Linux Kernel 6.2 Set to Enable Easier 4K Connections for Raspberry Pi
upstart writes:
Linux Kernel 6.2 Set To Enable Easier 4K Connections for Raspberry Pi:
Good news forRaspberry Pi 4 (*) (or the all-in-one 400 (*)) owners with large screens comes in the form of a pull request for the Linux kernel 6.2, spotted by Phoronix (*). An updated driver for the Pi's Broadcom GPU in the kernel could make it easier to use a 60Hz framerate at 4K.
Presently, you can connect the Pi 4 to a pair of 4K monitors, thanks to its dual micro-HDMI ports, and it will happily display its Debian-based desktop across them, at a refresh rate of 30Hz. This isn't enough for some people, and the option exists to raise the output of one of the ports - the one nearest the USB-C power input socket - to 60Hz. To do this, you need to edit the config.txt file from a Terminal window then select it in the screen configuration utility. It's a fiddly job, but perfectly in line with the Raspberry Pi (*) ethos.
Version 6.2 of the Linux kernel seems about to change all that. For some time, you've been able to use an unofficial patch (*) to drive both ports at 60Hz, but official support missed the merge window for kernel 5.15, then a regression occurred from 5.18 that made things worse.
The new code in kernel 6.2 does slightly more than simply unlock the higher refresh rate. To use it, you need a monitor and HDMI cable capable of carrying and displaying the signal, and HDMI detection code has been reworked to permit automatic configuration if the entire chain is compliant.
(*) - May open in new tab.
(Editor's note: How many recall using a Color Graphics Adapter (CGA) or even a Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA)!? What kinds of hacks do you remember using to bypass those limitations? --Bytram)
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