[KLUG Members] XFree86 4.2.0 problem.

[Adam Williams]

>However windows now seems much slower than RH7.3/XF4.1.0 with "dri".

Of course.

> I don't know if the slowdown is due to Gnome v2, or XF86 because it's
> missing the "dri" module.  What is heck is "dri" anyway ???  Does it

Direct Rendering Infrastructure
http://dri.sourceforge.net/

> have anything to do with speed?  

It is the video acceleration part of X.

"The Direct Rendering Infrastructure, also known as the DRI, is a
framework for allowing direct access to graphics hardware in a safe and
efficient manner. It includes changes to the X server, to several client
libraries, and to the kernel. The first major use for the DRI is to
create fast OpenGL implementations.
The DRI was initially developed by Precision Insight, Inc. (PI) in
cooperation with, and partially funded by Red Hat Inc., and SGI. Since
PI's merger with VA Linux, and VA Linux' subsequent exit from Linux, the
DRI is being maintained by Tungsten Graphics Inc., a new company formed
by some of the initial DRI developers from PI.
The DRI is an integral part of XFree86 4.x, and integrates with Mesa, an
open source implementation of the OpenGL API. Several 3D accelerated
drivers have been written to the DRI specification, including drivers
for chipsets produced by ATI, Matrox, 3dfx, and Intel. Tungsten Graphics
is the current focal point for all DRI development, and many open source
developers continue to contribute to the project through the DRI
sourceforge project. "

>Am I going to run into more problems
> without it?  Should I reinstall XF86 4.1.0 from RH 7.3 on 8.0?  Should I
> manually upgrade to XF86 4.2.1?  Should I buy a new video card?  ...

Guide to debugging DRI -
http://gatos.sourceforge.net/dri-debug.php