From b534c39ecebde80c45d1657f92fce82f3b97bdec Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Andreas Boll Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2012 23:14:10 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] docs: update FAQ Reported-by: Fabio Pedretti v2: (Chad Versace ) - Rewrite FAQ - proper place for installing mesa. v3: fix some typos Reviewed-by: Chad Versace --- docs/faq.html | 43 ++++++++++++++++++++++++------------------- 1 file changed, 24 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/faq.html b/docs/faq.html index dd4e7de0d42..97c59d381e1 100644 --- a/docs/faq.html +++ b/docs/faq.html @@ -16,7 +16,7 @@

Mesa Frequently Asked Questions

-Last updated: 20 September 2012 +Last updated: 9 October 2012

@@ -236,15 +236,22 @@ Basically you'll want the following: Mesa version number.

-After installing X.org and the DRI drivers, some of these files -may be symlinks into the /usr/X11R6/ tree. +When configuring Mesa, there are three autoconf options that affect the install +location that you should take care with: --prefix, +--libdir, and --with-dri-driverdir. To install Mesa +into the system location where it will be available for all programs to use, set +--prefix=/usr. Set --libdir to where your Linux +distribution installs system libraries, usually either /usr/lib or +/usr/lib64. Set --with-dri-driverdir to the directory +where your Linux distribution installs DRI drivers. To find your system's DRI +driver directory, try executing find /usr -type d -name dri. For +example, if the find command listed /usr/lib64/dri, +then set --with-dri-driverdir=/usr/lib64/dri.

-The old-style Makefile system doesn't install the Mesa libraries; it's -up to you to copy them (and the headers) to the right place. -

-

-The GLUT header and library should go in the same directories. +After determining the correct values for the install location, configure Mesa +with ./configure --prefix=/usr --libdir=xxx --with-dri-driverdir=xxx +and then install with sudo make install.



@@ -254,22 +261,20 @@ The GLUT header and library should go in the same directories.

3.1 Rendering is slow / why isn't my graphics hardware being used?

-Stand-alone Mesa (downloaded as MesaLib-x.y.z.tar.gz) doesn't have any -support for hardware acceleration (with the exception of the 3DFX Voodoo -driver). -

-

-What you really want is a DRI or NVIDIA (or another vendor's OpenGL) driver -for your particular hardware. +If Mesa can't use its hardware accelerated drivers it falls back on one of its software renderers. +(eg. classic swrast, softpipe or llvmpipe)

You can run the glxinfo program to learn about your OpenGL library. -Look for the GL_VENDOR and GL_RENDERER values. -That will identify who's OpenGL library you're using and what sort of +Look for the OpenGL vendor and OpenGL renderer values. +That will identify who's OpenGL library with which driver you're using and what sort of hardware it has detected.

+If you're using a hardware accelerated driver you want direct rendering: Yes. +

+

If your DRI-based driver isn't working, go to the DRI website for trouble-shooting information.

@@ -365,8 +370,8 @@ target hardware/operating system.

The best way to get started is to use an existing driver as your starting point. -For a software driver, the X11 and OSMesa drivers are good examples. -For a hardware driver, the Radeon and R200 DRI drivers are good examples. +For a classic hardware driver, the i965 driver is a good example. +For a Gallium3D hardware driver, the r300g, r600g and the i915g are good examples.

The DRI website has more information about writing hardware drivers. The process isn't well document because the Mesa driver interface changes -- 2.11.0