Does anyone manage to run KDE in SLES 12 ?

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server SLES Configure-Administer
1

Hi,

i know that SLES 12 is without KDE, just Gnome. I don’t want to discuss about it, that’s not my proplem. I just like to install KDE on SLES 12 SP1 for a test case.
Also if it is not supported officially.
I found a lot of postings about it, a lot of people complaining about the loss of KDE. I found postings to some repositories, postings about editing values in /etc/sysconfig …
But no one wrote if he managed it successfully. Reading all the posts and searching in the internet you finish being in a loop, always reading the same posts again and again.
Does anyone managed it and could give a brief instruction ?
I (and surely a lot of other people) would be very thankful.

Bernd

2

Hi
It’s available (Plasma5), check out packagehub;
https://packagehub.suse.com/

There was also a News article back in July about it linked to here;
https://www.suse.com/communities/blog/plasma-desktop-kde-frameworks-5-kde-applications-available-sle12/

3

Hi Malcom,

great. Thanks for that ! I’ve been googling around for hours. And i didn’t know about Suse Package Hub. Surely something a lot of people have been waiting for. Thanks to the contributors !
Do you know if that KDE version runs with nomachine NX ? Does it require a 3D graphic adapter ? If yes i expect problems with NX.

Bernd

4

Hi
AFAIK you can turn off the bells and whistles in Plasma5 so not sure if
a 3D card is required, what is the current GPU in the system?

/sbin/lspci -nnk | grep -A3 VGA

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° LFCS, SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
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5

Hi Malcom,

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Skylake Integrated Graphics (rev 06) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Fujitsu Technology Solutions Device 121c
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-

Bernd

6

[QUOTE=berndgsflinux;34460]Hi Malcom,

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Skylake Integrated Graphics (rev 06) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Fujitsu Technology Solutions Device 121c
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-

Bernd[/QUOTE]
Hi
Think you will have issues with a skylake, really needs >= 4.4 kernel for better support, so you would need to wait for SLE 12 SP2?

Since it’s a test, try and see how it goes? SLE 12 SP2 Beta is public, however no SP2 packages on Package Hub yet (AFAIK).

7

Hi Malcom,

i’m running now KDE locally, but not via NX.
When will SP2 final be available ? Does it have kernel 4.4 (or higher) ?

I get the following errors in /var/log/messages (several times):

…
2016-09-26T17:14:47.449255+02:00 pc65518 org.kde.KScreen[25576]: failed to get the current screen resources
2016-09-26T17:14:47.450528+02:00 pc65518 org.kde.kglobalaccel[25576]: failed to get the current screen resources
2016-09-26T17:14:47.453150+02:00 pc65518 org.kde.KScreen[25576]: QXcbConnection: XCB error: 173 (Unknown), sequence: 167, resource id: 87, major code: 150 (Unknown), minor code: 20
2016-09-26T17:14:47.456918+02:00 pc65518 kernel: [258211.246307] kscreen_backend[25617]: segfault at 8 ip 00007fe24b1a16f3 sp 00007ffd672afed0 error 4 in KSC_XRandR.so[7fe24b18c000+20000]
…

I will google for that. Worth to submit a bug report ? To where ?

Bernd

8

Hi
Try adding the following grub option;

i915.preliminary_hw_support=1

You may also need to create a /etc/xorg.conf.d/20-intel.conf containing;

Section "Device"
        Identifier "Intel Skylake Graphics"
        Driver "Intel"
        Option "AccelMethod" "sna"
        Option "TearFree" "true"
EndSection

If you google plasma5+skylake there are a number of links (even this one on the openSUSE forum… https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/517289-Best-version-for-a-skylake-CPU ).

9

Hi Malcom,

thanks for your help. I really appreciate that.
Login locally i don’t have a problem. Just with login via NX. Do you really think it correlates with the graphic adapter if local login is possible ?
Where can i add that grub option ? SLES 12 has GRUB2 i’m not familiar with. As oldschool still adding as a kernel option on a boot prompt ? And persistent ?

Bernd

10

[QUOTE=berndgsflinux;34464]Hi Malcom,

thanks for your help. I really appreciate that.
Login locally i don’t have a problem. Just with login via NX. Do you really think it correlates with the graphic adapter if local login is possible ?
Where can i add that grub option ? SLES 12 has GRUB2 i’m not familiar with. As oldschool still adding as a kernel option on a boot prompt ? And persistent ?

Bernd[/QUOTE]
Hi
Easiest way is via YaST → System → Boot Loader under the Kernel Parameter tab in the Optional Kernel Commandline Parameter, normally just before the last entry ‘showopts’.

The other method is via a conf file in /etc/modprobe.d/ say 50-i915.conf containing;

options i915 preliminary_hw_support=1

If local login is ok, then it still could be the Skylake/NX issue, maybe a peruse or post on their forum may glean additional info?

So the conf file and kernel option helped?

What about the NX logs, what do they have to say?

11

HI Malcom,

i need to say something: i use a lot of forums and mailing lists in my job (but only contributing very less, shame on me). But this forum here is one of the best. Normally quick, clear and informative answers. And background information from Suse which is normally difficult to get. And people helping over a longer time if a problem can’t be resolved quickly. Thanks to all of you, guys.
Now continuing with my problem:
I will test the kernel parameter and the file for the xorg configuration tomorrow. I will keep you informed. The nx logs seem to be ok, login for the user nx (which creates the basic connection) and afterwards for the desired user (root in my case) does work properly.
I found a relating bug in KDE: https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=353825 . I’m on the cc list and will keep you informed.

Bernd

12

Hi Malcom,

i gave both a try, no change. The module i915 is loaded, lsmod confirms it.
But i’m not really sure if the vga adapter uses it. lspci says:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Skylake Integrated Graphics (rev 06) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
        Subsystem: Fujitsu Technology Solutions Device 121c
...
                ATSCtl: Enable-, Smallest Translation Unit: 00
        Capabilities: [300 v1] #13

Normally lspci shows at the end of a device the module which is used by it.
But here no module.

Bernd

13

Hi
If you run locally the same? If so then it’s probably skylake related…

If you check out /var/log/Xorg.0.log it all looks ok, no EE entries?

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° LFCS, SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
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14

Hi Malcom,

Local login is no problem.

Bernd

15

Hi Malcom,

Local login is no problem.

Bernd

16

Hi
So what does the lspci output show on a local login?

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° LFCS, SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
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17

[QUOTE=berndgsflinux;34462]
When will SP2 final be available ? Does it have kernel 4.4 (or higher) ?
Bernd[/QUOTE]

Hi Bernd,

There is no official release date for SLES 12 SP2, but you may want to have a closer look at the download site early next month again.

Regards
Hans