[Mesa-users] How to check software rendering in Test App

[tom fogal]

Neeraj N T wrote:
  > Is the only way to make sure a MESA test app like 'glxgears'  uses
> software rendering is ,to  build  (configure) MESA with support for Xlib ?
> If we have configured the mesa with DRI and the hardware platform doesnt 
> support graphics acceleration, then what happens?

Drivers are loaded dynamically.  There's a fallback to the software 
drivers if the hardware driver fail to load.

You can force software by setting the LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE environment 
variable, IIRC.

Proprietary drivers (nvidia, ati) work differently, I think, but this is 
of course the wrong place to ask about those anyway.

-tom