[KLUG Members] Linux-compatible video cards for SPARCs

[Dan Sikorski]

Adam Bultman wrote:
> Solaris 10.   It is a fast workstation - Dual 1.2GHz, 4G of RAM - but it
> runs my applications a lot slower than it should.  My previous machine,
> a dual Athlon MP 1.5GHz, ran things with a lot more zip. 
>   
That's a letdown, my current machine is a dual athlon mp, and i would 
have hoped a sunblade 2000 woul handily outperform it
> I've done quite a bit of googling, and it turns out the XVR 500 is
> useless in linux.  It works on the console, but that's it.  
>
>   
I think that you can get a commercial X server for it, but given your 
budgetary restrictions outlined below, that's right out.
> My official budget is $0, so I'm doing some freecycling and local
> LUG-querying (KLUG is not local to me anymore.)  The folks on
> #gentoo-sparc said that Matrox cards do rather well with SPARCs, so I'm
> going to try that next.  I am not holding out hope, however.  I think
> there's some special quirks regarding the PCI bus on the sunblade 2000s. 
>
>   
You might want to do some searches of the mailing list archives at 
sunhelp.org.  geeks@ or rescue@ are full of good information.  I think 
your biggest problem, however will be getting a card that will work with 
openboot, and with X.  If you're willing to to have console on the 
XVR500 and X on another card, that might not be difficult, and if you 
have a spare video card around would be easy enough to try.  I'm not 
exactly local to KLUG either, so if you happen to be around South Bend, 
IN, I might have some cards that you could try.  And of course, I would 
be perfectly willing to trade a good performing linux machine for your 
sunblade if you could convince your employer that it would be 
appropriate. :)  Also, try the sunhelp.org mailing lists, you might find 
someone willing to trade the xvr500 for something that will work for 
you. (once again, if you employer permits)
> Solaris x86 is alright.  I ran it when I first started my current job
> since I'm managing Solaris and linux machines (and I was not
> super-familiar with Solaris), but it had a enough quirks to make me
> reformat and install linux.   I use gnome-terminal, gaim, skype,
> thunderbird, evolution, firefox, xmms, openoffice - all desktop apps
> (although I do run server programs too inside of zones).  While Solaris
> is a fine OS, on the desktop I find myself up creeks without paddles far
> more often than with linux.   The program pkg-get is a lifesaver
> (install it first thing!) but I end up rebooting about every 3 days, vs.
> 15-25 with linux.
>
> Re: solaris x86 on the server, it works just fine. We have a couple of
> those around, and they run just fine.  Just as, if not more reliable
> than some of our SPARCs. 
>   
I'm a fan of Sun hardware, i have tons of old stuff lying around.  Even 
a e420r that i've been
meaning to work on for about a year and still haven't done anything 
meaningful with.  I bought it to replace my aging (circa 1991 i think?) 
sparc10!

    -Dan Sikorski