[lug] RE: Nvidia accelerated divers

[D. Stimits]

One thing I've noticed is that XFree86 4.0.3 is much more stable than
4.0.2, and that newer NVidia drivers are also far more stable than old
ones. I use an original GeForce I (but DDR). The 4.0.3 has a lot to do
with SMP cleanups (I use SMP). The one thing that I found was the real
show stopper is that I had to use the NVidia agpgart, and I had to
specify 2x AGP, not 4x. The 4x was a problem. But considering I've had
640x480 24/32 bit programs exceeding 300 frames per sec, I don't think
it is a problem. To specify 2x AGP with NVidia, within
/etc/X11/XF86Config-4, find Section "Device" for the nVidia hardware,
and add this (but be sure you are set to boot to console mode in case it
doesn't go right...you can escape from a respawning X11 server, but it
takes good timing):
  Option "NvAgp" "2"

Mine reads:
Section "Device"
   Identifier "nVidia Corporation|GeForce 256 DDR"
   Driver "nvidia"
   BoardName "Unknown"
   Option "NvAgp" "2"
EndSection

And under lsmod I see these:
agpgart                14816   3  (autoclean)
NVdriver              659584  15  (autoclean)

(though I'm not positive, I do think probably the agpgart is the NVidia
version)

With the 2x AGP, I find it is difficult to crash X11 under OpenGL
(though I did recently come across a strange case that required
rearranging the order of setting up an OpenGL window...glClearColor()
had to be changed to a different location).

D. Stimits, stimits at idcomm.com

"Riggs, Rob" wrote:
> 
> I use the drivers from Nvidia in RPM and SRPM form as well (they never seem
> to have the right kernel module for me). I have a TNT2 on an SMP machine.
> I'm less than impressed with its stability. With the X server from this
> summer, my X session would crash after a 8-12 hours of use. The new drivers
> last for about 24-48 hours of use before crashing. These are all probably
> SMP related problems. They've been fighting bad SMP bugs in their code since
> day one.
> 
> I'm really thinking about reverting to the XFree86 drivers. They are rock
> solid. And I don't really need 3D (though it is nice to play with). I am,
> however, quickly tiring of Microsoftesque stability on my Linux workstation.
> 
> -Rob
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Horning [mailto:rip6 at rip6.net]
> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2001 8:55 PM
> Subject:
> 
> >
> > Ps. Has anyone tried to use the rpms from nvidia to get an accelerated x
> > server on linux?  I downloaded them (one for rh7.1 single proc) and rpm
> said
> > that they weren't really rpms.  oh well.
> >
> 
> The RPM's work pretty well for me. I rebuild the kernel pkg from the
> source
> RPM though.
> 
> --
> 
> Mark Horning
> rip6 at rip6.net
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