Rage 128 (r128) testers needed

[tormod]

Hi, I am looking for someone with an r128 graphic card who would be willing to test the patch I posted in http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugre...?bug=622606#15

The patch should prevent the driver from crashing when run without an xorg.conf, although it won't come up with the optimal resolution or anything.

On the longer term I would like to help getting more of these old Macs work out-of-the-box but I would need access to the hardware (I have a PowerBook G4 with Radeon R100-family card myself) or people willing to test and report. For now there are so many workarounds and tricks it is insane.

How to apply a patch:

sudo apt-get build-dep xserver-xorg-video-r128
apt-get source xserver-xorg-video-r128
cd xserver-xorg-video-r128-*
patch -p1 < $HOME/Downloads/patch-to-be-tested.patch
# please make sure the patch command did not fail before continuing
debuild -b -us -uc
cd ..
sudo dpkg -i xserver-xorg-video-r128_*.deb

You will then have to restart X (log out and in again) or, depending on login manager etc, you may have to switch to a text console and run e.g. "sudo restart lightdm".
Make sure you test this without any xorg.conf file!
In your report please attach Xorg.0.log files from both with and without the patch.

[linuxopjemac]

Thanks for this. I added a link to this post in the MintPPC forums as well.

[theos911]

Should I try this on my Powermac G3 Blue & White or my Powerbook G3 Wallstreet? (Both have a r128, but I am limited on time and want to use whichever would be more helpful to you.)

IIRC, both of these machines needed:

Option "NoAccel" "true"

in their conf file or they would fail to start x.

[tormod]

Should I try this on my Powermac G3 Blue & White or my Powerbook G3 Wallstreet? (Both have a r128, but I am limited on time and want to use whichever would be more helpful to you.)

IIRC, both of these machines needed:

Option "NoAccel" "true"

in their conf file or they would fail to start x.

OK, in that case the "accel" bug will most likely mask the bug I wanted to fix, and an xorg.conf and tweaking will be needed anyway. So let's leave it for now so we don't waste our time, but thanks a lot anyway for offering to test. Is this on Ubuntu 12.04 and is there a bug report for it?

linuxopjemac, thanks for posting this to the MintPPC forum. Seeing that MintPPC is closer to Debian, it makes more sense as well since I am not even sure the SIGBUS bug is seen on Ubuntu. But now you reported there that you don't need any xorg.conf? Can you please post your Xorg.0.log (in either forum)?

[rsavage]

In Ubuntu/Lubuntu 12.04 you don't have 3d hardware acceleration anymore (it will be the same in MintPPC 11). The code has been removed from Mesa for a lot of old cards.

So in the past using DRI caused lockups with the r128 and AIGLX, and this is one of the reasons why people had to edit xorg.conf files. In new versions you shouldn't have this problem.

I think I am correct in saying the Sigbus error was caused when people used the option UseFBDev false? This is not the default value for PowerPC. The default is UseFBDev true.

People used UseFBDev false when the correct framebuffer was not loaded. From what I gather, sometimes the openfirmware framebuffer does not like to release control. In debian you should be able to get the correct framebuffer loaded from the kernel command line (yaboot prompt). In Ubuntu 11.04> it is a little more complicated, but explained in the FAQ.

[linuxopjemac]

ok, PowerBook G3 Pismo with MintPPC 11 / Debian Wheezy without xorg.conf:

3.2.0-2-powerpc

processor : 0
cpu : 740/750
temperature : 19-22 C (uncalibrated)
clock : 400.000000MHz
revision : 131.0 (pvr 0008 8300)
bogomips : 49.93
timebase : 24966218
platform : PowerMac
model : PowerBook3,1
machine : PowerBook3,1
motherboard : PowerBook3,1 MacRISC2 MacRISC Power Macintosh
detected as : 70 (PowerBook Pismo)
pmac flags : 0000001f
L2 cache : 1024K unified
pmac-generation : NewWorld
Memory : 768 MB

0000:00:10.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: ATI Technologies Inc Rage Mobility M3 AGP 2x [1002:4c46] (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc Rage Mobility M3 AGP 2x [1002:4c46]