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XFree86 4.0.1 Released
Alphix writes: "The first update to XFree86 4.0 has been released, a ton of bug fixes etc and a merge of new DRI code along with SPARC fixes should be enough to warrant an upgrade =). patches are here, source is here. Sourceforge and other mirrors should have it soon."
However, Branden in May did announce that he would be releasing the binary packages for XFree86 4.0.1 during this month. If you're a Debian user who's hoping for the Debian packages for XFree86 4.x, then I'd advise you to read the plans Branden has for XFree86 4.0 packaging.
-- "I can't tell the future, I just work there." -- The Doctor
>that i'm not too happy with the state of XFree86
>4.0. Primarily because there's a lot of support
>that was left out.
The alternative being not releasing it so that people who DO have supported chipsets can use it?
>Particularly on most 3dfx chipsets. Sure, it says
>all 3dfx chips are supported, but that's
>laughable.
The DRI drivers are being done by 3DFX, so they're the ones that you have an issue with, not the XFree86 team.
It is also worth noting that the drivers are specifically mentioned in the FAQ to be beta quality at this time.
>Perhaps 4.0 was build up quite a bit more than
>it should have been - but it comes down to the
>fact that this wasn't really a next-gen release.
Ummm, a new codebase (X11R6.4), more protocol extensions (can we say Xinerama?), a re-enginnered direct rendering interface, integration of a font server and OpenGL software renderer, a binary loader that can load drivers on any operating system under the same architechture...
This smells of major next generation release to me.
>For some people it was worth while to upgrade,
>while for others it was not.
And for almost all people it *will* be worthwhile to upgrade, once the driver base is brought up to snuff and the distributions start packaging it.
>I would have been much happier to see the folks
>at XFree86 wait a little longer to release a much
>better product.
What objections do you have to the current implementation, aside from whining that it the driver for your video card isn't finished?
Unfortunately its difficult for an unreleased product to gain a wide base of drivers, a signifigant amount of polish, and full bug testing.
>Something that everyone could upgrade to. I
>know at least 3dfx and some ATI chips got
>screwed.
Ummm, screwed? You can continue using 3.3.6 as you did before. The only people who need be affected are those that BENEFIT from the release.
And again, I must reiterate - waiting for all drivers to mature before release buys nothing. The only effect is to keep it out of the hands of the people who CAN upgrade and CAN benefit immediately.
Let me correct a few facts that have shown up in this thread. First, all the 3dfx boards that do 2D are supported under XFree 4.0. That means that the Voodoo Graphics and Voodoo2 are not, but since they don't use the X server at all they don't need any special support to run under X.
2D performance of the 3dfx boards is much better under 4.0 than it was under 3.3. The new architecture of 4.0 and the release of 3dfx specs allows the server to run much better.
3D performance is a more complicated matter. I suspect this is where people are complaining. The DRI is a new architecture and it has somewhat different goals than the hack I put together for doing 3D under 3.3. It is designed to run multiple applications, in a window, reliably, and securely. Those extra features do take a toll on performance. Our goal for 4.0 was always to make it work correctly before worrying about the performance. We've just gotten to that point and are now putting some attention on performance. I've made some substantial improvements in the last week, that will be showing up in 4.0 soon.
Finally, Precision Insight and now VA Linux Systems is doing he 2D and 3D work for 3dfx. That work is being done primarily by me. I also did most of the 2D and 3D work under XFree 3.3. (I did have some good contributions by few other developers) So mostly the same people are doing the 3.3 work and 4.0 work. It both cases it was done mostly by a very small group (less than 3) contributors.
The XFree 4.0 support for 3dfx boards is far from laughable. It's one of the best boards supported under 4.0. XFree 4.0 had ambitious goals and we've done a remarkable job pulling them all together. Is the job complete? No. It is running nicely for a lot of people? Absoltely. If you'd like to see it improve then quit complaining and contribute code or bug reports.
- |Daryll
I used to get the mystical black screen of video card lockup on this ATI chip.
It's now working (seemingly) properly under 4.0.1, which is great because Xfree86 4.x is pretty slick. I'll have to do some more testing to make sure it's stable though.
---
Where can the word be found, where can the word resound? Not here, there is not enough silence.
"Where shall the word be found, where will the word resound? Not here, there is not enough silence." -T.S. Eliot