[Openchrome-users] Missing VIA specs?

[David Kuehling]

Hi,

>>>>> "Soeren" == Soeren D Schulze <soeren.d.schulze at gmx.de> writes:

> Hello, a few weeks ago, I bought a computer with an EN15000 board from
> a reseller.  According to VIA, the video card is a CN700 (lspci says:
> VIA Technologies, Inc. UniChrome Pro IGP (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [VGA])).

I think I have the same card.  lspci:

  01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. UniChrome
  Pro IGP (rev 01)

The x11 driver calls this a VT3344 (/var/log/Xorg.0.log)

  (--) VIA(0): Detected VIA VT3344 (VM800) - EPIA EN.

> Using OpenChrome, I experience some stability problems with that
> machine 

Me too.  For 2D I could fix most of the stability problems by adding the
following options to my xorg.conf ("Device" section, see 'man 4 via'):

        Option          "NoXVDMA"  "true"
        Option          "NoAGPFor2D"  "true"
        Option          "DisableVQ"  "true"

So I guess, the problem might by AGP/DMA related.

Another problem was that high-resolution movies (>= 720 lines etc.)
won't be up-scaled correctly by XV (using 1650x1080 video mode).  Using
the experimental driver branch fixes that specific problem for me:

  svn co http://svn.openchrome.org/svn/branches/experimental_branch

3D still doesn't work reliably with some applications.  'torcs' crashes
my machine.  Lucas (in CC) has the same graphics chip and reports
similar problems on a Debian system (I'm using Ubuntu 7.04)

> I heard about rumors that VIA was refusing some specifications for
> their hardware.  My idea is that I could get my reseller, which seems
> to offer some GNU/Linux-based machines with a UniChrome (older model,
> though; in an ML6000) itself, to impose some pressure on VIA.

That would be a very good thing :)   

One reason for me buying a Via C7 board was the graphics chip with
open-source drivers available.  But the current situation is somewhat
disappointing.

best regards,

David
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