Request for updated info, re direct rendering for tdfx

From: Darcy Kahle (darcykahle_at_sympatico.ca)
Date: 03/08/05 

Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 16:13:47 -0500

I am looking for updated information regarding getting direct rendering
working for the tdfx driver. I have a voodoo banshee chipset, and have
only gotten direct rendering to work if I reduce the resolution to
1024xwhatever, and I would like to get it working with higher resolutions.

I am aware that the driver has a patch in place that disables direct
rendering for resolutions higher than 1024xwhatever, but I am under the
understanding that it was meant to be a temporary fix, while something
better is developed. Apparently, at the higher resolutions, too much of
the video memory is used for the texture map.

Here is what I currently have:
* XFree86 v. 4.3.0, installed via RPM
* Mesa is installed via RPM as part of the XFree86 RPMs (glxinfo reads
it as "1.3 mesa 4.0.4")
* Glide3-20010520-25 installed via RPM
* Kernel 2.6.9, installed from source.

I have done a bit of work with the kernel version of the tdfx driver to
improve things, as a result of a previous search of the internet, but it
hasn't resolved things. The idea here, is that if the kernel had a
newer tdfx driver, and was using it, XFree86 would use it, instead. I
am also aware that there is a new version of Mesa (v. 6.2, I believe),
available as source from mesa3d.org. I am also aware that there is a
newer version of XFree86, version 4.4, but that is also as source.

I would prefer _not_ to build XFree86 from source, but I may be
convinced _if_and_only_if_ the new version contains a newer version of
tdfx that allows direct rendering at higher resolutions. I am tempted
to upgrade Mesa, but I am not sure of how to do that without messing up
the rpm installed XFree86. I _am_ willing to download the source rpm
for the version of XFree86 that I have installed, and try recompiling
the tdfx driver, if there are any updates that might help me.

Does anyone know of anything out there that might help me? I am not
content to use the low resolution, just to get direct rendering to work.
  As I said earlier, I did get it to work at the lower resolution, but
the benefits of having direct rendering does not overcome the sheer pain
of working in that resolution.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Both by myself, and the many
others out there who tend not to raise their voices.

Darcy Kahle