Ubuntu 20.04/docker/portainer hardware transcoding intel (RESOLVED)

Channels DVR Server
#1

I'm having a heck of a time here.
i3-10100
ubuntu 20.04
docker+portainer
I pull the regular channels-dvr image (not nvidia, not tve) in and I map /dev/dri into the container

/dev/dri on the host is chmod 777 and is in the users group
within the container I have /dev/dri/card0 and /dev/dri/renderD128

What am I missing here? This should work right?

channels/system/misc shows transcoder libx264.

#2

i see in another post a dev saying intel 10th and 11th gen cpu hw transcode not yet supported on linux maybe?

#3

yes, this appears to be a CPU support issue and not a docker issue.

#4

There is a test build available with extended CPU support on the other thread.

#5

post here just for those who are chasing answers. The test build enables hardware acceleration for h.264 and who knows what else. I can't get it to transcode h.265 right now but that's a minor issue.

#6

Try passing vcodec=hevc_vaapi, such as: http://${DVR_IP}:8089/devices/ANY/channels/${CH_NUM}/hls/master.m3u8&vcodec=hevc_vaapi. You can even append your audio codec of choice to select AAC or similar.

(Edit: I got the Ffmpeg codec name wrong. It's hevc_vaapi, not vaapi_h265.)

#7

Sorry to open up an old thread, but as of today I'm only seeing software decoding in Ubuntu 20.04/docker/portainer for my Intel NUC7i5BNH.

Running build 2021.07.27.0105

Plex running on the same host is using HW Transcoding without issue.

UPDATE: See comment below. Nuked system and rebuilt and all good.

Thanks,
Shane.

#8

Are you properly passing the -d/--device parameter? Does your host system have the proper kernel drivers loaded? Are the kernel modules loading before Docker starts?

Please offer some additional details, such as a uname -a and dmesg, for starters.

#9
  1. Yes /dev/dri:/dev/dri is passed (same as Plex)
  2. Ubuntu Desktop 20.04.1 full installation. Other H/W transcoding is working correctly.
  3. uname -a output:
    Linux Ubuntu-NUC7i5BNH 5.8.0-63-generic #71~20.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jul 15 17:46:08 UTC 2021 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
  4. dmesg output:

Note: Weird - I ssh into my NUC and sudo sh, and can't ls /dev/dri - not sure how Plex is working with H/W transcoding then... may require some further investigation.

Update: All gone to crap. Looks like some drivers have issues as Plex no longer H/W transcoding. Weird... nothing changed but now not working.

Update 2: I love docker-compose. quick /config backups for each container, full wipe and reinstall of Ubuntu, reinstall docker, docker-compose, portainer... all containers up and running again with full access to /dev/dri for DVR and Plex. Not sure what the issue is, but nuking it while overkill fixed it fast.