*BSD News Article 11021


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From: dwex@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (david.e.wexelblat)
Subject: Re: What kinds of G card are there?
Organization: AT&T
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1993 17:13:14 GMT
Message-ID: <1993Feb10.171314.23183@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>
References: <MOTO.93Feb9174218@spook.graco.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp>
Lines: 47

In article <MOTO.93Feb9174218@spook.graco.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp> moto@graco.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp (Motohisa Kida) writes:
> 
> Hello,
>   I am a student planning to buy a PC compatible machine.
> I have a question on Graphic cards which run on XFree86.
> I have a little confused with relation between CHIP names and CHIP makers,
> such as ET4000 and Diamond Stealth. I read ` X on Intel-based Unix Frequently 
> Asked Questions [FAQ] (with answers)` released by steve@ecf.toronto.edu,though,
> are there any possibility that Diamond Stealth makes ET4000? I heard that.
> I would like to make sure if XFree86 surport ANY ET4000.
> Please someone break this confusion, thank you.
> 
> ( English is second language for me...)
> --
> 
>        $BEl5~Bg3XBg3X1!(B $BAm9gJ82=8&5f2J(B $B9-0h2J3X@l96(B $B=$;N2]Dx(B1$BG/(B
> 
> 	The Tokyo University, 
> 		Division of International and Interdisciplinary Studies,
> 			General system Studies, Graphic and Computer Class.
> 
>                         $BLZED(B $B445W(B
> 			Mothisa Kida
>                         moto@graco.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp

This is a very difficult question to answer, because of all the permutations.
For example, Diamond is a board maker, and uses other vendors' chipsets on
their boards.  Trident is both a board and chipset maker, no one else
(that I know of) uses Trident chips on a board.  Tseng is both a board
and chipset maker, and their chips are used on lots of boards.

For working with XFree86, you are only concerned with the chipset being used.
Regardless of who makes the board, you want to find out what chipset they
use and make sure it's one of the ones that's supported by XFree86.  The
only exception to this is Diamond.  They do nasty proprietary things with
their hardware, so XFree86 doesn't work with their stuff.  Avoid them.  Buy 
from a friendly vendor like Orchid.

Note that this only applies to XFree86.  Amancio may want to comment more
about XS3; I think it has some tighter compatibility constraints.

--
David Wexelblat <dwex@mtgzfs3.att.com>  (908) 957-5871
AT&T Bell Laboratories, 200 Laurel Ave - 3F-428, Middletown, NJ  07748

"In and around the lake, the mountains come out of the sky.  They stand there."
	-- Yes, Roundabout