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openchrome drivers for via unichrome graphics cards


Posts: 25

i have just succeeded in getting the openchrome drivers to work under mepis 6.0 by taking the following steps:

Do the following as ROOT

Install needed packages:
apt-get install subversion build-essential automake1.9 libtool pkg-config x11proto-gl-dev libglu1-mesa-dev x11proto-core-dev libxvmc-dev xserver-xorg-dev libgl1-mesa-dev

Compile the openChrome 2D driver:
For chipsets different from K8M890 get the openChrome sourcecode:
svn checkout http://svn.openchrome.org/svn/trunk openchrome

cd openchrome*

run autogen.sh with the prefix option so that the driver is being installed in the correct directory
./autogen.sh --prefix=/usr
make
make install
make clean

Change the Xorg driver to via:
Section "Device" and change Driver "vesa" to Driver "via".

The accelerated video features that come with the unichrome X driver also require DRI to be enabled.
Make sure to add the following to /etc/xorg.conf:

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

Restart X server.

HOWEVER this process does not work for mepis 6.5. the compiler reports that i also need
xorg-server xproto xvmc fontsproto libdrm randrproto renderproto xextproto x11 xextproto videoproto

i do not know where to find these packages, as they are not in the standard pools. any help would be appreciated. i presume the issue has to do with mepis 6.5 upgrading to xorg 7.1.

cheers
stuart

Umm, I commend you for all

Umm, I commend you for all your hard work, but isn't the via 3D accelerated driver pre-installed in Mepis? I've got a Unichrome card in my laptop, and Planet Penguin Racer works fine...

openchrome drivers for via unichrome graphics cards

you are right, i have been working very hard on this one. i hope you are also right about the pre-installation of this driver.

if the driver is pre-installed i wonder why my system does not make use of it.

would you please post your xorg.conf and Xorg.0.log (from /var/log) so i can see what i need to do.

many thanks for your response.
stuart

oh dear how sad never mind ...

i have found that the game you mention is not a 3D game,and it can be played with the vesa video driver, although the performance is abysmal.

i would still like to look at your xorg log and xorg.conf, to see if i am correct.

too bad, i thought i was on to a simple solution.

stuart

support for unichrome graphics

one thing i have noticed with mepis 6.5 is that support for unichrome 2D graphics has improved. there is no more annoying screen flicker. the screen is very steady. i think that is the result of unichrome drivers being used for the first time.

i guess i should be thankful for small mercies. i will continue to try to get 3D graphics working also, since i have experienced the benefits of it in mepis 6.0.

stuart

my xorg.conf file

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the /etc/X11/xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man /etc/X11/xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Files"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
# path to defoma fonts
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "i2c"
Load "bitmap"
Load "dbe"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "record"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
Option "XkbVariant" " "
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Resolution" "1600"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "Auto"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "false"
Option "Buttons" "5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
Driver "synaptics"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
Option "HorizScrollDelta" "0"
Option "UseShm" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "stylus"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
# /dev/input/event
# for USB
Option "Type" "stylus"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "eraser"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
# /dev/input/event
# for USB
Option "Type" "eraser"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "cursor"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
# /dev/input/event
# for USB
Option "Type" "cursor"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8378 [S3 UniChrome] Integrated Video"
Driver "via"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Option "EnableAGPDMA" "true"
# VideoRam 64000
# Option "UseFBDev" "true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 28-49
VertRefresh 43-72
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8378 [S3 UniChrome] Integrated Video"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection

hmmm ...

it looks like your video card is a different model to mine.

a look at your Xorg.0.log would let me confirm it.

many thanks
stuart

Well, yes, it is different.

Well, yes, it is different. It's an integrated KM400, so that's probably why yours won't work out of box...

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