*BSD News Article 10658


Return to BSD News archive

Received: by minnie.vk1xwt.ampr.org with NNTP
	id AA436 ; Sun, 31 Jan 93 14:08:02 EST
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd
Path: sserve!manuel.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!spool.mu.edu!agate!ames!pacbell.com!att-out!cbnewsj!dwex
From: dwex@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (david.e.wexelblat)
Subject: Re: SVGA/TIGA driver?
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 1 Feb 1993 16:46:28 GMT
Message-ID: <1993Feb1.164628.19846@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>
References: <C1nDuz.DFM@csn.org>
Lines: 36

In article <C1nDuz.DFM@csn.org> dfishman@teal.csn.org (Dan Fishman) writes:
> I'm looking at getting 386BSD up on my PC.  I have a Hercules Graphics
> Station Card (GB1024+2).  This is the version with 1MB VRAM and 2MB
> DRAM for TI34010 code download.  The card has a standard VGA chip on
> it as well.  Is there a driver for 386BSD (actually Xfree I suppose)
> to utilize any of the enhanced feature possible in the TIGA structure?
> 
> I.E. how will this card work with 386BSD under X at 1024x768?  I know
> it's not a screamer overall, but is it a reasonable card in this environment
> and how reliable is the driver (if there is one)?
> 
> Reply by email or point me to a FAQ if this one is covered somewhere.
> 
> Dan Fishman (dfishman@csn.org) (W) (303) 469-6469 (Fax) (303) 465-4396

I doubt that there will ever be a TIGA driver for XFree86.  I have it
on good authority (from people I know know what they are talking about) 
that TIGA is basically useless for X, because its operations don't map
to X operations well enough (don't ask me specifics; I don't know them).
These people have given up on programming TIGA and are programming the
hardware directly.  This is unfortunately non-portable.  In addition,
TI wants several thousand dollars for a 340x0 development environment.

And given how cheap S3/ATI cards are, TI-based boards are not likely
to be worth the effort (they have greater potential, because of their
general programability, but I doubt many people will be willing to expend
the money and effort).

Sorry.

--
David Wexelblat <dwex@mtgzfs3.att.com>  (908) 957-5871
AT&T Bell Laboratories, 200 Laurel Ave - 3F-428, Middletown, NJ  07748

"The meaning of life?  That's simple.  Try to be happy, try not to hurt
 other people, and hope to fall in love."  -- Mallory Keaton