QubeOS installer falling back to software rendering (i7-10510U)

User Support
1

Hi! I’m using a Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 8 with i7-10510U for its CPU. When I try to install QubesOS the installer falls back to using CPU rendering.

Is there anything I can do to make it work with the Intel HD Integrated GPU?

I’ve followed the guide here but it seems to only be relevant for after you’ve installed, not during the install: https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/intel-igfx-troubleshooting/

Thanks!

2

Hi and welcome !
How can you tell that the installer is using “cpu rendering” ? What is the precise issue when installing ?

3

I can see the screen and elements paint slowly from the bottom to the top.

4

I see, I don’t think it is using cpu rendering, it might just be very poor driver support for your cpu. Were you able to complete the installation though ?
Maybe if you can install it, it will get better after you have updated the system.

Also I am very curious, I have the same cpu in my dell xps 13 but I was getting APIC error from Xen when installing qubes (I still can’t install it), did you had to touch certain settings in your bios to get qubes installer to show up ?

5

The symptoms sound exactly like what was described here: https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/intel-igfx-troubleshooting/

I did get through the installation…with a lot of pain, but the problem is still there after it’s done.

I didn’t do a lot of changes other than just disabling secure boot, and enabling virtualization.

6

You may try to install the latest kernel then, Qubes 4.0 is using 4.19, if you install kernel-latest then you will get 5.6 which has way better support for
recent hardware, to do so run in dom0:

sudo qubes-dom0-update kernel-latest

7

My main issue is I can’t even get it connected to the internet to get the latest kernel. Is there capability for doing an offline update using files downloaded to a USB?

8

Alright so with a TON of pain I managed to get the computer connected to the internet and installed the latest Linux kernel. Nearly all of my problems are gone. I ended up reinstalling (while dealing with software rendering) & picked the option to merge sys-net and sys-usb together. Used a USB C -> Ethernet adapter, and managed to get internet.

Hopefully Qubes provides an official ISO with the latest kernels (even if its in experimental) to make situations like this easier to navigate.

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