# GeForce Maxwell / Unknown chipset: NV117

## augustin

Xorg.0.log complains:

```

Unknown chipset: NV117
```

http://linux.overshoot.tv/wiki/ee_unknown_chipset_nvnnn

https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/CodeNames/

NV110 family (Maxwell)

Code name: NV117 (GM107)

Official Names:  	GeForce GTX (745, 750, 750 Ti, 840M, 845M, 850M, 860M, 950M, 960M) Quadro K620, K1200, K2200; GRID M30, M40

Some say that Maxwell will never be supported by nouveau. Others say we need to wait until they do.

https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/FeatureMatrix/

According to the above, there is at least some partial support (See NV110 column).

What I don't get is, however incomplete or unstable the support might be, is there a nouveau driver for NV117 at all? 

Why would Xorg say that the chipset is unknown if the official web site has a code name assigned to it and apparently at least some partial support?

I don't fully understand how the various bits of technology work together. Right now, with  I am using GeForce GTX 750 Ti with the nouveau driver. The system is usable but very unstable. I need to regularly reboot in order to avoid hard freezes. 

I am searching but many discussion I find on the internet are over a year old. 

How can I help upstream (the nouveau developers) to provide a better support for Maxwell, should they wish to? How should I configure my system so that it provides some useful output that they could use?

Meanwhile, I'm going to install the nvidia proprietary drivers.Last edited by augustin on Thu Jan 05, 2017 4:18 am; edited 1 time in total

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## augustin

An older thread with simalar problems with the same family of chipset:

Nouveau support for Thinkpad P50 - nVidia Quadro M2000M ?

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-1045642.html

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## augustin

Open source developers are still striving to bring better nouveau support for Maxwell-based Geforce GPUs.

10 November 2016

Nouveau Exposes Performance Counters For Maxwell

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=NVC0-Maxwell-Perf-Counters

"Samuel Pitoiset, one of the few significant contributors to the open-source NVIDIA Linux graphics stack particularly when it comes to the area of performance counters, has now enabled MP performance counters in the NVC0 Gallium3D driver for NVIDIA GTX 750/900 series Maxwell hardware. "

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## Roman_Gruber

Your title is confusing

You may change it to something better.

e.g. I want to help novoueau driver developrs for MAXWELL cards.

--

You may check their homepage, enlist on their emails, ask them directly. I think here is definitely the wrong spot

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## Chiitoo

augustin,

The complete log of the run could be more interesting, than the 'Unknown chipset' bit, because I'm almost certain I also got that when testing my GTX 960:

```
[   687.927] (II) NOUVEAU driver 

[   687.927] (II) NOUVEAU driver for NVIDIA chipset families :

[   687.927]    RIVA TNT        (NV04)

[   687.927]    RIVA TNT2       (NV05)

[   687.927]    GeForce 256     (NV10)

[   687.927]    GeForce 2       (NV11, NV15)

[   687.927]    GeForce 4MX     (NV17, NV18)

[   687.927]    GeForce 3       (NV20)

[   687.927]    GeForce 4Ti     (NV25, NV28)

[   687.927]    GeForce FX      (NV3x)

[   687.927]    GeForce 6       (NV4x)

[   687.927]    GeForce 7       (G7x)

[   687.927]    GeForce 8       (G8x)

[   687.927]    GeForce GTX 200 (NVA0)

[   687.927]    GeForce GTX 400 (NVC0)

[   687.927] (II) modesetting: Driver for Modesetting Kernel Drivers: kms

[   687.927] (--) using VT number 7

[   687.933] (II) [drm] nouveau interface version: 1.3.1

[   687.933] (EE) Unknown chipset: NV126
```

I don't currently know who takes care of that list, and why only those chipsets get to be there.

While I was trying to figure out why I would be getting such a message (and Xorg was unable to start), I realised that I needed extra firmware (from the 'sys-kernel/linux-firmware' package), but that is probably not the case for the NV117 if it works at all (and I don't see files in that package for that chipset, but I'm not sure that it means you don't need them; 'dmesg' might be able to confirm that).

The Xorg log could also confirm whether or not it's falling back to software rendering, or if it actually uses the nouveau driver.

As for how to help the nouveau project, here may be some hints towards that:https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/Development/

https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/Bugs/

https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/HardwareDonations/

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## augustin

When facing a problem, the first stop should be to read, understand and act upon an error message, in this case "(EE) Unknown chipset: NV117" in the Xorg.0.log.

I had spent quite a few days browsing the web searching the web for that particular message, but I only found people with similar problems to mine, without any mention of a specific solution.

My hope is that one day we will find the exact cause and solution, or at least come up with the most accurate diagnostic. I will then update the wiki here, which includes all the information I have so far:

http://linux.overshoot.tv/wiki/ee_unknown_chipset_nvnnn

http://linux.overshoot.tv/wiki/nvidia

and any person searching the webs like I did for a proper diagnostic and solution to those specific symptoms with that specific error message, he will find this thread and this wiki page.

When I purchased the card, I didn't know nor cared about the code name of the architecture ("Maxwell"), but any person with a similar card, facing the same problem and trying to help themselves like I did, searching to get a proper diagnostic, will figure this out and hopefully find this thread. Each bug and each specific problem need only to be fixed once, with the fix properly documented or implemented in code.

To this date, I still don't know if this error message is to be expected, given the current state of nouveau development, or is due to a misconfiguration of my system. That's what I a still trying to figure out.

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## augustin

 *Chiitoo wrote:*   

> augustin,
> 
> The complete log of the run could be more interesting, than the 'Unknown chipset' bit, because I'm almost certain I also got that when testing my GTX 960:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

Thanks. 

When you boot with the nouveau drivers, do you still have this error message, or have you managed to get rid of it?

As I said above: To this date, I still don't know if this error message is to be expected, given the current state of nouveau development, or is due to a misconfiguration of my system. That's what I am still trying to figure out.

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> ```
> [   687.927] (II) NOUVEAU driver 
> 
> ...

 

I agree. I had noticed that much earlier, trying to troubleshoot another system. It's very confusing as we don't know what we are supposed to expect.

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> While I was trying to figure out why I would be getting such a message (and Xorg was unable to start), I realised that I needed extra firmware (from the 'sys-kernel/linux-firmware' package), but that is probably not the case for the NV117 if it works at all (and I don't see files in that package for that chipset, but I'm not sure that it means you don't need them; 'dmesg' might be able to confirm that).
> 
> The Xorg log could also confirm whether or not it's falling back to software rendering, or if it actually uses the nouveau driver.
> ...

 

Thanks for the pointers. I don't have sys-kernel/linux-firmware installed.

I am currently using the nvidia binary drivers, as it is the only way I found to have a stable system, and I have not yet configured my system to switch between the two drivers as per https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Nouveau_&_nvidia-drivers_switching .

When I do, I'll test this and have a closer look at dmesg. 

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> As for how to help the nouveau project, here may be some hints towards that:https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/Development/
> 
> https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/Bugs/
> ...

 

Thanks. Noted.

I will get in touch with them as soon as I have configured my system to do some more testing.

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## augustin

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-8012574.html#8012574

 *DawgG wrote:*   

> 
> 
> I run a gf750ti (one system, two different kernels) [...] except that the nouveau-driver is very usable (sometimes unstable (small graphic glitches), but never crashes or hangs the whole system - but i run ~amd64, so that is to be expected).
> 
> when working on the console or just in "2d," i think the nouveau-driver work., looks and feels much better than the binary driver. i set up a couple of system  to use both drivers (like this https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Nouveau_%26_nvidia-drivers_switching) and i think it works very well (even an old thinkpad with an ancient quadro).
> ...

 

Thanks, DawgG,

I have not yet set up my system to switch between the two drivers, but I will.

I have the exact same card as you: GeForce GTX 750 Ti.

When you run the nouveau drivers, do you have any errors in you Xorg logs?

What your output of: 

```

# cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep EE
```

Do you have sys-kernel/linux-firmware installed?

----------

## DawgG

 *Quote:*   

> When you run the nouveau drivers, do you have any errors in you Xorg logs? 

 

Yes, there are some errors (which i guess are inconsequential since i never noticed any effects):

```
grep -B2 -A2 "EE" /var/log/Xorg.0.log

[   402.226] (II) [drm] nouveau interface version: 1.3.1

[   402.226] (EE) Unknown chipset: NV117

[   402.226] (II) [drm] nouveau interface version: 1.3.1

[   402.226] (EE) Unknown chipset: NV117

[   402.226] (II) [drm] nouveau interface version: 1.3.1

[   402.226] (EE) Unknown chipset: NV117

[   402.226] (II) [drm] nouveau interface version: 1.3.1

[   402.226] (EE) Unknown chipset: NV117

[   402.227] (II) [drm] nouveau interface version: 1.3.1

[   402.227] (EE) Unknown chipset: NV117
```

which is kind of interesting since lspci tells me:

```
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM107 [GeForce GTX 750 Ti] (rev a2)

        Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. GM107 [GeForce GTX 750 Ti]

        Kernel driver in use: nouveau

        Kernel modules: nouveau
```

i have sys-firmware/nvidia-firmware installed (i think it just extracts some blobs from the binary driver), but nothing is compiled into the nouveau-kernel:

```
x2 ~ # zgrep -iE "firm|nvidia"  /proc/config.gz 

CONFIG_PREVENT_FIRMWARE_BUILD=y

CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL=y

CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE="intel-ucode/06-3a-09"

CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE_DIR="/lib/firmware"

# Altera FPGA firmware download module

# CONFIG_NET_VENDOR_NVIDIA is not set

# CONFIG_CYPRESS_FIRMWARE is not set

# CONFIG_DRM_LOAD_EDID_FIRMWARE is not set

CONFIG_FIRMWARE_EDID=y

CONFIG_FB_NVIDIA=y

CONFIG_FB_NVIDIA_I2C=y

# CONFIG_FB_NVIDIA_DEBUG is not set

CONFIG_FB_NVIDIA_BACKLIGHT=y

# Firmware Drivers

CONFIG_FIRMWARE_MEMMAP=y
```

the TTYs look (and "feel") much better with the nouveau-kernel and switching is really fast (as opposed to ugly and sluggish with the binary driver).

(i'll boot with the nvidia-driver now to answer your other question)

BTW, it's a pretty much up-to-date ~amd64-rig.

GOOD LUCK!

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## augustin

Thanks DawgG for your detailed answers on both threads. I appreciate.

I'll check all this out....

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## Chiitoo

 *augustin wrote:*   

>  *Chiitoo wrote:*   augustin,
> 
> The complete log of the run could be more interesting, than the 'Unknown chipset' bit, because I'm almost certain I also got that when testing my GTX 960:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

I did some looking around, as well as asking around (#nouveau at freenode), and as I was guessing, it is to be expected.  No one simply cared to update the list (possibly due to model/chipset naming getting towards something like a mess, etc.), and since it is not used for other than display purposes, it hasn't apparently been too serious to do anything about.  I sure feel it can be at least a bit confusing!

Here's a somewhat interesting bug (at least to me, in a development/helping sense), where they're getting support for the NV118 (GM108).https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=89558

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## augustin

 *Chiitoo wrote:*   

>  *augustin wrote:*   
> 
> ```
> [   687.933] (EE) Unknown chipset: NV126
> ```
> ...

 

Thank you Chiitoo for your investigations. 

I am now positively upset!

I wasted quite a few days trying to make sense of this error message, scouring the interwebs to find the cause and the fix.... but it appears now that the message is meaningless and can be disregarded.

What use are error logs if we cannot trust what they tell us when we want to diagnose a broken system?

----------

