Finally the first Linux distro in a long time I can use without any eyestrain: a custom Raspbian build using the new Raspberry open source driver. It's still buggy but promises to be complete in March 2016. No eye problems either on the high res framebuffer console or X server. The latest Linux Kernel 4.4 has this new driver included. 4.5 is going to have hardware acceleration.
I wonder what the technical differences are between the old proprietary driver (eye strain) and the new open source driver. Hopefully they don't re-introduce the problem while adding more features.

http://dri.freedesktop.org/wiki/VC4/
It links to the custom Raspbian image: http://sukzessiv.net/~gohai/vc4-buildbot/build/

While I'm on it, this is how to disable all LED lights of a Raspberry Pi 2:
Ethernet LEDs: https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=72070
Status LEDs: https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=136266#p136266

    Glad to hear. I used to have a Pi I used for headless server things but it got fried though I presume using a low quality PSU not meant for 24/7 use.

    Was the GPU driver for Pi always closed source until now? Reverse engineering the driver may lead to some answers but that is a very time intensive task. In any case if the open source driver becomes unfriendly through dithering or other issues it should be easier to pinpoint what the culprit is. Also are you able to see any differences between closed source and open source driver? Maybe a camera with a macro lens would help?

    Also I'm still using my Macbook Pro just fine still (the one with the M370X) It's become the best screen I've used in a long time, in fact I get weird neck pain from using it for 16 hours per day sometimes 😃 I remember you saying that you got eyestrain from AMD cards on boot but I wonder since the Macbook does not implement a legacy BIOS in any form (100% EFI) if that would cause problems for you. Also the Macbook has switchable graphics through a multiplexer chip hooked up between the AMD card, Intel card and the display. I'm working on reverse engineering it for switchable graphics under other OS.

      KM Hopefully they don't re-introduce the problem while adding more features.

      Actually, that'd be a useful sign of what would cause the issue. Find the changes from VX to VY. Report as bug 😉

      JTL it got fried though I presume using a low quality PSU not meant for 24/7 use.

      Must of been low quality PSU. I have one 24/7 and original had 2 going 24/7. Yours have any major overclocking or anything?

      KM how to disable all LED lights of a Raspberry Pi 2:

      Nice!

      I used to use a Rpi for home media (video) but now its used as a ssh enabled stereo with great success 😃
      (NFS, cmus, mplayer + cron)

      • JTL replied to this.

              Slacor Must of been low quality PSU. I have one 24/7 and original had 2 going 24/7. Yours have any major overclocking or anything?

              Nope. Was stock IIRC (I still have a clone of the SD card I made after it got fried)

                a year later

                KM Long time since an update to this thread, I'm curious to know how it is with presumably the current release kernel since there was a difference between 4.4 and 4.5 as you said.

                • KM replied to this.

                    Sunspark Sadly, only the custom build was perfectly usable for me.
                    Edit: Official kernel is still 4.4.

                      6 months later

                      For unknown reasons, the gaming distro "Lakka" (www.lakka.tv) was pretty much perfectly usable on my Pi 1 Model B when I tried it some weeks ago. Both the UI and NES/SNES emulating. Sadly, Kodi is not implemented in Lakka. The Kodi distro LibreElec still had the same eye strain as usual.

                      KM, if you haven't done so already, it might be worth inquiring about this driver in order to come to an understanding of how it affects eye strain.

                      • KM replied to this.

                        KM, that is good to know at least.

                        5 days later

                        Seems like we should make sure apple knows people are trading in their macbook pros for raspberry pis. Volumio is great for audio/spotify on the pi fyi

                        • JTL replied to this.
                        • KM likes this.

                          reaganry

                          reaganry macbook pros for raspberry pis. Volumio is great for audio/spotify on the pi fyi

                          offtopic:

                          Not as fast though 😛

                          Could hook up a USB DAC interface for better sound quality as well.

                              dev