intel_panel_fitter

intel_panel_fitter [options]

--status
    Print current panel fitter status for all pipes.

--new
    Create a new panel fitter state (required before setting params).

-p, --pipe=PIPE
    Select display pipe: 0, 1, or 2.

-s, --source=X,Y,W,H
    Set source rectangle (position X,Y; width W, height H).

-t, --target=X,Y,W,H
    Set target rectangle (panel output area).

--hscale=HSCALE
    Horizontal scaling factor (e.g., 2 for double width).

--vscale=VSCALE
    Vertical scaling factor.

-h, --help
    Show usage help.

The intel_panel_fitter tool configures the panel fitter feature in Intel integrated GPUs via the i915 driver's debugfs interface. Panel fitter enables hardware-accelerated scaling of the framebuffer output to precisely fit the display panel, eliminating black borders on devices where native resolution mismatches the panel size, such as high-DPI laptops or external monitors.

It supports independent configuration per display pipe (0-2). Use --status to query current settings, --new to initialize a state, then define source/target rectangles or scaling factors. Changes apply immediately but persist only until driver reload or reboot.

Ideal for debugging display issues or custom scaling in X11/Wayland environments. Part of intel-gpu-tools; requires kernel debugfs mounted and write access.

Requires root or debugfs write access (/sys/kernel/debug/dri/). Incorrect settings can blank or distort display; test safely and revert with --status or driver reload. Pipe-specific; verify active pipe via drm_info. Not for production; use compositor scaling if possible.

1. intel_panel_fitter --status
2. intel_panel_fitter --new --pipe 0
3. intel_panel_fitter --pipe 0 --source 0 0 1920 1080 --target 0 0 3840 2160

Install intel-gpu-tools package; kernel with CONFIG_DRM_I915_DEBUGFS=y.

Developed by Intel for i915 driver debugging; included in intel-gpu-tools since ~2014, evolving with GPU generations (Sandy Bridge+). Tracks kernel DRM panel fitter ABI changes.

drm_info(1), intel_reg(1), modetest(1)