on (if your device supports it)

System -> Player -> Playback
Adjust Refreshrate to match video: On start / stop
Sync Playback to Display: On if you don't use passthrough and Off if passthrough enabled (* This makes no sense when you want to use passthrough, why? Read: http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=231955&pid=2107461#pid2107461). In current versions (Jarvis) passthrough is disabled by us if users wants to Sync Playback to Display to care for people that refuse to read.
Adjust display refresh rate to match video: On Start / Stop

While watching a SD(!) video, that is accelerated by VAAPI, e.g. mpeg-2 or h264, click the film role and choose: Deinterlacing-Method: VAAPI-MCDI or VAAPI-MADI (Sandybridge) and VAAPI-BOB (BYT), Scaling Method: Lanczos3 Optimized and choose save for all files. Remember to do this only in combination with the above "scaling above" for 20%. This Lanczos3 Optimized filter is too heavy for BYTs, here you might - depending on the file - choose Bilinear. (Hint the Deinterlace: Auto setting was removed some years ago - we can now properly detect interlace / non interlaced content).

It is obviously clear, that you won't see the VAAPI-MCDI settings when you play a video that is software accelerated only.

You might need to create and advancedsettings.xml file as follows if you have special needs:
 
Code:
<advancedsettings>
  <loglevel hide="false">0</loglevel>
 <cputempcommand>sensors|sed -ne "s/Core 0: \+[-+]\([0-9]\+\).*/\1 C/p"</cputempcommand>
 <gui>    
   <algorithmdirtyregions>3</algorithmdirtyregions>
   <nofliptimeout>0</nofliptimeout>
 </gui>    
<video>
 <latency>
   <delay>50</delay>
   <refresh>
     <min>23</min>
     <max>24</max>
     <delay>175</delay> <!-- set to zero or adjust if audio seems out of sync with 24p movies -->
    </refresh>
 </latency>
</video>
</advancedsettings>

3. Color Management (only correct with above xrandr forced to FULL)
If your TV is limited range. Go to System -> Video Output and choose "Use Limited Range", disable Dithering.
If your TV is full range. Go to System -> Video Output and unselect "Use Limited Range" and enable Dithering with 8 bits.
If your projector is of low quality, use a dithering setting of 6 or 7 bits.

Remember the above settings only make sense, when you output in Full Range. With the default xrandr setting of Limited 16:235 - those settings would be totally wrong.

4.) Reporting issues

It is mandatory to always provide a full Debug Log that shows the issue. You can restart kodi before hand, reproduce and then post the logfile, by using pastebinit (sudo apt-get install pastebinit) - the following commands need to be run as the user running kodi (kodi if you followed the howto):
 
Code:
dpkg -l |grep mesa | pastebinit
DISPLAY=:0 vainfo | pastebinit
cat ~/.kodi/temp/kodi.log | pastebinit
dmesg | pastebinit
id | pastebinit
amixer | pastebinit
cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | pastebinit


Issue reports without those logfiles are ignored

Update 230512:
Seems some people still follow this howto blindly ;-). If you use the iHD driver, make sure your user is member of the render group: adduser kodi render
else you cannot properly access /dev/dri/renderD128

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - fritsch - 2015-07-12

Want to boot with AVR / TV powered off?
Have a look here: http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=231955&pid=2148505#pid2148505 for Ubuntu and here: http://wiki.openelec.tv/index.php/Configuring_a_Custom_xorg.conf#tab=Intel for OpenELEC. This is considered an advanced task.

Upgrading from 15.10
 
Code:
sudo do-release-upgrade -d

after it is run through succesfully readd the ppas and now the crucial part:

Install the legacy xserver package and configure it to allow anybody to start the xserver
 
Code:
sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-legacy
sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg-legacy

Now edit: /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config
and append the line:
 
Code:
needs_root_rights=yes

After you updated / readded or enable the ppas (Only the kodi ppas are needed, vaapi not as 16.04 ships 1.7.0 already):
 
Code:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

I want to use fritsch's home build kernel with the Video 16:235 mode and I understand what it does
Download the latest kernel / headers from here: http://fritsch.fruehberger.net/kernel/ and install these with sudo dpkg -i. Afterwards alter the autostart such that it ooks like (see the two xrandr commands, switching to full and then switching to fritsch's Video Range, which is not available on non patched kernels):
 
Code:
OUTPUT=`xrandr -display :0 -q | sed '/ connected/!d;s/ .*//;q'`
xrandr -display :0 --output $OUTPUT --set "Broadcast RGB" "Full"
/usr/bin/kodi --standalone
openbox --exit
Sources
FernetMenta's master: https://github.com/FernetMenta/xbmc/commits/master (ppa)

Known Issues
160626: Colorspace averaging issue
libva-driver-intel version 1.7.0 of Xenial has a color filter issue ( see: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=94845 ), we use the wsnipex vaapi ppa to use 1.7.1
 
Code:
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:wsnipex/vaapi
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

170813 - Add dpms setting
Through to changes in kodi concering the screensaver inhibitation kodi does not stop the screensaver when it is running on normal menus - which is fully correct. Some people expect other behaviour though, but don't want to change the relevant systemwide settings. Therefore I added xset -dpms to the openbox startup command.

171022 - Change systemd startup file
Added dependency on dbus.service - this is needed since Ubuntu 17.10

180521 - Adjust to 18.04
Changed some packages, made a notice for AMD users.

180527 - AMD users
AMD users that want to use kodi v18 with vaapi (Take care: v17 won't work), you need to install mesa 18.0.1 or later. You can do this via Paulo's ppa:
 
Code:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:paulo-miguel-dias/pkppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
after following above howto. If you run a vega or later - you need a drm-next kernel + firmware not yet in linux-firmware git -> 4.18 will be the first kernel with full VEGA M support out of the box / make sure to update firmware.

180601 - v17 users:
If usb mounting does not work, please install udevil. For v18 and later udisks2 is properly working.

180929:
Changed iso to match 18.04.1 server iso (thx @tutu )

190130:
Changed the ppa link to 18 stable. We are live now.

190620:
Added Information for AMD users to properly install mesa-va-drivers and amdgpu / radeon drivers.

200209:
Added information about very modern intel gpus which are not supported by the intel-xorg driver anymore nor by ubuntu 18.04.[/b]

230512:
If you are using the iHD drivers for vaapi, make sure to add the kodi user to the render group: adduser kodi render

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - john321 - 2015-07-12

Wow, that was a quick :-). A new thread before I could even reply to the last one !

Yes very clear. !! Only Q. still in my mind is that on a j1900 VAAPI-MCDI is available and seems to work. Is it deprecated due to artifacts/skips rather than unsuported ?

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - Ney - 2015-07-12

I am running Openelec testbuild on a Zbox CI-320 (baytrail).

full RGB output works wonders and colors are fantastic.
MAADI works great for 1080i50 content.

Lancoz 3, however seems to be too much (maybe someone with baytrails with dual-chan memory might have better luck), on anything but 720p25 content

4k30 decodes fine with billinear downscaling to 1080p, 4k60 has very few skips when the overlay is on, seems not to happen when the overlay is off, and the testsample at least is very watchable, but this seems to be the limit of the small baytrail.

@fritch, maybe add the autostart.sh fix for full RGB output for openelec to the second post?

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - fritsch - 2015-07-12

(2015-07-12, 21:45)john321 Wrote: Wow, that was a quick :-). A new thread before I could even reply to the last one !

Yes very clear. !! Only Q. still in my mind is that on a j1900 VAAPI-MCDI is available and seems to work. Is it deprecated due to artifacts/skips rather than unsuported ?

It should work as it got fixed after the old howto, but it's obviously only useful for interlaced content. Gwenole, the intel dev, that has designed all those algorithms doubt that BYT would be fast enough for MCDI - therefore I suggest MADI on those platforms. Deinterlacing only makes sense for Interlaced content - so never set this to "On" but always use Auto.

Btw: As you see in Ney's reply: the scaling algorithm is very crucial on BYTs, so whenever something stutters, check Scaling Method first. You might need to set it to "Bilinear".

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - fritsch - 2015-07-12

(2015-07-12, 21:49)Ney Wrote: @fritsch, maybe add the autostart.sh fix for full RGB output for openelec to the second post?

Will add a note. Thanks for feedback.

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - wsnipex - 2015-07-13

DISPLAY=:0 xrandr --output HDMI1 --set "Broadcast RGB" "Full"
>> /usr/local/bin/kodi --standalone

should be /usr/bin/kodi --standalone

its also not needed to use sudo for the openbox stuff.

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - fritsch - 2015-07-13

The sudo was intended, when the installation user was not the kodi users - so that we get the permissions correct in any case. Will fix the first one.

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - DaVu - 2015-07-13

Great work...use it since yesterday and it looks very nice.

I'll follow this thread and will test as much as I can to give usefull feedback Wink

Cheers

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - masinad - 2015-07-13

Does in work also in latest kodibuntu?

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - fritsch - 2015-07-13

Upgrading from a 14.04 LTS is not supported within this thread. It might work, though - but you are on your own.

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - neox387 - 2015-07-13

is it normal that w fps: jumps from & back to 23.41-24.39 and not at stable 23.976 ?
Adjust display refresh rate to match video: On Start / Stop is on.
tv reports 24p. Intel haswell nuc

allso confused about 0.175 audio delay this is normal i guess for 24p ?

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - fritsch - 2015-07-13

fps will be gone in the next rebuild :-) cause of exactly your question. This fps value never was anywhere accurate it is my shoesize + some nails + x. Therefore it will be removed in kodi v15 completely. Smoothness you can see at the skip / drop values.

The 175ms delay we measured some years ago while asking several 100 people about the delay AVRs add when processing 24p content, therefore we add this by default via advancedsettings.xml

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - neox387 - 2015-07-13

Ok, thanks for the quick reply Big Grin

RE: New Era: VAAPI with EGL interoperation - rob77 - 2015-07-13

I have updated to your latest openelec build fritsch and it works perfect. Thanks so much for your hard work!

In a movie when I bring up the menu and audio settings mine says Audio Offset 0.000s and I haven't changed it. Is it meant to say 0.175s? By the way I have no sync issues with my Denon Amp.

Cheers