[ydl-gen] YDL on PB17

[Warren Nagourney]

Thanks very much for your replies!

I fixed part of the video problem using a suggestion on the YDL  
solutions site: I was able to get the video back by using some form  
of CTRL-OPTION-F2 to get a terminal and executed Xautoconfig to  
regenerate a useable configuration file.  The video now looks good,  
but it is still not accelerated. Is there any way to ensure  
accelerated video on a machine using an ATI mobility 7700 gpu?

The reason for thinking that the video is not accelerated is that I  
briefly get multiple window outlines when I move one Firefox window  
over another one. They quickly collapse, but this shouldn't happen if  
the video is accelerated.

Thanks.

-wn

On Oct 30, 2006, at 5:51 PM, Derick Centeno wrote:

> Hi Warren!
>
> Welcome.
>
> If you don't mind I'll intersperse my replies with your questions.
>
> Warren Nagourney wrote:
>> I have a few YDL questions -  perhaps this should have been sent to
>> the new users list; if this list is inappropriate, my apologies.
>>
>> I am attempting to install YDL 4.1 on an external Firewire drive
>> attached to a 1.5 GHz Powerbook 17" laptop. It seemed to install
>> successfully and launched into the KDE display manager. I noticed
>> first that the graphics were painfully slow - when running the web
>> browser (Firefox, I believe) there were many video artifacts when one
>> moved the browser window indicating very very slow refresh. First
>> question is how do I ensure that I have accelerated video?
>>
>>
> Fortunately, I've done the above myself  using a 1.67 GHz PB.  I don't
> mind going through the details of how this was done, however I would
> like to first suggest a different approach entirely -- if you are
> willing to consider it.  I discovered that this approach saved me time
> and was very convenient.  Essentially what I did was partition my PB's
> HD one for YDL and the other for OS X.  Switching between YDL 4.1  
> and OS
> X is merely a matter pressing a button (the option key).
>
> Of course I have no idea how much data is on your OS X side, but if  
> you
> back that up say with Dantz's Retrospect.  Then you can prepare to  
> split
> the PB HD with Apple's Disk Utility (recall HFS+ for OS X and Free  
> Space
> for the section you intend for YDL).  After that reinstall OS X to the
> side it will reside in and if you have really a lot of data you can
> offload it to the external firewire drive.  Meanwhile you continue to
> complete the YDL installation process with the 1st YDL Install CD and
> just initiate the YDL installation sequence.  You and the YDL
> installation program should see the prepared partition dedicated  
> for YDL
> immediately.  The nice thing about doing this is that if you move into
> serious development with YDL you can show immediately or nearly so,
> whatever you are working on.  And you'll have a full server package
> (several server packages actually) available from within YDL.
>
> OS X then becomes an appendage, while YDL becomes the work horse.
> And you loose carrying about an external drive.
>
> Now, if what I just shared doesn't interest you then, I'll submit to
> describing doing things as you initially wished.  I just thought you'd
> appreciate a chance to rethink the entire matter.
>
>> Next, when playing with the display configuration, I managed to set
>> an excessive refresh rate so I now get gibberish on the screen. Is
>> there a simple way to reset the graphics? (through xconfig or
>> something like this using a terminal?).
>>
> Within KDE:  Click upon the K such that you see System Settings, then
> select Display.  Doing this brings up a dialog box.  Select Resolution
> and Color Depth under the Settings tab.  See what works for you.  Next
> select Monitor and Video under the Hardware tab.  Select Apple  
> Titanium
> PB G4. and the video card you have installed.
>
> OS X and YDL don't see the same hardware the same way so if you  
> examine
> what OS X reports from within System Profiler then when you select
> Graphics/Displays you should see something -- on my system it is ATI
> Mobility Radeon 9700.  YDL sees the same device differently so make  
> note
> somewhere of all the other associated details of that card and you
> should see or recognize something within the Display app within KDE.
>
> Within the Gnome environment the process is similar.
>> Finally, can one recommend a development system for making
>> multiwindow apps using OpenGL? I have been doing this for a number of
>> years using Project Builder and now Xcode in OSX and have had
>> reasonable success. For a number of uninteresting reasons, I am in
>> the process of abandoning the Apple platform due to the switch to
>> Intel, an architecture I have no interest in. (Also, in my opinion,
>> Xcode is getting worse with each new version and the vaunted Cocoa
>> developing environment is getting less and less attractive). My
>> ultimate goal is playing with the Cell on a PS3 (I have many
>> scientific programs which should benefit from the extreme parallelism
>> - I already get a 4x increase  in speed using altivec in an optical
>> raytracer and anticipate more from the Cell).
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any help.
>>
>> Warren Nagourney
>>
>>
> Ok!  Warren you found the right place!  Instead of diving into 4.1 why
> not just wait for YDL 5.0?  The desktop environment known as E17 makes
> OS X look very weak.
> Of course what is even better however is that because E17 is open  
> source
> as is everything else in YDL, you can participate with the various
> projects improving one or another thing according to your wishes  
> without
> being blocked by anyone telling you -- no you may not study this!  I
> have no advanced information regarding how this will run within a PB
> environment but my experience with YDL 4.1 is that it is very fast and
> allows the G4 to strut to it's best.  What is also exciting is that  
> many
> of, if not all, of the codes for the G4 which were formally closed or
> unavailable are becoming more open source all the time.  So accessing
> the Altivec directly is getting easier all the time.
>
> This is not an area I would normally write about or discuss, but  
> you've
> mentioned ideas which other members of this community have considered
> and discussed.
>
> The G4 admittedly is not the Cell, and nothing will remove the
> excitement of having available that kind of power for one's self to
> test, examine and explore with.  However,
> you could still use the G4 laptop as a kind of proof of concept device
> where you work on an aspect of an idea or method within the G4 and  
> then
> see how it can be expanded on the Cell.  Currently on the TSS pages
> there are no details or specifics regarding which G4 laptops will run
> YDL 5.  There are taunts and teases and many aficionados are looking
> forward to discover what is finally revealed.  The good news is  
> that we
> are all waiting for a wonderful tool which is only limited by the
> breadth of our imaginations!
>
> Best wishes.... Derick.
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