XFree86 available via yum

[Mike A. Harris]

On Sun, 12 Oct 2003, Elton Woo wrote:

><mharris at redhat.com>> wrote:
>> Please test the repository out, and feel free to provide feedback
>> both good and/or bad about it.
>>
>>         ftp://people.redhat.com/mharris/testing/unstable
>>
>> XFree86-4.3.0-39 is there right now for x86, ppc, x86_64, and ia64
>
>Downloaded via http using mozilla, and installed.

Interesting, because it isn't available for download via http.  
;o)


>No problems. I had to install XFree86-Mesa-libGL, though ... to
>satisfy dependencies, then remove it using --nodeps, so that I
>can once again run the GL screensavers.

That's kindof annoying..  I split libGL out into a separate
package a few OS releases ago *specifically* for Nvidia, ATI, and
other 3rd party driver suppliers benefit, and *NONE OF THEM*
take advantage of it.  Also split out libGLU as some vendors 
supply their own libGLU as well.

What would be nice, would be to allow multiple libGL 
implementations to co-exist, and let a 3rd party driver vendor 
override using the system supplied one at install time, and then 
undo that when they uninstall.  Perhaps I should make libGL use 
the alternatives mechanism?  Or, it could use some kind of 
symlink doctory perhaps.  If anyone has suggestions that they'd 
like to submit for improving this mess, feel free.


>I'm now running my display at 1280 x 1024 X 24-bit, though I now
>see I have the options of going as high as 1600 x 1200 . This is
>an original (7-year-old) Viewsonic 17 with the Jaton 3D (nVidia)
>AGP card (32 Mb).
>
>The system seems faster in refreshing and displaying graphics or
>movies., However, I would need guidance in doing any specific
>tests to verify actual performance.

The only performance that has been changed in this release, is 
the xfs initscript startup time.  That doesn't have anything to 
do with video drivers or video performance of course.  ;o)

If you wish to do comparitive benchmarks with 3D, use SPEC 
viewperf, or one of the other benchmarks out there.  I use 
viewperf generally.

-- 
Mike A. Harris     ftp://people.redhat.com/mharris
OS Systems Engineer - XFree86 maintainer - Red Hat