Intel published The initial version of the new Linux nucleus- xe designed for use with integrated and discrete GPU based on the Intel XE architecture, which is used from Tiger Lake processors. As the goal of developing the driver, it is declared to provide the basis to ensure support for new chips, not tied to a code to support old platforms. More active joint use of the XE code with other components of the DRM (Direct Rendering Manager) subsystem is also stated.
The code is originally designed to support various hardware architectures and is available for testing on X86 and ARM systems. The implementation is still considered as an experimental option for discussing developers, not yet ready for integration into the main composition of the nucleus. Work on old I915 drivers does not stop and its escort will continue. It is planned to bring the new XE driver to readily during 2023.
In the new driver, most of the code for interacting with screens, borrowed from the I915 driver and the developers later plan to ensure the joint use of this code in both drivers to avoid duplication of typical components (now such a code is simply reconfigured twice, but alternative options are discussed joint use of code). The memory model in XE is largely close to the implementation of the I915 memory model, and the implementation of Execbuf is very similar to Execbuf3 from the code i915.
To ensure support for the graphic API Opengl and Vulkan, in addition to the Linux nucleus driver, also prepared Changes in changes For work through the XE Mesa-Drive module Iris and ANV. In the current form, the XE ligament with MESA is already quite developed for launching GNOME, browsers and games based on Opengl and Vulkan, but so far there are some problems and errors that, among other things, leading to emergency finishes. Also, work has not yet been carried out to optimize performance.