RE: Alpha gfx card support for Xorg

Marc Tipping <[email protected]> Fri, 15 Oct 2021 17:03:02 +0000
Newsgroups gmane.linux.gentoo.alpha
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Hi Jason,

Thanks - that's a bit sad about legacy cards. :( I guess this is Linux not =
BSD.

I really wasn't sure which cards would work so thanks for the suggestion, I=
'll see what I can pick up cheap.

Cheers!
 Marc.


Sent from my Galaxy



-------- Original message --------
From: Jason Howe <[email protected]>
Date: 15/10/2021 4:22 pm (GMT+00:00)
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [gentoo-alpha] Alpha gfx card support for Xorg


Hi Marc,

The big issue with those cards is that starting with xorg 1.13, the driver =
model changed and a whole bunch of legacy cards lost anything but the most =
basic 2D drivers.   The result is that even a low spec GUI is kinda painful=
 to use.

For those cards, you can always use the glint and s3virge in the VIDEO_CARD=
S section of of your /etc/portage/make.conf and see if the performance is a=
cceptable to you.

On my DS20, I grabbed a VisionTek Radeon HD3450 PCI card off ebay for somet=
hing like $30, which just builds with the radeon driver and associated firm=
ware blobs in kernel config, and that's more than adequate for running even=
 a 1920x1200 screen off the Alpha.

--Jason

On 10/14/21 9:16 AM, Marc Tipping wrote:
Hi,
I've a Permedia2 and Trio64v2 I could potentially use with X on the DS10. T=
he Gentoo Xorg doc is very modern GPU centric, I cant see any info on legac=
y cards. Any thoughts on which driver(s)/config I need. Even an 8bit twm se=
ssion would be enough ;).
Cheers
M.



Sent from my Galaxy


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<div dir=3D"auto">Hi Jason,</div>
<div dir=3D"auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir=3D"auto">Thanks - that's a bit sad about legacy cards. :( I guess =
this is Linux not BSD.</div>
<div dir=3D"auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir=3D"auto">I really wasn't sure which cards would work so thanks for=
 the suggestion, I'll see what I can pick up cheap.&nbsp;</div>
<div dir=3D"auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir=3D"auto">Cheers!</div>
<div dir=3D"auto">&nbsp;Marc.</div>
<div dir=3D"auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir=3D"auto"><br>
</div>
<div id=3D"composer_signature" dir=3D"auto">
<div dir=3D"auto" style=3D"font-size:85%; color:#575757">Sent from my Galax=
y</div>
</div>
<div dir=3D"auto"><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>-------- Original message --------</div>
<div>From: Jason Howe &lt;[email protected]&gt; </div>
<div>Date: 15/10/2021 4:22 pm (GMT+00:00) </div>
<div>To: [email protected] </div>
<div>Subject: Re: [gentoo-alpha] Alpha gfx card support for Xorg </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<p>Hi Marc,</p>
<p>The big issue with those cards is that starting with xorg 1.13, the driv=
er model changed and a whole bunch of legacy cards lost anything but the mo=
st basic 2D drivers.&nbsp;&nbsp; The result is that even a low spec GUI is =
kinda painful to use.<br>
<br>
For those cards, you can always use the glint and s3virge in the VIDEO_CARD=
S section of of your /etc/portage/make.conf and see if the performance is a=
cceptable to you.<br>
<br>
On my DS20, I grabbed a VisionTek Radeon HD3450 PCI card off ebay for somet=
hing like $30, which just builds with the radeon driver and associated firm=
ware blobs in kernel config, and that's more than adequate for running even=
 a 1920x1200 screen off the Alpha.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<br>
</p>
<p>--Jason<br>
</p>
<h1 class=3D"product-title"><br>
</h1>
<div class=3D"moz-cite-prefix">On 10/14/21 9:16 AM, Marc Tipping wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type=3D"cite">
<div dir=3D"auto">Hi,</div>
<div dir=3D"auto">I've a Permedia2 and Trio64v2 I could potentially use wit=
h X on the DS10. The Gentoo Xorg doc is very modern GPU centric, I cant see=
 any info on legacy cards. Any thoughts on which driver(s)/config I need. E=
ven an 8bit twm session would be enough
 ;).&nbsp;</div>
<div dir=3D"auto">Cheers</div>
<div dir=3D"auto">M.</div>
<div dir=3D"auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir=3D"auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir=3D"auto"><br>
</div>
<div id=3D"composer_signature" dir=3D"auto">
<div dir=3D"auto" style=3D"font-size:85%; color:#575757">Sent from my Galax=
y</div>
</div>
<div dir=3D"auto"><br>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
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