by I have received requests to explain exactly how I got my Voodoo 3 card
to work with Linux (Red Hat 5.2). Unfortunately, that is difficult,
because I don't keep notes on what I did and why it worked. I just
keep trying different things and when it eventually works, I just go
with it rather than writing down the successful procedures. But I do
habe some wisdom to impart for those trying to set up this goddamned
thing.
If you are a Linux user and you are considering buying this card for
your system- DON'T. Great for PC * - bad for Linux. In the future
I am (pretty) sure the support for it will improve. So wait.
The first thing you need to do is visit
http://www.veryComputer.com/
Get all three RPMs from the page. There are also instructions on how
to convert the files if your system doesn't use RPMS. One of the files
is an XF86Setup program for the server. DON'T install this one with
the others. I had to re-install the old XF86Setup, use it to configure
the server, then re-install the 3dfx XF86Setup. I have no idea why.
So when I first tried to install these RPMs, it gave me lip about
"failed dependencies" so I used the "--force". That will force the
RPMs to install. The full command that worked was:
rpm -Uvh --force XF*.rpm.
Once the files are successfully installed, use XF86Setup (or whatever
else you use) to setup the server. Select Generic SVGA, unknown
chipset. Do not specify any settings. Let the server detect
everything.
When I reached this point, the server ran successfully but the
settings were terrible. Every time I tried to configure with
XF86Setup, I got horrible *y crashes. So I re-installed the
3dfx-XF86Setup, and it worked. The difficult part was selecting the
proper settings without the X-server crashing. For instance, when I
set the resolution and the color depth at the same time, it crashed,
but when I set them individually, no problem. It was a process of
trial and error, but eventually I got 1280 X 1024 at 32b color depth.
I haven't tried for 1600 X 1200, but I'm happy with it the way it is
now.
I'm sure others have had different experiences with this server, but
at least you have the testimony of one person that got it to work and
is (more or less) happy with it. Email me if you have any questions.
AK