SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10

Xgl is a new Xserver architecture available in SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 Desktop. Xgl provides the means for the system to perform visually appealing graphical effects. Some of these new effects are the rotating 3-D cube desktop, translucent or transparent windows, and window switching.

Support for Xgl in SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 Desktop depends on several requirements. The first major requirement is a graphics adapter that provides 3-D support. The second major requirement is the graphics driver that Linux uses to operate the graphics adapter, which also needs to handle OpenGL (or 3-D) requests from the Linux kernel. When both of these requirements are met, Xgl can be used on the desktop.

A list of supported adapters can be found in the"/etc/X11/xgl-hardware-list" file that is included with the SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 installation. Please note that there are several sections related to each of the adapters listed:Supported, Unsupported-but-partially-working, and Unsupported.

• Supported- This means that the hardware and the associated driver have been tested and work correctly. Any adapters and their associated drivers under this category are supported by SUSE.
• Unsupported-but-partially-working- This means that the hardware and the associated driver have been tested by SUSE and function properly for the most part, but are problematic in away that prevented certification. Any adapters and their associated drivers under this category are not supported by SUSE.
• Unsupported- This means that the hardware and associated driver have been tested by SUSE and have either not functioned at all or were so problematic as to make them unusable. Any adapters and their associated drivers under this category are not supported by SUSE.

An example section from one of these files can be seen in the additional notes section of this document.

To obtain and install one of the supported Xgl drivers, the installation of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 must be registered prior to enabling Xgl. Once registered, the Xgl installation script will be able to obtain the proper driver for installation.

If the installation has not been registered, open the YaST Control Center, and click on "Software", then "SUSE Customer Center Configuration". Follow the on-line instructions to enable on-line updates and register the installation.

Once registered, Xgl can be enabled by running the command :

gnome-xgl-switch --enable-xgl

Also note that, should problems arise, Xgl can be disabled by running the command :

gnome-xgl-switch --disable-xgl

To reiterate an important point above, always check the"/etc/X11/xgl-hardware-list" file for a list of supported adapters. Not all NVidia or ATI graphics adapters or drivers can support Xgl.

The following is an excerpt from an existing"/etc/X11/xgl-hardware-list" file, and is only provided as an example of what can be found in the hardware list. The contents of this file can change at any time or update, so remember to always check the copy that is installed with that version of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10. The excerpts :
 

##

## Intel cards

##

DRIVER   =

PACKAGES =

SETUP    = /etc/X11/xgl-intel-setup.pl

XGL_OPTS = -accel glx:pbuffer -accel xv:pbuffer

# Supported Intel cards

G 8086:2582     # 82915G/GV/910GL Express Chipset Family Graphics Controller

G 8086:27a2     # Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller

# Unsupported-but-partially-working Intel cards

S 8086:3577     # 82830 CGC [Chipset Graphics Controller]

S 8086:3582     # 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device

# Unrecognized Intel cards

U 8086:

##

## NVIDIA cards

##

DRIVER   = nvidia

PACKAGES = x11-video-nvidia nvidia-gfx-kmp

SETUP    =

XGL_OPTS = -accel glx:pbuffer -accel xv

# Supported NVIDIA cards

G 10de:0092     # GeForce 7800 GT

G 10de:0140     # NV43 [GeForce 6600 GT]

G 10de:0161     # GeForce 6200 TurboCache(TM)

G 10de:0326     # NV34 [GeForce FX 5500]

# Unsupported-but-partially-working NVIDIA cards

S 10de:00ce     # NV41GL [Quadro FX 1400]

S 10de:0179     # NV17 [GeForce4 420 Go 32M]

S 10de:0185     # NV18 [GeForce4 MX 4000 AGP 8x]

S 10de:0286     # NV28 [GeForce4 Ti 4200 Go AGP 8x]

# Unrecognized NVIDIA cards

U 10de:0040     # GeForce 6800 Ultra

##

## ATI cards

##

DRIVER   = fglrx

PACKAGES = x11-video-fglrx ati-fglrx-kmp

SETUP    = /etc/X11/xgl-fglrx-setup.sh

XGL_OPTS = -accel glx:pbuffer -accel xv:pbuffer

# Supported ATI cards

G 1002:3150     # M24 1P [Radeon Mobility X600]

G 1002:4a4d     # R420 JM [FireGL X3]

G 1002:4e54     # M10 NT [FireGL Mobility T2]

G 1002:5460     # M22 [Radeon Mobility M300]

G 1002:5b62     # RV370 5B62 [Radeon X600 (PCIE)]

G 1002:5b72     # RV380 5B62 [Radeon X600 (PCIE)]

# Unsupported-but-partially-working ATI cards

S 1002:4c57     # Radeon Mobility M7 LW [Radeon Mobility 7500]

# Non-Xgl-compatible ATI cards

B 1002:4752     # Rage XL

B 1002:4c66     # Radeon R250 Lf [FireGL 9000]

B 1002:5961     # RV280 [Radeon 9200]

To reiterate, the above is an excerpt from the"/etc/X11/xgl-hardware-list" file, and may not be accurate depending on updates to the system.