A Guide: Enabling 3D Acceleration in X11

cwwilson721 · 09-26-2009, 10:26 PM

You should have NO issues. the 4850 is DEFINITELY new enough for the current crop of ATi drivers to support it.

As to the actual INSTALLATION of the ATi proprietary drivers (which, I believe, is the best route to go, as compared to the open-source included drivers), you may have to look through this thread (I know, it's HUGE now, but there is some extremely good info in here.)

atters · 09-28-2009, 03:27 PM

So after reading all 13 pages of this thread-book, I'm still having no luck enabling DRI with my GeForce4 MX 400 AGP 8x card.

glxinfo still does not show a "Direct Rendering:on/off" line, and OpenGL compositing for KDE 4.2 still will not activate (neither will Xrender compositing).

glxgears gives me:
bash-3.1$ glxgears
5969 frames in 5.000 seconds = 1193.800 FPS
6268 frames in 5.000 seconds = 1253.600 FPS
6379 frames in 5.000 seconds = 1275.800 FPS
6380 frames in 5.000 seconds = 1276.000 FPS
6378 frames in 5.000 seconds = 1275.600 FPS

From what CW (and others) have posted, this Geforce4 MX 440 should be doing MUCH better if DRI was working properly.

Here is my current xorg.conf:

Code:

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 1.0  (buildmeister@builder63)  Thu Jun 25 18:57:07 PDT 2009

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "X.org Configured"
    Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Files"
    ModulePath      "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
#    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/local"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/TTF"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/OTF"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/Type1"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/misc"
#    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/CID"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/cyrillic"
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load	   "dri"
    Load           "glx"
    Load           "extmod"
    Load           "dri2"
    Load           "dbe"
#    Load	   "fglrx"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "kbd"
    Option         "XkbModel" "pc101"
    Option         "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier     "Mouse0"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "Protocol" "auto"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Monitor Vendor"
    ModelName      "Monitor Model"
    HorizSync       31.0 - 80.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 76.0
EndSection

Section "Device"

        ### Available Driver options are:-
        ### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>: "True"/"False",
        ### <string>: "String", <freq>: "<f> Hz/kHz/MHz"
        ### [arg]: arg optional
        #Option     "SWcursor"           	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "HWcursor"           	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "NoAccel"            	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "ShadowFB"           	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "UseFBDev"           	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "Rotate"             	# [<str>]
        #Option     "VideoKey"           	# <i>
        #Option     "FlatPanel"          	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "FPDither"           	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "CrtcNumber"         	# <i>
        #Option     "FPScale"            	# [<bool>]
        #Option     "FPTweak"            	# <i>
        #Option     "DualHead"           	# [<bool>]
    Identifier     "Card0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "Unknown Vendor"
    BoardName      "Unknown Board"
    Option	"nologo" "true"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Card0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Viewport    0 0
        Depth       1
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Viewport    0 0
        Depth       4
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Viewport    0 0
        Depth       8
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Viewport    0 0
        Depth       15
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Viewport    0 0
        Depth       16
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Viewport    0 0
        Depth       24
        Modes      "1280x1024"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "dri"
#	Group	"video"
	Mode	0600
EndSection

I'm googled out, and have tried anything I could find (of relevance to NVIDIA problems) from this thread.

adamk75 · 09-28-2009, 04:11 PM

glxinfo on Slackware 13 is broken, for lack of a better term. Try compiling glxinfo as described in this post: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...4/#post3689680

Alternatively, you can install mesa from Slackware Current, but then you will have to reinstall the nvidia drivers.

After compiling it, run that version of glxinfo and show us the output. You can also use a service like http://pastebin.com/ to show us your /var/log/Xorg.0.log file.

Adam

cwwilson721 · 09-28-2009, 06:47 PM

Actually, for a MX400, those numbers for glxgears is about right. So you might already have dri working.

Remember, that's a rather old, outdated card.
And the drivers you are using are not the ones that Nvidia wants you to use for that chipset.

If you go back to the Nvidia website, and select "Legacy" cards, it will be in there, and a "81" series (I THINK) driver will be recommended. (Unfortunately, my AGP board is currently sitting on a shelf with no power supply. Otherwise, I'd test it with my old MX400)

atters · 09-29-2009, 05:00 PM

@ adamk75 - Your instructions worked perfectly. I agree with your referenced post Thank you kindly Sir!

@ cwwilson721 - You are dead-on correct, glxgears is/was indeed running with DRI enabled. I guess I was expecting too much from the Geforce card, even when compared to the i945 in the netbook.

I tried the legacy drivers you suggested (71.x.x was the closest match to the 81.x.x you suggested) but was unable to start X with them installed. I didn't have any time to troubleshoot (as I needed X up for the day's work), so I jumped back to the most current drivers (96.43.13) which work well enough for today. When I get a few minutes I'll give the legacy drivers another shot and post results (probably tomorrow). Thank you for the suggestions and advice!

cwwilson721 · 09-29-2009, 08:01 PM

The i945 is generations ahead of the MX4 Series cards. One of the major reasons why i went to the 6200AGP.

Nvidia, unfortunately, has very few high-end AGP cards, unlike ATi, with it's 3850 (I think is the number...)

Either way, those numbers for glxgears sound about the same I had with my old MX400

allend · 09-30-2009, 09:14 AM

@atters
I use the nvidia 96.43.13 driver.
From /usr/doc/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0/html/appendix-s.html

Quote:

This driver supports OpenGL rendering to 32-bit ARGB windows when the AddARGBGLXVisuals X config file option is enabled

I need to add

Code:

Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"

to the device section for the videocard in my xorg.conf to enable compositing.

atters · 10-10-2009, 12:42 AM

@allend
Thanks for kindly posting RTFM information for me. It worked perfectly, of course. KDE is now brimming with eye-candy, and will hopefully turn a few heads.

@cwwilson721
Thank you again for developing this excellent thread. I appreciate the time and effort you have invested here.

cwwilson721 · 10-10-2009, 01:18 AM

I posted it originally because all the info was not in one place.

What I have to do SOON is redo the #1 post, and add/subtract info, and clean it up a bit.

Not a project I'm looking forward to...sigh

BTW...I've run into an interesting thing...

Bogus 9600GT cards being sold on eBay. They say they are New Nvidia 9600GT, but won't use the Nvidia drivers, and are 128bit memory bandwidth (Real 9600GT are 256bit). AND the chipset is for a 7xxx series card. WATCH OUT! $50USD sounds like a good deal for new card, but is TERRIBLE performer (My current 8400GS runs WAY faster)

I learned the hard way. Now have PayPal, eBay, AND Nvidia looking into this..

Be warned!

vinegaroon · 10-17-2009, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwwilson721

I posted it originally because all the info was not in one place.

What I have to do SOON is redo the #1 post, and add/subtract info, and clean it up a bit.

Not a project I'm looking forward to...sigh

BTW...I've run into an interesting thing...

Bogus 9600GT cards being sold on eBay. They say they are New Nvidia 9600GT, but won't use the Nvidia drivers, and are 128bit memory bandwidth (Real 9600GT are 256bit). AND the chipset is for a 7xxx series card. WATCH OUT! $50USD sounds like a good deal for new card, but is TERRIBLE performer (My current 8400GS runs WAY faster)

I learned the hard way. Now have PayPal, eBay, AND Nvidia looking into this..

Be warned!

I think it's great that you are going to update post #1

With Slackware 13.0, many things have changed in this area and I have noticed a lot of confusion in many of the threads here regarding graphics configuration.

Edit: I'm sure there are people on this forum willing to help/give advice on this job.

H_TeXMeX_H · 10-18-2009, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwwilson721

Bogus 9600GT cards being sold on eBay. They say they are New Nvidia 9600GT, but won't use the Nvidia drivers, and are 128bit memory bandwidth (Real 9600GT are 256bit). AND the chipset is for a 7xxx series card. WATCH OUT! $50USD sounds like a good deal for new card, but is TERRIBLE performer (My current 8400GS runs WAY faster)

Actually I've found that earlier series of many cards are actually faster than newer series.

For example if you were to buy a 9000 series, it would actually be slower than an 8000 series. However, the 9000 would support more features. I think it's just their marketing strategy, make you pay more for more features (usually useless), and less speed. Eventually in the later versions, the speed catches up, but the prices increase exponentially.

So actually, if you wanted a faster and cheaper card, go with a later 8000 series instead of an early 9000 series.

cwwilson721 · 10-18-2009, 02:29 PM

Missed my point on that...

Don't care the marketing schemes on Nvidia. I know that a 9600GT does NOT have a g73 proc on it. That gpu is for the 7xxx series. Matter of fact, the card I described WILL NOT LOAD IN LINUX. Really. It's such a POOR fake, the Nvidia drivers don't recognize it as Nvidia...lol

BTW..eBay has removed those listings (so far). So buy a name-brand, you'll be OK.

These were marketed as "Nvidia 9600GT" no-name, and have no cooling fan, double width cards. In the description, they have "128 bit" memory (ALL true 9600GT have 256bit) and have a "turbocache" (System memory used to bring up to 512mb). RED FLAGS all.

Just a warning. I got bit. Just didn't want anyone else to.

And Nvidia agrees w/me. They ARE fake.

timsoft · 11-04-2009, 09:59 AM

when installing the nvidia 64bit driver for slackware64-13.0 you need to allow the 32bit opengl drivers to install, otherwise only 240x320 and 640x480 resolutions will be available for nv8100/nv8200 chipsets on X.

cwwilson721 · 11-14-2009, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timsoft

when installing the nvidia 64bit driver for slackware64-13.0 you need to allow the 32bit opengl drivers to install, otherwise only 240x320 and 640x480 resolutions will be available for nv8100/nv8200 chipsets on X.

Probably be true for most chips. Nvidia has ALWAYS been easy: Just say "yes" except when it wants to look for a module on the web (You can say 'yes' then too, but it won't find one anyway), which includes the 32bit module install question

unclejed613 · 11-16-2009, 12:49 AM

so, for the time being, i'm using the onboard SIS 661 hardware. and there are no 3D drivers for it (there are for windows, go figure). glxgears shows at best 60fps. so why aren't there any 3D drivers for it?