Linux: The low cost route for a stable visualization workstation with AVS5 Matt Cooper Manchester Visualization Centre

Manchester Computing University of Manchester Manchester Visualization Centre Linux: A brief review n Linux is a free Un*x OS kernel n Most of what people call Linux is actually the GNU tools. n Initial development began in 1991 n I started using it in 1992/3. Kernel release 0.87 n Current ‘stable’ release is

Manchester Computing University of Manchester Manchester Visualization Centre Linux: Platforms n Intel X86 (and AMD/Cyrix/IBM…) n PowerPC n (Mac, Amiga, Palm Pilot) n HP-PA n MIPS Silicon Graphics n [Ultra]SPARC n Alpha

Manchester Computing University of Manchester Manchester Visualization Centre Linux: Cost and availability n Nothing except media costs n ~£2.50 in modem charges (56K) n £3-£15 for a CD n ‘Supported’ distribution: ~$50 n Cf. –Windows95: £70 –WindowsNT (workstation): £250 –WindowsNT (server): £633-£1100

Manchester Computing University of Manchester Manchester Visualization Centre Linux: Distributions n Free: –Debian –Slackware n Officially supported: –Red Hat –S.u.S.e. n All include XFree86, a free X11 n SuSe develop their own X servers

Manchester Computing University of Manchester Manchester Visualization Centre Linux: Limitations Ê Lack of applications Ë Lack of interest from users Ì Lack of interest from vendors Í Limited performance from new peripherals (particularly true of graphics cards)

Manchester Computing University of Manchester Manchester Visualization Centre AVS 5.4 on Linux: Installation n If you’re a Red Hat user: –Install two Red Hat ‘rpm’ packages n If you’re a Debian user: –Use ‘alien’ to convert the rpm’s –Install the Debian packages produced. n If you’re a home brewer: –Use install.avs n Type ‘/usr/avs/bin/avs’

Manchester Computing University of Manchester Manchester Visualization Centre Ten biggest problems Ê Had to add a link to make some of the demos work Ë Um… Ì That’s it

Manchester Computing University of Manchester Manchester Visualization Centre Stability n Two weeks of use on: –Debian/GNU ‘stable’ release –Debian/GNU ‘unstable’ (beta) release. n Ported a few modules n Broke quite a few of them n No crashes. No misbehaviour.

Manchester Computing University of Manchester Manchester Visualization Centre Performance n Implementation is based on MESA –Free implementation of OpenGL  –Supported by Brian Paul –Drivers and other code from others n Hardware support for 3D only for –3Dfx Voodoo1, Voodoo2, Voodoo rush –Some GLINT based cards –nVidia RIVA 128 coming soon

Manchester Computing University of Manchester Manchester Visualization Centre Module compilation n System set up to use ‘egcc’ n Works fine with plain gcc (version with libc6) n Of the examples I’ve tried –if gcc will compile it there’s no problem –Clean code ports easily –unclean code is dreadful but it’s gcc which makes it so.

Manchester Computing University of Manchester Manchester Visualization Centre Demos n Demos on a 2 year-old laptop: –Processor:P166MMX –Memory:80Mb RAM –Graphics:C&T PCI –No hardware graphics support! n Also tried on: –Processor:P200MMX –Memory:48Mb RAM –Graphics:Matrox Mystique

Manchester Computing University of Manchester Manchester Visualization Centre Demos n Notes: –800x600 really isn’t big enough –Noticeably faster at 256 colours –Works happily at higher 16/24/32bit

Manchester Computing University of Manchester Manchester Visualization Centre