So...
At the GRUB screen, I pressed "e". I got the "GRUB editor" thing. With no instructions, I guessed (I think I've done this before, but not sure if on this computer) that the "xe.force_probe=a780 i915.force_probe=!a780" stuff goes after the "quiet " part of the "linux" line. Then I pressed F10 and it booted into Xfce. I started Firefox and repeated the test. It keeps flashing. And there is no overall difference in how stuff renders; it's the same annoying slightly "sluggish" and "tired" (not snappy/responsive) feeling I always experienced back in the day when I had installed Windows XP and prior to downloading and installing the right GPU drivers, when it was using some kind of inefficient and glitchy "stock driver". That's how it feels like at all times on Linux for me.
This is beyond infuriating. I have no idea what to do at this point. Two powerful, modern computers. Three different GPU brands. Xfce, Plasma and other DEs in multiple versions over several years now. *Countless* hours wasted trying random suggestions which apparently never do anything. I feel like I've already gone insane and I'm just imagining all of this.
I'm 99% sure that I've done this before, but I've now removed the "xserver-xorg-video-intel" package as per the Debian manual quoted in my question. I very much doubt that it fixes anything, and I'm half-expecting not even being able to boot into Xfce tomorrow... I don't have the energy for another reboot because it's too late.
At the GRUB screen, I pressed "e". I got the "GRUB editor" thing. With no instructions, I guessed (I think I've done this before, but not sure if on this computer) that the "xe.force_probe=a780 i915.force_probe=!a780" stuff goes after the "quiet " part of the "linux" line. Then I pressed F10 and it booted into Xfce. I started Firefox and repeated the test. It keeps flashing. And there is no overall difference in how stuff renders; it's the same annoying slightly "sluggish" and "tired" (not snappy/responsive) feeling I always experienced back in the day when I had installed Windows XP and prior to downloading and installing the right GPU drivers, when it was using some kind of inefficient and glitchy "stock driver". That's how it feels like at all times on Linux for me.
This is beyond infuriating. I have no idea what to do at this point. Two powerful, modern computers. Three different GPU brands. Xfce, Plasma and other DEs in multiple versions over several years now. *Countless* hours wasted trying random suggestions which apparently never do anything. I feel like I've already gone insane and I'm just imagining all of this.
I'm 99% sure that I've done this before, but I've now removed the "xserver-xorg-video-intel" package as per the Debian manual quoted in my question. I very much doubt that it fixes anything, and I'm half-expecting not even being able to boot into Xfce tomorrow... I don't have the energy for another reboot because it's too late.
Statistics: Posted by Debiansaurus — 2026-02-16 04:36