[lug] XFree86 vs. XF86_SVGA?

[Ed Hill]

On Mon, 2002-06-03 at 14:10, Scott A. Herod wrote:
> 
>    I have a bunch of questions about the difference between the XFree86 
> server and XF86_SVGA server.  But, I'll start with just one: Does the 
> XF86_SVGA server use the drivers in /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/drivers/ ?
>
>    On one of my boxes, with a ATI Rage 128, it does not even appear that 
> RH 7.3 and XF86 4.2.0 even provided an XF86_SVGA server instead using 
> XFree86.  Another box, with a Trident Cyberblade i1, wants to use the 
> XF86_SVGA driver by default.  On this trident box, am I even using the 
> trident driver?  Can I change the server that I use simply by changing 
> the softlink /etc/X11/X to point to either the XF86_SVGA or XFree86 server?


Hi Scott,

I'm not sure that I understand your questions, but I'll try to give some
sort of response...

The X server used in most Linux distros is the one from the XFree86
project

  http://www.xfree86.org/

and its a huge suite of programs.

With older (pre-4.x) versions of XFree86, there were different drivers
("servers") that worked with different graphics chipsets.  They had
names like "XF86_SVGA", "XF86_3DLabs", "XF86_8514", and "XF86_VGA16". 
You had to select (usually, using a soft link) which driver to run. 
Installer programs would typically help you with this selection process,
which was mostly based on the particular chipset used in your video
hardware.

With the newer XFree86 v4.x series, I believe that they have a more
modular design that allows the different drivers to be selected and
loaded at run-time.  This is probably what you are seeing on your RH 7.3
box (though its complicated by the fact that RH 7.3 will install 
XFree86 v3.3.6 and/or v4.2.0 depending upon which offers better support
for your particular hardware).  For v4.x, you specify which driver in
your XFree86 config file rather than as a soft link.

I hope that description helps.  You can get a lot more info from the
docs at:  http://www.xfree86.org/

Ed


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