NVIDIA TNT2 woes

[Alex Zbyslaw]

Anthony M. Agelastos wrote:

>> Can you use the x.org "nv" driver instead?  I've never really  
>> figured out what the binary driver buys you over the standard one,  
>> but then all I do is run X with fvwm2, mainly for software  
>> development, so I have never needed any "fancy" features.  (I've  
>> never had a TNT2, but I believe it's supported).
>>
>> Man nv says under supported cards:
>>
>>          RIVA TNT2             NV5
>>
>>
> I am having the same problem with a RIVA TNT card. Changing the  
> driver from nvidia to nv in /etc/X11/xorg.conf allows me to enter  
> X11. This is all unfortunate, however. These binary drivers provide  
> GLX extensions to X11 for NVIDIA cards (so I could type glxgears at  
> the prompt and have it actually do something). I hope this site  
> exists soon and someone makes a port for it; I enjoyed knowing that  
> if I needed to play an OpenGL game that wasn't too hardcore, I could  
> do it with this computer (I could actually play Quake 3 pretty well  
> with those drivers).
>
Well, I run the "nv" driver (on a much newer NVidia card, admittedly) 
and I can run glxgears and get output (160-180 FPS).  My modules section 
of xorg.conf has

        Load  "glx"

and the Device section

        Driver      "nv"

There must be something else that the binary driver provides (or maybe 
it just does it better).

--Alex