intel_bios_reader

intel_bios_reader [device_path]

device_path
    Optional. Specifies the path to the DRM device (e.g., /dev/dri/card0) from which to read the VBT. If omitted, the tool attempts to autodetect the primary Intel graphics device available on the system.

intel_bios_reader is a specialized command-line utility provided as part of the intel-gpu-tools suite. Its primary function is to read and display the contents of the Video BIOS Table (VBT) from Intel integrated graphics hardware. The VBT is a crucial data structure embedded within the graphics firmware (VBIOS) that contains essential configuration information for display outputs, panel timings, power management, and other display-related parameters.

This tool is invaluable for debugging display issues, analyzing hardware configurations, and assisting in the development and validation of graphics drivers for Intel platforms. It provides low-level insights into how the graphics hardware initializes and manages its display capabilities, making it a critical asset for hardware engineers and driver developers.

This command:

• Requires an Intel integrated graphics card to function.
• Often requires root privileges to access hardware registers or debugfs entries.
• Is typically part of the intel-gpu-tools package, which might not be installed by default on all Linux distributions.
• Is primarily a developer/debugger tool; it is not intended for general system monitoring or everyday end-user use.
• The output can be highly technical and requires specific knowledge of VBT structures and Intel graphics hardware to interpret effectively.

The VBT is a firmware data structure located within the graphics card's BIOS (or VBIOS). It contains detailed configuration data specific to the display hardware, such as timings for various resolutions, panel specifications, backlight control methods, display output connector definitions, and power management settings. The i915 kernel driver relies heavily on the information within the VBT during display initialization and mode setting. intel_bios_reader provides a means to inspect this low-level configuration directly, which is vital for troubleshooting display issues and understanding hardware-specific behavior.

intel_bios_reader is a component of the intel-gpu-tools project, an open-source suite of utilities developed by Intel and the broader open-source community. These tools are crucial for the development, testing, and debugging of the open-source Intel graphics drivers (specifically the i915 kernel driver and Mesa userspace drivers). Its development tracks closely with new Intel integrated graphics architectures, display technologies, and the evolving needs of driver development and validation.

lspci(8), dmidecode(8), intel_reg_dumper(1)