Very Computer

 I was fortunate enough to download a usable ISO image on my second
attempt and was able to install(*) YDL 2.1 on my 9600 with 500MHZ G3 and
an ATI 128. The system is up and running, but I get the feeling the X
server isn't using the accelerated ATI driver. (Moving "TrueColor" windows
is fairly slow).

If I remember correctly, XF86Config-4 lists "fbdev" as the driver. I've
tried using "ati" and "ATI 128", but the server dies with messages like:

(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libxaa.a
(II) Module xaa: vendor="The XFree86 Project"
        compiled for 4.1.0, module version = 1.0.0
 Symbol drmScatterGatherFree from module
/usr/X11R6/lib/modules/drivers/r128_drv.o is unresolved!

When I tried enabling "dri" and starting X with xinit (there is a comment
that KDE doesn't work with dri), I get messages like:

(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/extensions/libdri.a
(II) Module dri: vendor="The XFree86 Project"
        compiled for 4.1.0, module version = 1.0.0

...

(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libxaa.a
(II) Module xaa: vendor="The XFree86 Project"
        compiled for 4.1.0, module version = 1.0.0
(--) Depth 24 pixmap format is 32 bpp

Fatal server error:
Caught signal 11.  Server aborting

Should I be able to use an ATI specific driver?

Thanks,

Harold Ravlin

(*) Surprisingly, the installer did not reinitialize my old linuxppc
partitions which caused problems, probably because of RPM conflicts when
trying to install the new packages. All these years using Unix and I
finally got a chance to do an 'rm -r *' from root!

Quote:

> have you tried setting

> Section "Device"
> ...
> Driver  "r128"
> ...

> in your XF86Config-4?

"r128" was one of the things I tried. It didn't work. Without adding
the "dri" module, I got messages like:

Symbol drmScatterGatherAlloc from module
/usr/X11R6/lib/modules/drivers/r128_drv .o is unresolved!

If I add "dri", XFree86 crashes.

The ATI specific driver is getting loaded:

"(II) R128: Driver for ATI Rage 128 chipsets: ATI Rage 128 RE (PCI),
        ATI Rage 128 RF (AGP), ATI Rage 128 RG (AGP), ATI Rage 128 RK (PCI),
        ..."

I also get:

"(II) R128(0): No legacy BIOS found -- trying PCI
(EE) R128(0): Cannot read V_BIOS (5)
(--) R128(0): Chipset: "ATI Rage 128 RE (PCI)" (ChipID = 0x5245)
(--) R128(0): Linear framebuffer at 0x84000000
(--) R128(0): MMIO registers at 0x80804000
(--) R128(0): BIOS at 0x80820000
(--) R128(0): VideoRAM: 16384 kByte (128-bit SDR SGRAM 1:1)
(WW) R128(0): Video BIOS not detected in PCI space!
(WW) R128(0): Attempting to read Video BIOS from legacy ISA space!
(WW) R128(0): Video BIOS not found!"

I'm wondering if it is expecting an AGP card.

"you may have to add a kernel argument too,...
search through
http://lists.yellowdoglinux.com/ydl_general.shtml
http://lists.linuxppc.org/index.html

if you're still stumped"

I searched and I'm still stumped, but I did find an incantation to try.

Thanks for the pointers,

Harold Ravlin

DRI works only with fairly recent kernels (2.4 series).

        Michael

Quote:

>> Section "Device"
>> ...
>> Driver  "r128"
>> ...

Someone suggested I also add:
        Option "UseFBDev"

I still get a couple of unresolved symbols, but it runs and window
movement seems somewhat faster so I guess it's working.

'man r128' gives

...
       Option "UseFBDev" "boolean"
              Enable or disable use of an OS-specific framebuffer
              device  interface  (which  is  not supported on all
              OSs).  See  fbdevhw(4x)  for  further  information.
              Default: off.
...

Thanks,

Harold Ravlin

Option "UseFBDev" "true"

?
"true" means on ?

Quote:

> >> Section "Device"
> >> ...
> >> Driver  "r128"
> >> ...

> Someone suggested I also add:
> Option "UseFBDev"

> I still get a couple of unresolved symbols, but it runs and window
> movement seems somewhat faster so I guess it's working.

> 'man r128' gives

> ...
>        Option "UseFBDev" "boolean"
>               Enable or disable use of an OS-specific framebuffer
>               device  interface  (which  is  not supported on all
>               OSs).  See  fbdevhw(4x)  for  further  information.
>               Default: off.
> ...

> Thanks,

> Harold Ravlin

Quote:> Option "UseFBDev" "true"

> ?
> "true" means on ?

I guess. From the XF86Config man page:

       "Boolean  options  may  optionally  have a value specified.
       When no value is specified, the option's  value  is  TRUE.
       The  following  boolean  option  values  are recognised as
       TRUE:

           1, on, true, yes"

hr