Re: PCI graphics cards on Sun hardware

[raymond.meyer%rambler.ru@localhost]

On Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:51:58 -0500
Michael <macallan%netbsd.org@localhost> wrote:

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> Hello,
> 
> On Feb 12, 2009, at 5:55 PM, raymond.meyer%rambler.ru@localhost wrote:
> 
> > Are there any new developments in regard to running 3rd party PCI
> > graphics cards on Sun hardware?
> >
> > Last time I asked, I was told it didn't really work:
> >
> > http://mail-index.netbsd.org/port-sparc64/2008/04/07/msg000306.html
> >
> > I have an old ATI rage128 PCI card that I would like to use for  
> > running
> > X11 on Sun Ultra 10. What needs to be done to achieve this? Maybe it's
> > possible to write a small fcode "driver" that gets loaded by OpenBoot
> > firmware and sets the PCI card to be the system console?
> 
> I have some experimental code that lets the Xserver access PCI  
> graphics cards which have a wsdisplay attached to them. So far i still  
> requires Sun firmware since the r128fb driver only accelerates  
> wsdisplay ops but doesn't do any video mode programming, let alone  
> cold chip setup.

What is the firmware supposed to do? Is it something simple like
initialising the card and setting it to be system console. Is there any
documentation that describes how ATI rage 128 chips function? What's
the relationship between r128fb driver and wsdisplay? Do you need a
wsdisplay driver as well as X11 driver for each chip?