Inlining what little I know here...
James wrote:
Hello all,
BACKGROUND: On my portable I have this chipset: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon R250 Lf [FireGL 9000], on a portable. emerge -s ati-drivers shows: media-video/ati-drivers Latest version available: 8.12.10 Latest version installed: 8.12.10 <snip> media-video/ati-drivers-extra Latest version available: 8.8.25 Latest version installed: 8.8.25
Don't know that specific chip, nor what supports it.
OK, so the upgradde form 8.8.xxx to 8.12.10 has occurred. At the end of the upgrade this message is echoed to the screen:
* To switch to ATI OpenGL, run "opengl-update ati"
* To change your XF86Config you can use the bundled "fglrxconfig"
* *** * If you are experiencing problems with memory allocation try to add * this line to in your X11 configuration file: * Option "KernelModuleParm" "agplock=0" * That should solve the hangups you could have with Neverwinter Nights * ***
So here are the questions:
1. Should I switch to ATI OpenGL ? If not what do I loose? Why?
What that does, IIUC, is to tell the opengl that is already on your system to attach itself to the ATI drivers, not actually replace the opengl. Also, you must do this if you want opengl to work while the ATI drivers re installed, but if you don't care about opengl -- which depends on what you want to do and what the software to do it needs -- then you can ignore that part; I have on other computers.
2. OK if I follow the instructions and switch, are there any
snafu's or is this beta code that's going to cook something on the portable?
Only thing I know right now is I am asking around for help with dual-monitor/Win4Lin/ATI-drivers. There is a problem there (ATI AIW agp8x 128m &c).
3. Is this just another Open Source versus Vendor Closed source
binaries pissing_contest or is the ATI OpenGL really beneficial in means of performance/features?
<..contest...> Yes, in part, at least! (Holy Wars... I hate 'em!)
<...OpenGL...> --is beneficial, yes, and, repeating, the update above has to be done foe OpenGL to work while ATI drivers are loaded.
Partial knowledge: for resolution not over 1024x768, probably can. I __did__ say 'probably'! It depends on what kind of performance you need; for normal 2-d stuffs, you may never notice the difference. One Last Note! -- -I- haven't unemrged anything yet, so maybe you should even ask that last as a single-question message about unmerging?
4. Can I just 'emerge unmerge ati-drivers' and live happily without ati-drivers on my portable ? (I do not remember
installing ati-drivers, but hey, I don't remember lots
of things).
rgh.
Any words of wisdom are much appreciated!
James
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