RE: new system to buy
> From: Brandt Dusthimer [mailto:brandt.dusthimer@qcom.net]
> Also, look into a better video card. ATI doesn't support the Linux
> cause at all. You can pick up a TNT2 for $50 and with XFree 4.0.1 you
> can use NVidia's open source drivers.
No offense, but that's a fair amount of incorrect information.
1. ATI does support Linux (XFree86 and utah-glx specifically), and
the ATI Rage Pro card specs are fully open and used in utah-glx.
The Rage 128 series are also open-spec and X 4.0/DRI drivers have
been written. However, these are older, slower cards. Adequate for
Quake, maybe Quake III, don't even bother w/QIII.
3D support for the Radeon isn't available for Linux *yet*, but
based on ATI's track record I believe them when they say it will be.
2. Nvidia does have open-source drivers, but they are obfuscated, and
only work with XF86 3.3.x, not 4.0. They are also slow. My TNT card
runs just about half as fast using them compared with the Windows
drivers. (Quake framerate ~26FPS Linux, ~60FPS Windows.)
The XF86 4.0 drivers for Nvidia are binary, with a small open-source
interface layer so they can work with multiple kernels. This is not
Nvidia's fault, really, as they licensed technology that they don't
have the right to distribute source for. But the upshot is they
aren't open-source, and they won't be. But they are the fastest with
Linux, right now.
3. Matrox is probably the fastest 3D for Linux with open-source support.
There's XF86 4.0 with DRI support, and it should be very quick. I got
to play with the 3.3.x version and it was fast enough (barely) for
QuakeIII. The 4.0 version should be substantially faster.
> As for sound, get a cheap-o Sound Blaster card.
Hard to go wrong with that. But I would suggest you look at cards
based on the Trident 4DWave chipset. They can be had for as little as
$15 and they have a lot of advantages. They are PCI, support multi-open
in hardware (multiple apps can play sound at the same time), the specs
are fully open so support is very solid, and the sound is clean. Spend
$40 and you get SPDIF (digital) output as well.
There are some disadvantages you should be aware of, though. Sound
capture quality is not what I'd hoped - ample for voice work, not so
good for, e.g., recording tapes and burning them onto CDs. I don't
think the ISA SB cards would be any better, though a SB Live might be.
And Trident's no longer making the chips, so future Windows drivers
may be a problem.
Sincerely,
Ray Ingles (248) 377-7735 ray.ingles@fanucrobotics.com
"Destruction is *easy*. Even stupid people and weather formations can
do it. If you think you're so cool, try *improving* something."
- Me
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