One of the driver additions we've been eager to see for the mainline Linux kernel that didn't pan out in time for the recently closed Linux 6.6 merge window is the Intel Xe DRM kernel graphics driver as a modern alternative to their i915 driver. The Xe driver better supports non-x86 CPU architectures, better designed and more performant around their modern integrated and discrete GPUs, and overall is able to make better design choices and improvements in being a clean sheet driver design compared to all the code that has built up in i915 over the years. But for getting the Xe driver upstream even in experimental form, first some necessary DRM scheduler patches need to be ironed out.

The Intel Xe DRM driver is to make use of the DRM scheduler, the GPU scheduler code that started out in the AMDGPU driver years ago before becoming the common "DRM scheduler" that is now in use by multiple drivers. For the Intel Xe driver to make use of the DRM scheduler, there is about a dozen patches needed for providing some new helpers, and other changes that become a prerequisite for landing Xe.

The Intel developers remain hopeful over getting the DRM scheduler patches upstreamed in the "near future" and thus clearing that blocker from getting the Xe driver upstream, at least in a non-default / experimental form. Monday brought the v3 patches of the DRM scheduler changes that are now under review.

Previously there's been some talk of having the Xe driver upstreamed at least in experimental form before the end of 2023. If that's to happen we're basically looking at Linux 6.7 or otherwise 6.8 if everything pans out. Stay tuned to Phoronix as that point nears and subsequent benchmarks to come.