Subject: Re: whats the status of X on alpha so far
To: Ross Harvey <ross@ghs.com>
From: Chris G. Demetriou <cgd@netbsd.org>
List: port-alpha
Date: 04/19/1999 16:19:40
Ross Harvey <ross@ghs.com> writes:
> So, the Multia-style TGA will work just fine in 1.4 ... but ...
> 
> Support in wscons and X in 1.4 for TGA's other than the Multia's looks
> rather doubtful right now, given the time remaining, unless some other
> developer wants to download the bt463 (or whatever) ramdac data sheet and
> help out real fast...the 21030 datasheet itself is available off the
> NetBSD/alpha www page.

Feh.  "Rather doubtful" only if you're going to be imprecise.  8-)

There are three types of TGA:

	ZLXp-E1
	ZLXp-E2
	ZLXp-E3

The former uses the BT485 RAMDAC, was completely supported by the old
NetBSD/alpha X server and wscons code, etc.

The latter two use the BT463, and the X server was never made to work
with them.  I dunno what data format they use for the frame buffer,
but it looks like Jason's written much of the necessary kernel support
to make their colormap support work if using ioctls to get/set
colormap info.


You'll note that nowhere do i mention a special 'Multia TGA;' it's
simply a special case of the ZLXp-E1, designed on to the Multia
motherboard.  It should work as well or as poorly as the rest of the
-E1 TGAs.  (I wrote the original code using an -E1 in an AlphaStation
200, and was pleasantly surprised by the Multia, to be honest.)

Note that the TGA boards shipped with the AlphaStation 200s from
onsale were ZLXp-E2s (IIRC; they certainly weren't -E1s).  Also note
that none of the boards described above should be confused with TGA2
(ZLX2-*) boards; not the same beast.  8-)



cgd
-- 
Chris Demetriou - cgd@netbsd.org - http://www.netbsd.org/People/Pages/cgd.html
Disclaimer: Not speaking for NetBSD, just expressing my own opinion.