How to Install Intel Graphics Drivers on Ubuntu 26.04 – Video, Arc & Fixes

Update Ubuntu and reboot

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

sudo reboot

Intel driver updates reach Ubuntu this way, with the kernel, Mesa and firmware. Keep installing updates and the driver stays current.

Install Intel’s video driver

Ubuntu does not install it by default. Without it, most video apps decode on the processor, which uses more power and makes laptops run warm. Firefox is the exception, because its snap already includes the driver.

sudo apt install intel-media-va-driver-non-free

This covers Intel graphics from 2015 onwards, 5th generation Core and newer. The non-free version adds video encoding, which screen recorders such as OBS Studio use. It comes from Ubuntu’s own repositories.

For an older Intel processor, install i965-va-driver instead.

Check which driver your graphics use

lspci -k | grep -EA3 'VGA|3D|Display'

mike@ubuntu:~$ lspci -k | grep -EA3 'VGA|3D|Display'
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Meteor Lake-P [Intel Arc Graphics] (rev 08)
	Subsystem: ...
	Kernel driver in use: i915
	Kernel modules: i915, xe

Kernel driver in use shows i915 or xe. Both are Intel’s driver. Newer chips, such as Core Ultra 200V and Arc B-series cards, use xe, and older ones use i915. Either one means the driver is working.

A laptop with NVIDIA graphics as well shows two entries. For the NVIDIA one, see how to install NVIDIA drivers on Ubuntu. If the Intel entry has no driver line at all, see the first fix.

Confirm OpenGL, Vulkan and video decoding

The test tools are not installed by default. Add them:

sudo apt install mesa-utils vulkan-tools vainfo

glxinfo -B | grep 'OpenGL renderer'

mike@ubuntu:~$ glxinfo -B | grep 'OpenGL renderer'
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa Intel(R) Arc(tm) Graphics (MTL)

vulkaninfo --summary | grep -E 'deviceName|driverName'

mike@ubuntu:~$ vulkaninfo --summary | grep -E 'deviceName|driverName'
	deviceName         = Intel(R) Arc(tm) Graphics (MTL)
	driverName         = Intel open-source Mesa driver
	deviceName         = llvmpipe (LLVM 21.1.8, 256 bits)
	driverName         = llvmpipe

Your chip name in both means OpenGL and Vulkan work. The extra llvmpipe entry in the Vulkan list is normal. It is a software fallback, and games use the real chip.

vainfo

mike@ubuntu:~$ vainfo
vainfo: VA-API version: 1.23 (libva 2.23.0)
vainfo: Driver version: Intel iHD driver for Intel(R) Gen Graphics - 26.1.2 (...)
vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints
      VAProfileH264Main               : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264Main               : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCMain               : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain               : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileVP9Profile0            : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileAV1Profile0            : VAEntrypointVLD

Each VAEntrypointVLD line is a format the chip decodes, and each EncSlice line is one it can encode. Apps that support hardware video use it on their own.

If the OpenGL line says llvmpipe, the desktop is running without the graphics chip. If vainfo shows an error, see the video fix. For llvmpipe, go to the first fix.

Using an Intel Arc graphics card

Arc B-series cards, such as the B570, B580 and the Arc Pro B models, are fully supported by Ubuntu 26.04 with the steps above. Arc A-series cards, such as the A380, A750 and A770, work the same way.

Every Arc card needs Resizable BAR turned on in the PC’s firmware settings. Without it, games run far slower than they should. The option is sometimes called Re-Size BAR Support, and it usually needs Above 4G Decoding switched on as well.

Using Ollama or LM Studio? There is nothing to install

Both use Intel graphics through Vulkan, which Ubuntu already includes. Install Ollama or LM Studio and they find the chip on their own.

For developers: OpenCL and Level Zero

Tools built on Intel’s compute stack, such as OpenVINO, PyTorch on Intel GPUs or SYCL code, need Intel’s compute runtime. Add yourself to the render group, log out and back in, then install it:

sudo usermod -aG render $USER

sudo apt install intel-opencl-icd libze-intel-gpu1 clinfo

clinfo | grep 'Device Name'

mike@ubuntu:~$ clinfo | grep 'Device Name'
  Device Name                                     Intel(R) Arc(TM) Graphics

Your chip in the list means the runtime is working. If the list is empty, check that you logged out after joining the group.

When it helps, and how to add it

Use it when a tool asks for a newer compute runtime than Ubuntu has, or when your chip is newer than Ubuntu 26.04. It does not change the kernel driver, OpenGL or Vulkan, so it will not make games faster.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kobuk-team/intel-graphics
sudo apt full-upgrade

This upgrades the Intel packages you already installed from the steps above.

Remove Intel’s PPA

sudo apt install ppa-purge
sudo ppa-purge ppa:kobuk-team/intel-graphics

This removes the PPA and puts Ubuntu’s versions of each package back.

The desktop uses llvmpipe instead of your graphics

llvmpipe is software drawing on the processor. The desktop works but feels slow and games will not run. Two causes cover almost every case. First, check the boot options:

cat /proc/cmdline

If you see nomodeset, the graphics driver is being switched off at boot, usually by an old fix that was never undone. Open the boot settings, delete nomodeset from the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT line, save with Ctrl + O, exit with Ctrl + X, and apply:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub
sudo update-grub
sudo reboot

If there is no nomodeset, look for a missing firmware file:

sudo dmesg | grep -iE 'i915|xe' | grep -i firmware

A line that says a firmware file failed to load means the package is damaged or incomplete. Reinstall it and reboot:

sudo apt install --reinstall linux-firmware-intel-graphics
sudo reboot

vainfo shows an error, or video still plays on the processor

An error that mentions iHD_drv_video.so or va_openDriver means the video driver is missing. Go back to step 2 and install it.

On Intel graphics from before 2015, the new driver does not work. Install the older one, and vainfo picks it up on its own:

sudo apt install i965-va-driver

If vainfo works but one app still uses the processor, turn on hardware decoding in that app’s own settings. Some video players leave it off by default.

The wrong driver loads after following an older guide

Some older guides force the xe driver onto chips that use i915, or the reverse. On Ubuntu 26.04 the default is the right choice for every chip. Look for leftover settings:

grep -rE 'force_probe' /etc/default/grub /etc/modprobe.d/

Delete every line or boot option it finds. For a result in /etc/default/grub, edit it as in the first fix and run sudo update-grub. For a file in /etc/modprobe.d/, remove the line, then run sudo update-initramfs -u and reboot.