[Gllug] Geforce2

[Mike Brodbelt]

On Tue, 2002-01-22 at 11:50, Jackson, Harry wrote:
> Hi all
> 
> I have a Geforce2 32Mb nvidia MX (I hope all that makes sense to you) from
> Jetaway. I have had tried to configure X for this driver and as usual have
> fallen over. I use xf86config and there are only two drivers for the Geforce
> nvidia 
> 
> Generic 256
> Generic DDR
> 
> This is for a Debian Potato Install so is it because I have got an old
> version of X or something else. I intend to install woody anyway, would this
> solve my problems. 
> 
> Please do not read if you take this stuff tooooooo seriously.
> <severe_rant>
> Is it just me or is X the biggest pain in the arse of all the stuff to get
> running on a linux box.

Graphics cards are probably some of the most complex hardware to support
properly. Add to that a company like nVidia, who refuse to give out
specs, and even went as far as deliberately obfuscating source code
submitted to the XFree86 project, and it's hardly surprising there are
problems. IMO, nVidia's closed source drivers are no help at all to
linux - they just cause all sorts of people who aren't reposnsible for
nVidia's asinine corporate attitude to get flak for it.

 I have had no end of installs that all go great
> except when it comes to getting the GUI running. Is there some voodoo magic
> that can be applied to get the damned thing running or are we doomed to
> trial and error fault finding every time we install.

Buy cards that are properly and *openly* supported. I've bought Matrox
cards since the original Millenium - every single one has worked
flawlessly under X, first time. I use stock XFree distros, and no binary
only code.

> Forgive a lesser mortal
> for running off at the mouth about this but I would have thought that over
> the last 18 months these things would be getting easier. 

They'll get easier only if nVidia ever get a clue, which seems unlikely
at present.

Mike.

P.S. If anyone hadn't guessed, nVidia are a pet hate of mine. If using
binary only software to gain better hardware support was an acceptable
compromise, I'd be running Windows. IMO, nVidia's "support" does the
linux community no favours whatsoever.


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