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Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.misc Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!uunet!psinntp!pool!uddc From: uddc@pool.info.sunyit.edu (David D. Colbey) Subject: Re: FreeBSD 1.0R, XFree-86 2.0, and Diamond Speedstar Message-ID: <1993Dec30.044656.23447@pool.info.sunyit.edu> Organization: State University of New York -- Institute of Technology X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] References: <2fq7f6$gaj@ulowell.uml.edu> <2fqcdg$isp@ulowell.uml.edu> <1993Dec29.041309.17997@pool.info.sunyit.edu> <CIt0rC.F49@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> Date: Thu, 30 Dec 1993 04:46:56 GMT Lines: 67 Jim Pitts (pitts@mimosa.astro.indiana.edu) wrote: : In article <1993Dec29.041309.17997@pool.info.sunyit.edu>, : David D. Colbey <uddc@pool.info.sunyit.edu> wrote: : >Brian 'Doc' O'Neill (oneill@cs.uml.edu) wrote: : >: In article <2fq7f6$gaj@ulowell.uml.edu> oneill@cs.uml.edu (Brian 'Doc' O'Neill) writes: : >: >I am having trouble with getting XFree-86 2.0 running on my FreeBSD 1.0R : >: >system. I have a Diamond Speedstar ET4000 card. No Plus, no II, no 24, just : >: >Speedstar. The monitor is a ADI MicroScan 3E : > : >: Whoops...correction...it IS a Speedstar Plus... : > : >Diamond video cards suck! I have a SpeedStar 24X and I had the same problem : >as you. My workaround is to use a program written for Linux called "freq". : >After a little hacking, I was able to get it compiled. Unfortunately it does : >not always work. It occasionally gives a "bus error" and core dumps. When : >this happens, I have to boot DOS and run something that uses the Hi-Res video : >mode, then reboot FreeBSD. I sure wish Diamond didn't have such big "trade : >secrets" to hide. : > : Diamond video cards do not suck. They just don't support the software you : want the way you want it supported. As far as video cards go they are : actually very nice. Your problem is with a lack of free support for the : product, not a technical problem with the card itself. I stand corrected. Diamond's non-disclosure policy is what I am unhappy with. The product does perform as advertised under the OS that it was designed to run on. : Of course I refer to XFree86 when I mean software. I first questioned the : teams policy of no support for these products. I now understand why : this is the case and support their stand on the issue. : Of course as an owner of Diamond products I am hurt by this messy situation, : but those are the breaks. I chose to buy Diamond. I hope that in the : future Diamond will see that guarding the programming of their clock chips : is not necessary. When this happens I also hope the XFree86 team will be : willing to admit when they have won a battle. I am not holding my breath. : I use my Diamond card with XFree86-2.0 with -0- problems. It works great, I get : good performance, and am very happy with it. It is a very nice card. : FYI I hacked 'freq' as well for FreeBSD with little problems. It works well : for me. I have no problems with "bus errors". Could you please make your version available to others? I am new at C programming and would like to compare your version with mine. : Finally, I would like to note for general record that Diamond sent me the : information needed to modify 'freq' (how to program the clock). They : sent it to me through my FAX machine minutes after a nice conversation with : their support people. They were very polite and -did not- ask me to sign : anything about non-disclosure. I am not saying they did not do this to others : in the past. I am just saying that I have never experienced any resistance : from them on the subject. These are things that one would generally consider : to be 'good' support from a company. : Just my .02, and seldom worth that much. : -- : - pitts@mimosa.astro.indiana.edu ^ | James J. Pitts - : - Most people are sheep. /@\ | IU Physics Dept - : - Only a select few are fit to rule. / \ | Voice: 812-855-8247 - : - We are The Bavarian Illuminati. /_____\ | FAX : 812-855-5533 - Dave Colbey uddc@pool.sunyit.edu