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X.Org 21.1.0 sees a release with Variable refresh rate support in the modesetting driver

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Last updated: 28 Oct 2021 at 4:36 pm UTC

After three years without a full release, X.Org 21.1.0 has finally landed with new features and a lot of bug fixes. While the next-generation for all Linux systems will eventually be Wayland, plenty still default to X.Org.

Developer Povilas Kanapickas announced the release on October 27, noting that they expect issues to come up once more people start using it with a 21.1.1 version patch being planned to arrive in the next few weeks rather than their usual time of a few months. For a reminder: XWayland, the project that ensures backwards compatibility with applications on Wayland is now released as its own thing.

Here's the release highlights:

  • The meson support is now fully mature. While autotools support will still be kept for this release series, it will be dropped afterwards.
  • Glamor support for Xvfb.
  • Variable refresh rate support in the modesetting driver.
  •  XInput 2.4 support which adds touchpad gestures.
  • DMX DDX has been removed.
  • X server now correctly reports display DPI in more cases. This may affect rendering of client applications that have their own workarounds for hi-DPI screens.
  • A large number of small features and various bug fixes.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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8 comments Subscribe

Eike 28 Oct 2021
  • Supporter Plus
I was under the impression that nobody would work on new X.org features anymore and it would even hardly be maintained?
TrainDoc 28 Oct 2021
I was under the impression that nobody would work on new X.org features anymore and it would even hardly be maintained?

I think that this is maintainers realizing some bugs can't just be left to rot and decided to patch up before they leave.
Eike 28 Oct 2021
  • Supporter Plus
I think that this is maintainers realizing some bugs can't just be left to rot and decided to patch up before they leave.

Variable refresh rate support sounds like a major thing to me, though?
Xpander 28 Oct 2021
I think that this is maintainers realizing some bugs can't just be left to rot and decided to patch up before they leave.

Variable refresh rate support sounds like a major thing to me, though?

But the question is, what did it improve?
VRR has been working on X for long time.. the only issue has been that it has been working only with 1 monitor active.
Does that change that? what the F is modesetting driver, what does it improve for the end user?
Eike 28 Oct 2021
  • Supporter Plus
I think that this is maintainers realizing some bugs can't just be left to rot and decided to patch up before they leave.

Variable refresh rate support sounds like a major thing to me, though?

But the question is, what did it improve?
VRR has been working on X for long time.. the only issue has been that it has been working only with 1 monitor active.

Oh man!
I've been actually using it on X already!
Yes, sorry, it's obviously not the big change I thought.
TheRiddick 28 Oct 2021
Look forward to this in mainline arch repo. Its a feature I've been waiting for a long time and useful for me since I don't use Wayland yet due to some bugs and missing features.
Xpander 28 Oct 2021
Thanks for explanation.

The modesetting driver part i could search myself also, but my point actually was that there are so many little things. like if you search for what modesetting driver is, then you get anther set of questions. What is KMS what is DRM..then you search for this and even more new questions arise :)


Last edited by Xpander on 28 Oct 2021 at 11:18 am UTC
Purple Library Guy 28 Oct 2021
Thanks for explanation.

The modesetting driver part i could search myself also, but my point actually was that there are so many little things. like if you search for what modesetting driver is, then you get anther set of questions. What is KMS what is DRM..then you search for this and even more new questions arise :)

Yes, that's how 'learning' works - step by step
Yeah, except their point is that it's a situation where you don't get to learn step by step. Learning about one step tells you nothing meaningful because it's presented in a way that leaves it meaningless unless you learn about this other step, which in turn tells you nothing unless you learn about still other steps.
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