intel media driver outdated

[wolfganp]

Not trying of hijacking the thread as I don't have any codecs problems, but a related question on the discussed video drivers. I was ensuring video hardware acceleration was active on players (and troubleshooting a video wake up issue), and while checking on the drivers I found that the intel media driver was somehow outdated:

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System:
  Kernel: 6.14.5-1-liquorix-amd64 [6.14-7~mx23ahs] arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0 parameters: audit=0
    intel_pstate=disable amd_pstate=disable BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.14.5-1-liquorix-amd64
    root=UUID=<filter> ro i915.enable_psr=0 init=/lib/systemd/systemd
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.20.0 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.38 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm v: 4.20.0 vt: 7
    dm: LightDM v: 1.32.0 Distro: MX-23.6_ahs_x64 Libretto April 13  2025 base: Debian GNU/Linux 12
    (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Latitude E7450 v: N/A serial: <superuser required> Chassis:
    type: 9 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Dell model: N/A serial: <superuser required> UEFI: Dell v: A24 date: 04/11/2020
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 32.3 Wh (100.0%) condition: 32.3/53.3 Wh (60.5%) volts: 8.3 min: 7.4
    model: LGC-LGC3.6 DELL G95J559 type: Li-poly serial: <filter> status: full
  Device-1: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech Wireless Keyboard serial: <filter>
    charge: 55% (should be ignored) rechargeable: yes status: discharging
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i7-5600U bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Broadwell gen: core 5 level: v3
    note: check built: 2015-18 process: Intel 14nm family: 6 model-id: 0x3D (61) stepping: 4
    microcode: 0x2F
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 2 tpc: 2 threads: 4 smt: enabled cache: L1: 128 KiB
    desc: d-2x32 KiB; i-2x32 KiB L2: 512 KiB desc: 2x256 KiB L3: 4 MiB desc: 1x4 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 2213 high: 2594 min/max: 500/2601 boost: enabled scaling:
    driver: acpi-cpufreq governor: ondemand cores: 1: 2469 2: 2594 3: 1197 4: 2594 bogomips: 20752
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: ghostwrite status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
  Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT vulnerable
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Unknown: No mitigations
  Type: old_microcode status: Not affected
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed status: Not affected
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Retpolines; IBPB: conditional; IBRS_FW; STIBP: conditional; RSB
    filling; PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected; BHI: Not affected
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsx_async_abort mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 5500 vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-8
    process: Intel 14nm built: 2014-15 ports: active: DP-3,DP-4,eDP-1 empty: DP-1, DP-2, DP-5,
    HDMI-A-1, HDMI-A-2 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:1616 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Sunplus Innovation Integrated_Webcam_HD type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-1.6:4
    chip-ID: 1bcf:2b8d class-ID: 0e02
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 compositor: xfwm v: 4.20.0 driver: X: loaded: intel
    dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 3000x2839 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 794x752mm (31.26x29.61") s-diag: 1094mm (43.05")
  Monitor-1: not-matched mapped: DP1-1 pos: top-left res: 1080x1920 hz: 60 dpi: 102
    size: 270x480mm (10.63x18.9") diag: 551mm (21.68") modes: N/A
  Monitor-2: not-matched mapped: DP1-2 pos: middle-r res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 92
    size: 530x300mm (20.87x11.81") diag: 609mm (23.98") modes: N/A
  Monitor-3: eDP-1 mapped: eDP1 pos: primary,bottom-r model: LG Display 0x046d built: 2014
    res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 157 gamma: 1.2 size: 310x170mm (12.2x6.69") diag: 355mm (14")
    ratio: 16:9 modes: 1920x1080
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 24.2.8-1mx23ahs renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 5500 (BDW GT2)
    direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Broadwell-U Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:03.0
    chip-ID: 8086:160c class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: Intel Wildcat Point-LP High Definition Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:9ca0 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.14.5-1-liquorix-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.0 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Ethernet I218-LM vendor: Dell driver: e1000e v: kernel port: f080 bus-ID: 00:19.0
    chip-ID: 8086:15a2 class-ID: 0200
  IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Intel Wireless 7265 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel modules: wl pcie: gen: 1
    speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 8086:095a class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel Bluetooth wireless interface type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-1.3:3
    chip-ID: 8087:0a2a class-ID: e001
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 3 state: down bt-service: enabled,running rfk-block:
    hardware: no software: yes address: <filter>
  Info: acl-mtu: 1021:5 sco-mtu: 96:6 link-policy: rswitch hold sniff
    link-mode: peripheral accept
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 465.76 GiB used: 23.42 GiB (5.0%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Western Digital model: WD5000LPLX-08ZNTT0 size: 465.76 GiB
    block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s type: HDD rpm: 7200 serial: <filter>
    rev: 1A04 scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 40 GiB size: 39.08 GiB (97.69%) used: 10.3 GiB (26.4%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5
    maj-min: 8:5
Swap:
  Alert: No swap data was found.
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 74.0 C mobo: 47.0 C sodimm: SODIMM C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 4020
Repos:
  Packages: 2170 pm: dpkg pkgs: 2164 libs: 1076 tools: apt,apt-get,aptitude,nala,synaptic pm: rpm
    pkgs: 0 pm: flatpak pkgs: 6
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list
    1: deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg] https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
    1: deb https://mxrepo.com/mx/repo/ bookworm main non-free
    2: deb https://mxrepo.com/mx/repo/ bookworm ahs
Info:
  Processes: 266 Uptime: 1h 49m wakeups: 13 Memory: 15.5 GiB used: 4.87 GiB (31.4%) Init: systemd
  v: 252 target: graphical (5) default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 alt: 12
  Client: shell wrapper v: 5.2.15-release inxi: 3.3.26
Boot Mode: UEFI

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$ vainfo
libva info: VA-API version 1.18.0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_17
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
vainfo: VA-API version: 1.18 (libva 2.12.0)
vainfo: Driver version: Intel iHD driver for Intel(R) Gen Graphics - 23.1.1 ()
vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints
      VAProfileMPEG2Simple            :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileMPEG2Main              :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264Main               :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264High               :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileJPEGBaseline           :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline:	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVP8Version0_3          :	VAEntrypointVLD

I verified latest intel media driver on test repo is 23.1.1, but https://github.com/intel/media-driver/releases shows that's an old one from early 2023, latest released being 25.1.4. I'm I reading the whole information well?
TIA, W

[Eadwine Rose]

You didn't try to, but you successfully hijacked the thread. @wolfganp, your topic is here. Next time start your own and do not tack onto other people's threads. Thanks.

[wolfganp]

You didn't try to, but you successfully hijacked the thread. @wolfganp, your topic is here. Next time start your own and do not tack onto other people's threads. Thanks.

Yes, sorry about that. After submitting it I realize it was even in the wrong category and was working to move it. You were faster to it, thanks a lot.

[timkb4cq]

You are correct, it's not the newest. Like lots of MX Linux components. MX Linux is based on debian stable which is deliberately not the newest. We do update the graphics stack periodically in our AHS repo and libva is due for a refresh.
But that's unlikely to change anything in your situation because your Intel graphics GPU is built into your processor which was designed 10 years ago. Driver updates focus primarily on supporting newer hardware while not breaking anything (which usually means not changing anything) for older hardware.

[wolfganp]

You are correct, it's not the newest. Like lots of MX Linux components. MX Linux is based on debian stable which is deliberately not the newest. We do update the graphics stack periodically in our AHS repo and libva is due for a refresh.
But that's unlikely to change anything in your situation because your Intel graphics GPU is built into your processor which was designed 10 years ago. Driver updates focus primarily on supporting newer hardware while not breaking anything (which usually means not changing anything) for older hardware.

Good info. Thanks!