[JBotAlan]

I am using SUSE linux and I have a nVidia RIVA 128 AGP graphics card with a whopping 4MB of onboard memory...but I know it supports OpenGL, because I had the OpenGL crap working in Windoze. SuSE refuses to use the accelerator. Is there a place where I can download a driver or some sort of upgrade? A little help would be nice. Thanks.

[Rashid786]

Did you use the SaX2 configuration thing? I'm pretty sure you can turn on 3d acceleration there...I have a cheapo Intel xtreme graphics card so it didn't work for me.

BTW, do you mean 4GB of onboard memory or actually 4MB?

Are you new to Linux? I read a tutorial about how to get nVidia cards working with Linux...sounds PAINFUL. :torment: You have to recompile the kernel and all sorts of scary stuff like that

-Rashid786-

[lynch]

Originally Posted by JBotAlan

I am using SUSE linux and I have a nVidia RIVA 128 AGP graphics card with a whopping 4MB of onboard memory...but I know it supports OpenGL, because I had the OpenGL crap working in Windoze. SuSE refuses to use the accelerator. Is there a place where I can download a driver or some sort of upgrade? A little help would be nice. Thanks.

You say SuSE refuses to use 3D, so how did you find this out? Were you expecting it to be configured automatically?
The best way,to configure X in SuSE is with SaX2, which can be accessed through YaST2> Hardware or logging in as root and typing sax2 .
Have you done a YaST Online Update(YOU)? That may help.
lynch

[JBotAlan]

Originally Posted by lynch

You say SuSE refuses to use 3D, so how did you find this out? Were you expecting it to be configured automatically?
The best way,to configure X in SuSE is with SaX2, which can be accessed through YaST2> Hardware or logging in as root and typing sax2 .
Have you done a YaST Online Update(YOU)? That may help.
lynch

I am new to linux. The pampered windows user I am, I did expect it to be configured properly automatically. I know it isn't using acceleration because 1) it told me there was no accel available for my card (which I learned was actually an ATI Mach64 GZ...was thinking of my other computer) when I configured it (not through SaX2 though) and 2) the graphics in games and stuff are very jumpy, which could also be caused by the processor, but I don't think so here. How do I use SaX2? I launched it and it told me that the current settings were suggested by SaX2 (or something along those lines), and after playing with the settings awhile, it showed a corrupted desktop, so I used CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE to kill it, and I had to log in again. How do I test OpenGL to make sure it's using hardware accel?
Oh and forget the 4MB, that was my other, other system, but with the age and specs of the one I'm working on, I wouldn't be surprised.

Thanks for your patience with a poor Windows user
Jacob

[lynch]

Run the sax2 command as root and under Desktop there is an option to enable OpenGL. It may be that that card caused problems with OpenGL and the developers decided to keep it disabled. That card was old 5 years ago. 3D acceleration in Linux has become somewhat stable in the last few years.
lynch

[JBotAlan]

Originally Posted by lynch

It may be that that card caused problems with OpenGL and the developers decided to keep it disabled. That card was old 5 years ago.
lynch

Well, I tried to enable the 'accel' option under the expert options of the card because the options under Desktop tell me that it doesn't support 3d accel...it did some fruity things! HEHE! Oh well, I guess I'll have to upgrade to a new card. What type would you reccomend? I want it cheap, but stable and fairly fast. Thanks for the tips.
Jacob

[lynch]

You may want to see some other opinions; I dont use 3D acceleration and the cards I use are of the budget variety. They do what I need.
lynch

[Whiteskin]

in /etc/X11/[xorg.conf | XF86Config-4] be sure that under modules, you are loading the DRI and glx options. Then run startx -- -verbose, and check for the DRI loading stages. If it's not being loaded, it will tell you why (to check, run glxinfo, at the top).
I know I just figured this out on mine, that acceleration works fine (almost the same card too), however, I need to turn down my resolution to 1024x768 to make it work properly because of the tiny amount of vram on that card. Yours may be lower, as I have a 8mb.

[tsunam]

if you are set on getting a new card, go with nvidia...that's no contest in acceleration and 3d rendering between ati and nvidia. a 9800 pro performs like a geforce 3 under linux. You can probably get a decent nvidia geforce 4 for ~50-100 bucks that will do decent for most games you'd want to do.