(EE) Unknown chipset: NVnnn
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Log errors
When using the nouveau drivers:
Example log excerpt from /var/log/Xorg.0.log
[ 47.274] (II) LoadModule: "nouveau"
[ 47.274] (II) Loading /usr/lib64/xorg/modules/drivers/nouveau_drv.so
[ 47.276] (II) Module nouveau: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 47.276] compiled for 1.18.4, module version = 1.0.12
[ 47.276] Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[ 47.276] ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 20.0
[ 47.276] (II) LoadModule: "nv"
[ 47.276] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module nv
[ 47.276] (II) UnloadModule: "nv"
[ 47.276] (II) Unloading nv
[ 47.276] (EE) Failed to load module "nv" (module does not exist, 0)
[ 47.276] (II) LoadModule: "modesetting"
[ 47.276] (II) Loading /usr/lib64/xorg/modules/drivers/modesetting_drv.so
[ 47.277] (II) Module modesetting: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 47.277] compiled for 1.18.4, module version = 1.18.4
[ 47.277] Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[ 47.277] ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 20.0
[ 47.277] (II) LoadModule: "fbdev"
[ 47.277] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module fbdev
[ 47.277] (II) UnloadModule: "fbdev"
[ 47.277] (II) Unloading fbdev
[ 47.277] (EE) Failed to load module "fbdev" (module does not exist, 0)
[ 47.277] (II) LoadModule: "vesa"
[ 47.277] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module vesa
[ 47.277] (II) UnloadModule: "vesa"
[ 47.277] (II) Unloading vesa
[ 47.277] (EE) Failed to load module "vesa" (module does not exist, 0)
[ 47.277] (II) NOUVEAU driver
[ 47.277] (II) NOUVEAU driver for NVIDIA chipset families :
[ 47.277] RIVA TNT (NV04)
[ 47.277] RIVA TNT2 (NV05)
[ 47.277] GeForce 256 (NV10)
[ 47.277] GeForce 2 (NV11, NV15)
[ 47.278] GeForce 4MX (NV17, NV18)
[ 47.278] GeForce 3 (NV20)
[ 47.278] GeForce 4Ti (NV25, NV28)
[ 47.278] GeForce FX (NV3x)
[ 47.278] GeForce 6 (NV4x)
[ 47.278] GeForce 7 (G7x)
[ 47.278] GeForce 8 (G8x)
[ 47.278] GeForce GTX 200 (NVA0)
[ 47.278] GeForce GTX 400 (NVC0)
[ 47.278] (II) modesetting: Driver for Modesetting Kernel Drivers: kms
[ 47.278] (++) using VT number 7
[ 47.279] (II) [drm] nouveau interface version: 1.3.1
[ 47.279] (EE) Unknown chipset: NV117
[ 47.279] (II) [drm] nouveau interface version: 1.3.1
[ 47.279] (EE) Unknown chipset: NV117
[ 47.279] (II) [drm] nouveau interface version: 1.3.1
[ 47.279] (EE) Unknown chipset: NV117
[ 47.279] (II) [drm] nouveau interface version: 1.3.1
[ 47.279] (EE) Unknown chipset: NV117
[ 47.279] (II) [drm] nouveau interface version: 1.3.1
[ 47.279] (EE) Unknown chipset: NV117
[ 47.279] (II) modeset(0): using drv /dev/dri/card0Nouveau support
https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/CodeNames/
https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/VideoAcceleration/
In the page above, we can see that the chipset: NV117 corresponds to one of the following nvidia cards: GeForce GTX (745, 750, 750 Ti, 840M, 845M, 850M, 860M, 950M, 960M) or Quadro K620, K1200, K2200; GRID M30, M40
You can check your chipset with one of the following commands (here using 117, corresponding to the NV117 above):
# dmesg | grep -i 117
[ 12.096225] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: NVIDIA GM107 (117000a2)
# dmesg | grep -i chipsetMaxwell
"Maxwell" is the Nvidia code name for a series of graphic cards: GeForce GTX (745, 750, 750 Ti, 840M, 845M, 850M, 860M, 950M, 960M)
Quadro K620, K1200, K2200; GRID M30, M40, GeForce 830M, 840M, 930M, 940M, GeForce GTX Titan X, GeForce GTX (970, 980), GeForce GTX (950, 960), Tegra X1.
The open source driver for those cards are code-named NV110 family. According to the exact make of the card, the driver failure will be noted as one of the following error message in the /var/log/Xorg.0.log:
(EE) Unknown chipset: NV117
(EE) Unknown chipset: NV118
(EE) Unknown chipset: NV120
(EE) Unknown chipset: NV124
(EE) Unknown chipset: NV126
(EE) Unknown chipset: NV12BSee: https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/CodeNames/#NV110
You can see here which features have been implemented for those drivers:
https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/FeatureMatrix/
The Video acceleration engine for those cards is code named VP6. As of 2016, the open source video acceleration driver has not been completed yet (see below for discussion).
You can check the latest status here: https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/VideoAcceleration/
Remember that open source drivers for nvidia cards are reverse-engineered, with all the difficulties and frustration that this entails. Sometimes, it may be a few years after the start of the commercialization of the new graphic chipsets before open source drivers appear and are stable enough to use.
Nouveau Developers Remain Frustrated By NVIDIA's Firmware Practices:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Nouveau-XDC2016-NVIDI... 22 September 2016
"Nouveau Linux desktop users unhappy with how long it's taken NVIDIA to release the signed Maxwell firmware files (just earlier this year, for hardware that's been shipping for two years) "
Samuel Pitoiset is one of the main developer for open source drivers. Check the latest news here:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=search&q=Samuel%20Pitoiset
News about the Maxwell architecture:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=search&q=Maxwell
"Maxwell is NVIDIA's 2014 graphics architecture succeeding Kepler. Maxwell has been supported by the binary NVIDIA Linux driver from day-one while the Nouveau open-source support is ongoing."
Maxwell OpenGL Improvements Coming To Nouveau
18 July 2016
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Maxwell-Shader-Image-...
See Gentoo support of the nouveau drivers:
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Nouveau
11 August 2016
Eight Features You Will Not Find In The Mainline Linux 4.8 Kernel
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=8-Things-Not-In-Linux...
- Better re-clocking for Nouveau. The performance of the Nouveau driver on modern NVIDIA hardware sucks for putting it in simple terms. One of the big reasons is the lack of dynamic re-clocking support, but the re-clocking support in general leaves a lot to be desired, such as all of the "boost" patches not yet being merged for Kepler. When it comes to more modern GeForce GTX 900 Maxwell hardware, there isn't yet any re-clocking support at all. That Maxwell support may be blocked by NVIDIA on releasing additional firmware blobs, but basically until re-clocking is sorted out for recent generations of NVIDIA hardware on Nouveau, this driver won't be too compelling for Linux gamers.