claude-noether
cc55a6e60a
Phase 2 source-read of the libva-v4l2-request-fourier MPEG-2 path
on master tip 65969da identifies three independent bugs, all in
the libva backend (kernel + driver path proven solid by Phase 0
cross-validator sweep).
Bug 1 — fall-through to default in RequestCreateConfig
(src/config.c:55-69):
case VAProfileH264*:
// FIXME
break;
case VAProfileMPEG2Simple:
case VAProfileMPEG2Main:
case VAProfileHEVCMain:
default:
return VA_STATUS_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_PROFILE;
H.264 cases have a break, MPEG-2 + HEVC fall through to default.
This explains the vaCreateConfig: 12 (UNSUPPORTED_PROFILE) error
observed in Phase 0 cross-validator sweep for both codecs.
Likely history: H.264 was libva-multiplanar focus iter1-iter5;
the FIXME comment suggests profile-specific validation logic was
expected but never landed. MPEG-2 stayed in fall-through bucket.
Fix shape: add break for MPEG-2 cases. HEVC stays in fall-through
(h265.c excluded from build per Phase 0 finding F-C; honest
UNSUPPORTED_PROFILE is correct until h265.c is reinstated in a
later iteration).
Bug 2 — staging-era UAPI in mpeg2.c; mainline kernel removed it:
src/mpeg2.c uses:
V4L2_CID_MPEG_VIDEO_MPEG2_SLICE_PARAMS (V4L2_CID_MPEG_BASE+250 = 0x9909fa)
V4L2_CID_MPEG_VIDEO_MPEG2_QUANTIZATION (V4L2_CID_MPEG_BASE+251 = 0x9909fb)
Mainline kernel UAPI (include/uapi/linux/v4l2-controls.h:1985-2105):
V4L2_CID_STATELESS_MPEG2_SEQUENCE (CODEC_STATELESS_BASE+220 = 0xa409dc)
V4L2_CID_STATELESS_MPEG2_PICTURE (CODEC_STATELESS_BASE+221 = 0xa409dd)
V4L2_CID_STATELESS_MPEG2_QUANTISATION (CODEC_STATELESS_BASE+222 = 0xa409de)
Fresnel V4L2 inventory confirms kernel exposes the new IDs only.
The fork's local include/mpeg2-ctrls.h is the staging-era header
that masks the kernel's modern definitions.
Six structural changes from old to new API:
1. Slice header parsing moved to kernel — bit_size, data_bit_offset,
quantiser_scale_code GONE from new structs.
2. Reference timestamps moved from slice to picture
(forward_ref_ts, backward_ref_ts now in v4l2_ctrl_mpeg2_picture).
3. Boolean fields collapsed into v4l2_ctrl_mpeg2_picture.flags
bitmask (TOP_FIELD_FIRST, FRAME_PRED_DCT, CONCEALMENT_MV,
Q_SCALE_TYPE, INTRA_VLC, ALT_SCAN, REPEAT_FIRST, PROGRESSIVE).
4. progressive_sequence collapsed into
v4l2_ctrl_mpeg2_sequence.flags & V4L2_MPEG2_SEQ_FLAG_PROGRESSIVE.
5. PICTURE_CODING_TYPE renamed to PIC_CODING_TYPE
(V4L2_MPEG2_PICTURE_CODING_TYPE_X → V4L2_MPEG2_PIC_CODING_TYPE_X).
6. Quantisation load_* flags removed; matrices always present;
British spelling — quantiSation not quantiZation.
Quantisation matrix order: kernel doc says zigzag scanning order;
VAAPI VAIQMatrixBufferMPEG2 also stores in zigzag scanning order;
direct memcpy works. Kernel hantro_mpeg2.c does the
zigzag-to-raster permutation kernel-side
(hantro_mpeg2_dec_copy_qtable lines 12-26). No userspace
permutation needed in the libva backend (unlike FFmpeg, which
unwinds its internal idsp.idct_permutation order).
Per-frame submission: FFmpeg reference (libavcodec/
v4l2_request_mpeg2.c:130-155) batches 3 controls in single
VIDIOC_S_EXT_CTRLS. Backend's v4l2_set_controls (src/v4l2.c:475)
already supports batching — used by iter6/7/8 H.264
(src/h264.c:986). MPEG-2 rewrite follows H.264's batched pattern.
Bug 3 — include/mpeg2-ctrls.h is the staging-era local header:
The fork's local include/mpeg2-ctrls.h is the staging-era header
that defines the old (removed) API. config.c:37 + mpeg2.c:38
include it via meson's include_directories('../include'). Should
be deleted (or emptied); rely on kernel <linux/v4l2-controls.h>
pulled transitively via <linux/videodev2.h>.
Things verified NOT to be bugs:
- src/picture.c MPEG-2 dispatch is fully wired:
- codec_store_buffer handles VAPictureParameterBuffer + VAIQMatrix
- codec_set_controls dispatches MPEG-2 to mpeg2_set_controls
- HEVC explicitly UNSUPPORTED_PROFILE (correct for build state)
- src/picture.c:287 unconditional h264.matrix_set=false reset is
benign for MPEG-2 (union aliasing puts it in mpeg2.picture or
.slice region; RenderPicture overwrites that byte before
mpeg2_set_controls reads anything).
- src/mpeg2.c field extraction from VAAPI structs is sound; only
the destination control IDs and struct shape need rewiring.
- src/v4l2.c batching API (v4l2_set_controls) is in place.
Open questions tabled for Phase 3 baseline:
1. Live ftrace of failing libva MPEG-2 attempt post Bug-1-fix
(verify expected EINVAL on VIDIOC_S_EXT_CTRLS for old CID).
2. VAAPI VAIQMatrixBufferMPEG2 matrix order from real mpv decode
(verify zigzag, no pre-permutation).
3. Cross-reference verbatim VIDIOC_S_EXT_CTRLS payload from
ffmpeg-v4l2request cross-validator anchor strace dump.
4. SDDM watchpoint resolution — fresnel SSH No route to host at
Phase 2 start (network event, SDDM regression, or operator
power-state). Resolve before Phase 3.
Predicted iter1 outcome: small mechanical diff (config.c break
+ mpeg2.c rewrite + drop local mpeg2-ctrls.h). Phase 7 verification
should land all 5 Phase 1 boolean checks green on first or second
try. Likely Phase 7 → Phase 4 loopback triggers if any: forgotten
struct padding zero, garbage timestamps on first I-frame, or
device-state precondition we missed in hantro_mpeg2.c.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
fresnel-fourier
TL;DR
Peer campaign to libva-multiplanar, targeting fresnel (Pinebook Pro / Rockchip RK3399) instead of ohm (PineTab2 / RK3566). Same deliverable shape — make libva-v4l2-request-fourier work end-to-end, for production VA-API consumers — but on a different SoC with a different (and broader) V4L2 decoder surface.
The libva backend fork itself (libva-v4l2-request-fourier) is shared: it lives at ../libva-multiplanar/libva-v4l2-request-fourier/. This campaign does not nest a second copy. Code-side work that turns out to be RK3399-specific lands either as #ifdef/runtime-detected paths inside that fork's master or, if scope diverges sharply, on a feature branch — Phase 2 source-read of each iteration decides.
Origin
libva-multiplanar reached iter5-close on 2026-05-05 with the ohm path solid: hantro (rk3568-vpu DT compatible) decodes H.264 to NV12 dmabufs end-to-end, three iterations of bugs fixed, mpv --hwdec=vaapi smooth, firefox-fourier RDD-sandboxed Firefox engages the backend without MOZ_DISABLE_RDD_SANDBOX=1, chromium-fourier 149 confirmed as the regression-check consumer.
That campaign's README explicitly names fresnel (RK3399) and ampere/boltzmann (RK3588) as "future iterations after ohm path is solid" (libva-multiplanar/README.md:87). fresnel-fourier is the formal peer campaign for the RK3399 leg of that promise.
Topology choice (LOCKED 2026-05-07): peer campaign, not child of libva-multiplanar. Each runs its own 8(+1) phase loop. Cross-link only — fresnel-fourier results do not gate libva-multiplanar's Phase 8 close (which already happened iteration-by-iteration on ohm).
Hardware target
fresnel — Pinebook Pro laptop. See reference_fresnel_kernel_constraints.md for the custom-OC-kernel discipline (don't let pacman -Syu clobber the OC DTB) and project_fresnel.md for fleet placement.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| SoC | Rockchip RK3399 (2× Cortex-A72 + 4× Cortex-A53) |
| GPU | Mali-T860 MP4 (Midgard, panfrost) |
| Decoder block 1 | rkvdec (/dev/video3) — H.264 + HEVC + VP9 |
| Decoder block 2 | hantro-vpu-dec (rk3399-vpu-dec, /dev/video5) — MPEG-2 + VP8 (RK3399 hantro does not advertise H.264; corrected 2026-05-07 from empirical V4L2 enumeration — see phase0_evidence/2026-05-07/v4l2_inventory_findings.md) |
| Encoder block | hantro-vpu-enc (/dev/video4) — JPEG only |
| OS | EndeavourOS-ARM (Arch derivative; same pacman + marfrit-packages mechanism as ohm) |
| Kernel | linux-eos-arm 6.19.9-99 — CONFIG_FTRACE=y, CONFIG_FUNCTION_TRACER=y, CONFIG_DYNAMIC_FTRACE=y, CONFIG_TRACING=y verified 2026-05-07. No rebuild needed for trace work. |
The decode-side surface area is genuinely broader than ohm. ohm has hantro (H.264 + MPEG-2 + VP8) and an rkvdec block whose mainline rkvdec2/vdpu346 driver isn't merged. fresnel has hantro (MPEG-2 + VP8 only — empirical, see correction note in the table above) plus a fully-driven mainline rkvdec covering H.264 + HEVC + VP9. So this campaign exercises codecs (HEVC, VP9) the libva-v4l2-request-fourier fork has never run on real hardware to date, and there is exactly one decoder bind for H.264 (rkvdec) — no two-block routing decision.
GPU side: panfrost on Mali-T860 (Midgard) is a different generation than ohm's Mali-G52 (Bifrost). KWin / Mesa / panfrost stack regressions or wins on T860 are not assumed to track G52 — the kwin-fourier verdict from fourier_attribution doesn't transfer for free.
Scope (LOCKED 2026-05-07 in phase0_findings.md)
In scope:
- libva-v4l2-request-fourier backend exercised on fresnel V4L2 decode nodes (
rkvdec+hantro-vpu-dec). - Codecs: everything decode-capable — H.264 + HEVC + VP9 (via rkvdec) + MPEG-2 + VP8 (via hantro-vpu-dec). This is the explicit broadening from libva-multiplanar's H.264-first locked scope.
- Test consumers:
vainfo,mpv --hwdec=vaapi, Firefox viamedia.ffmpeg.vaapi.enabled, chromium-fourier 149 (regression check). - Phase 1 success criterion (matching libva-multiplanar): boolean correctness — "libva accepted + providing access to hardware decoder for each codec." Performance metrics deferred.
- Phase 0 task 1: recover fresnel from the SDDM greeter crash-loop (per
~/.claude/plans/dynamic-forging-piglet.md). Recovery is bookkept as substrate work inside this campaign, not as a separate prereq.
Out of scope:
- Front-end libva (API library). Backend only.
- Other hardware (ohm + ampere/boltzmann are libva-multiplanar's iterations).
- AV1 (no decoder block on RK3399 supports it).
- Performance metrics — fresnel CPU/GPU benchmarking is a separate iteration after correctness lands.
cros-codecsRust replacement (peruser_stance_rust.md).- Bootlin / Collabora upstreaming default-deferred (per
feedback_no_upstream.md). Same discipline as libva-multiplanar. - KWin / panfrost / Mali-T860 work — orthogonal until proven otherwise; a parallel
kwin-fourier-fresnelcampaign would be a separate decision.
Process
8(+1) phase loop per feedback_dev_process.md. Phase 0 substrate is in phase0_findings.md. Phase 5 review uses the sonnet-architect subagent pattern (Plan with model: sonnet).
In-session-acquired data discipline per feedback_replicate_baseline_first.md: libva-multiplanar's ohm-side measurements are reference history, not threshold sources for fresnel-fourier cells.
Predecessor work this campaign builds on
../libva-multiplanar/— five closed iterations on ohm. Read in order:README.md— current state, codec scope, file map.phase8_iteration5_close.md— most recent close. The iter5-end backend is the substrate fresnel-fourier starts from.phase0_findings.md(andphase0_findings_iter[2-5].md) — locked-scope precedent for codec breadth and consumer matrix on ohm; useful frame-of-reference when locking fresnel-side scope.phase8_iteration1_close.md— iter1 surface-export DMA-BUF lifecycle race + multi-resolution cache + 64-pitch alignment bugs. Likely re-surface candidates on RK3399.
../libva-multiplanar/libva-v4l2-request-fourier/— the fork itself. 12 commits ahead of bootlin tip plus iter1..iter5 work.git logfor the actual landing record.~/.claude/plans/dynamic-forging-piglet.md— fresnel SDDM greeter crash diagnosis + recovery plan. Phase 0 task 1 picks up from here.~/src/fourier_attribution/— ohm-only attribution matrix. The chromium-fourier WHEAT-but-fragile verdict and Cell E (vanilla Chromium 149 control) item are ohm-side context, not fresnel data.
External reference (carry-over from libva-multiplanar):
- Mozilla bug 1833354 / 1965646 (Firefox HW decode on RK35xx via libva-v4l2-request).
- Bootlin upstream
bootlin/libva-v4l2-request— dormant since 2021. - Linux kernel
drivers/staging/media/rkvdec/— RK3399 rkvdec H.264/HEVC/VP9 control protocol reference. - Linux kernel
drivers/media/platform/verisilicon/hantro_*— RK3399-vpu-dec MPEG-2/H.264/VP8 control protocol reference.
Repository layout
~/src/fresnel-fourier/ <- this campaign (its own git repo)
├── README.md <- this file
├── phase0_findings.md <- locked research question + Phase 0 work list
├── (worklist.md, phase[2-8]*.md as phases land)
└── (the libva fork is NOT here — see ../libva-multiplanar/libva-v4l2-request-fourier/)
The campaign repo and the fork repo stay separate. fresnel-fourier commits its findings here; code changes to the backend land on the fork's master (or a branch named per the iteration if scope diverges from libva-multiplanar's ohm-side master).
Operator-facing repo URL: git.reauktion.de/marfrit/fresnel-fourier — created empty during scaffolding, no push until first iteration finds something worth publishing.
Non-upstreaming default
Inherited from libva-multiplanar / feedback_no_upstream.md. Patches must be aligned to upstream in syntax and semantics; PR/MR/bug-report only on explicit operator instruction.
Build infrastructure
distcc/cross-build path is the existing fleet: aarch64crosscompiler LXD on data, tesla LXD on hertz, dcc1 on dcw3. See reference_distcc_kernel_builds.md for invocation. Per the locked Phase 0 answer for libva-multiplanar (item 9), no distcc for libva builds — libva is small and links fast, hand-build on fresnel directly. Same default applies here unless a specific reason emerges.
For chromium-fourier 149 / firefox-fourier rebuilds against fresnel-side findings, the boltzmann LXD container path from libva-multiplanar iter3 is reusable.