Re: OpenGL/Mesa/GLX???


Subject: Re: OpenGL/Mesa/GLX???
phil@Stimpy.netroedge.com
Date: Sat Sep 11 1999 - 17:12:48 MDT


On Sat, 11 Sep 1999, Jason P. Stanford wrote:

> I am taking a graphics programming course at my university, and we're
> using OpenGL/Mesa. I am trying to get it working under YDL,
> specifically, I am trying to export display(s) from some SGI machines on
> campus to my YDL display. I keep getting a "GLX" error. Does this mean
>[...]

I think the better question is: Does your hardware support it?...

Eventhough you are using SGI's, they are sending all the OpenGL commands
to your machine via GLX. If you want the SGI's to do the heavy lifting on
the 3D rendering, then you have to physically sit in front of one to see
the results. The network/CPU bandwidth just isn't there, that's why you
need the hardware accelleration on your end.

I've played with GLX a *little* bit with some different hardware (3DLabs
and 3Dfx cards). It's fairly prelim at this point. Probably the best
thing to do is to get onto the 3dfx.glide.linux newsgroup (news.3dfx.com)
and read up as well as ask some questions, as needed. The 3Dfx cards are
probably the best supported 3D hardware under Linux as well as being the
cheapest for the performance you get. They don't accelerate everything,
and right now the Voodoo3's don't render to a window (it's either full
screen or noth'n), but it sure is fun for Quake3Test.... :')

Oh, btw- my experience is purely on x86 machines, so I don't know how
support for 3Dfx would work under PPC... especially since the 'Glide' lib
is binary distro only (to keep corporate 'secrets' safe). I would bet you
could get X running, but 3D is a different matter. *Maybe* you can get
unaccelerated GLX/Mesa to work, but that would probably be a lot of work
for a non-impressive 3D display.

Good luck, and if you don't mind, let me know how it goes. I'm probably
going to enter the Linux on PPC world, and I'd be curious if we can get
accellerated 3D working.

Phil

------------------------------------------------------------
Philip Edelbrock -- IS Manager -- Edge Design, Corvallis, OR
   phil@netroedge.com -- http://www.netroedge.com/~phil
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