[vox-tech] What's needed for 3D support?

[Rod Roark]

On Thursday 20 June 2002 03:25 pm, Peter Jay Salzman wrote:
> the linux gamers' howto might be helpful.   :-)

Well it's nice to have the author right here.  :-)

> in startx 2>X.err make sure the DRI is enabled.  it probably isn't.
> try to find a line beginning with (WW) or (EE) that gives a clue why it
> isn't being started.

OK sure enough it wasn't.  After I figured out that the=20
relevant messages are in /var/log/XFree86.0.log, I then
learned that I needed to run at 16-bit color depth, and
also Load "dri" in XF86Config.  That gets me this in the
log file:

  (II) TDFX(0): [DRI] installation complete
  (=3D=3D) TDFX(0): Direct rendering enabled

That's the good news.  The bad news is, it didn't make=20
any noticable difference for either tuxracer or billardgl,
even running as root.  They are still slower than snails=20
on ice.   :-(

Any other thoughts appreciated....

-- Rod

> also, if the games work ok under root, make sure you have a DRI section
> in your X config file like:
>
> Section "DRI"
>    Mode 0666
> EndSection
>
> this allows non-root users to use DRI.
>
> if DRI is enabled, use strace to make sure the proper libraries (like
> libGL.so) are being loaded.
>
> let me know if any of this helps.
>
> pete
>
>
> begin Rod Roark <rod@sunsetsystems.com>
>
> > I seldom play games and I'm a complete dummy when it comes
> > to 3D stuff.  But yesterday I was trying to get billardgl
> > and tuxracer to work, without much luck.
> >
> > I've got an aging 16MB Voodoo Banshee card on my desktop
> > machine running Gentoo Linux (2.4.19 kernel, xfree 4.2.0).
> > The kernel has the tdfx video stuff built-in (not a module),
> > and XF86Config includes 'Load "glx"'.
> >
> > Tuxracer does run, but I get about 0.3 fps.  BillardGL sort
> > of runs except it's ridiculously slow, taking 5-10 minutes
> > just to get past the splash screen and continually eating
> > 100% of the CPU and all real memory.  This is a 500 Mhz
> > Celeron box with 256MB RAM.
> >
> > Does anyone have pointers/suggestions?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > -- Rod
> >    http://www.sunsetsystems.com/