Kernel configuration

ATI Rage XL is a  very acient video card. The hardest part was to find the correct video driver for it. After much guess and trial and searching around, I believe the correct answer is "mach64".

I first tried to use some ati drivers, such as "fglrx" and "radeon". This would bring in ati-drivers. In order to ati-drivers, I had to set the following kernel options. I haven't removed the them to find out whether I can go without them.

Bus options (PCI etc.) --->
    ...
    [*] Enable deprecated pci_find_* API

Kernel hacking --->
    ......
    [*] Enable unused/obsolete exported symbols

Get the AGP chipset type:

lspci | grep AGP
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82875P Processor to AGP Controller (rev 02)
 

The next session is for direct rendering. Anyway, let's enable as much things as possible for it. Here we set the kernel option for AGP:

Device Drivers --->
    ......
    Graphics support --->
        <M> /dev/agpgart (AGP Support) --->
            <M> ATI chipset support
    <M> Direct Rendering Manager (XFree86 4.1.0 and higher DRI support) --->
                       

Processor type and features --->
    <*> MTRR (Memory Type Range Register) support

Install X server and drivers

In /etc/make.conf, add the following flag:

VIDEO_CARDS="vesa  mach64"
INPUT_DEVICES="evdev"

There is no longer an "ati" VIDEO_CARDS option. This blog, http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2008/12/21/from-ati-to-mach64/, wrote that legacy ati cards are now included in mach64.

The file /usr/portage/profiles/desc/video_cards.desc lists all the options for VIDEO_CARDS.

Now install or update your xor-server:

# emerge xorg-server
# emerge xorg-x11

Try to auto config X as below:

# Xorg -configure

This should just work.

Now you can configure your keyboard, mouse, and resolution.

Input devices

Follow this article to use evdev as the keyboard and mouse drivers.

Direct rendering

The command "Xorg -configure" should have set the direct rendering correctly. Check the xorg.conf for the section "Module":

Section "Module"
        Load  "record"
        Load  "glx"
        Load  "dri"
        Load  "extmod"
        Load  "dbe"
        Load  "xtrap"
EndSection

The module "glx" and "dri" are for the direct rendering. To test, run "startx", then in an xterm, run:

$ glxinfo | grep rendering
direct rendering: Yes
$ glxgears
 

Xfce desktop

Install Xfce was rather straightforward, once we got the X up and running. Figuring out the video driver and getting all the kernel options properly configured have always been the hardest part for us.