Updating Intel graphics drivers in elementary

If you're running elementary on a machine with an Intel graphics chip (like my beloved System76 meerkat), you'll want to keep the graphics drivers up to date to make sure you're getting the most out of your system.

As far as I know there is no easy way to do this via the App Center or in System Settings, so you'll have to download it from the Intel website and install it yourself. It's easy enough to do (after all I did it) by doing the following:

1.

 Before attempting this, you need to make sure you have gdebi package manager installed. You can get it from the App Center.


2. Then navigate to https://01.org/linuxgraphics/downloads/intel-graphics-update-tool-linux-os-v2.0.2


3. Download the driver file: Intel® Graphics Update Tool 2.0.2 for Ubuntu* 16.04, 64-bit

4.

 Unpack the .deb file using gdebi

5. If you run the tool now, it will throw an error because it is configured to update Ubuntu only, not Ubuntu derivitaves.

We need to trick it into thinking we're running Ubuntu even though we are not. Don't worry, this is just temporary.

6. In the terminal, run sudo scratch-text-editor /etc/lsb-release
6(a). pop in your password

7. Scratch will then run the lsb-release file, which should look like this:
DISTRIB_ID="elementary"
DISTRIB_RELEASE=0.4
DISTRIB_CODENAME=loki
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="elementary OS 0.4 Loki"

8. Then modify that file with the following text:

DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu

DISTRIB_RELEASE=16.04

DISTRIB_CODENAME=xenial

DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 16.04 LTS"

9. Ctrl+S and exit Scratch. Now you're ready to run the update.

10. The update tool DOES NOT put an icon in the slingshot menu (although you could make one), so you'll have to run it from the terminal by entering intel-graphics-update-tool

11.

 Pop in your password

12.

 Click Begin

13.

 Click Install

14. The utility will then go pull down the updates and install it. Once that's done, just click Close:

15. It will then prompt you to reboot. Click NO for the moment. We're going to go back and fix the lsb-release file first.

16. In the terminal, run sudo scratch-text-editor /etc/lsb-release
16(a). pop in your password

17. Scratch will then run the lsb-release file. Select all the text (Ctrl+a) and paste in the following:
DISTRIB_ID="elementary"
DISTRIB_RELEASE=0.4
DISTRIB_CODENAME=loki
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="elementary OS 0.4 Loki"

18. Ctrl+S and exit Scratch. Now reboot and you should be good to go!!