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<A HREF="Mach64.html"><EM>Mach64 X Server Release Notes</EM></A>
 <b>:</b> <EM>XF86Config options</EM><BR>
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  <H2><A NAME="3"></A>3. XF86Config options</H2>
<p>Several options are supported in the "Device" section for the Mach64 X
server.  By default, the Mach64 X server will determine the RAMDAC
type from the BIOS.  If you wish to override the default RAMDAC type
(not recommended unless the BIOS incorrectly reports your RAMDAC
type), you can specify the RAMDAC type in the XF86Config file with the
"Ramdac" entry.  The Mach64 X server will also program the clocks
based on the clock chip read from the BIOS.  If you wish to override
the default clock chip type (not recommended unless the BIOS
incorrectly reports your clock chip type), you may specify the clock
chip in the XF86Config file with the "ClockChip" entry.  If, however,
you wish to use the preprogrammed clocks, you can turn off the clock
programming with the "no_program_clocks" option.  In this case, the
Mach64 X server reads the Clocks from the BIOS.  The "Clocks" lines in
the XF86Config file are normally ignored by the Mach64 X server unless
the "no_bios_clocks" option is given.  Note on newer Mach64 cards (CT,
ET, VT, GT, 3D Rage II, 3D Rage II+DVD and Rage Pro) the "Ramdac",
"ClockChip" and "Clocks" lines have no meaning and should not be
included in your XF86Config file.</p>
<p>
<dl>
<dt><b>Option "sw_cursor"</b><dd><p>This option allows you to use the software cursor
instead of the hardware cursor.</p>
<dt><b>Option "hw_cursor"</b><dd><p>This option turns on the hardware cursor.  This
should not be necessary since the hardware cursor
is used by default unless the "sw_cursor" option is
specified.</p>
<dt><b>Option "composite"</b><dd><p>This option will set the composite sync for
monitors that require this.</p>
<dt><b>Option "dac_8_bit"</b><dd><p>This option enables 8 bits per RGB value.  Note that
this does not work with the Chrontel 8398 RAMDAC.
This options is not necessary since 8 bits per RGB
value is the default for the Mach64 X server for all
Mach64 cards except those with the Chrontel 8398
RAMDAC.</p>
<dt><b>Option "dac_6_bit"</b><dd><p>This option enables 6 bits per RGB value.</p>
<dt><b>Option "override_bios"</b><dd><p>This option allows you to specify a video
mode that the video card's BIOS believes to be
illegal.  Some BIOSs have incorrect maximum
resolution and/or dot clock limitations.  Use
this option with extreme care.  It is possible to
specify a video mode that can damage your card or
monitor.</p>
<dt><b>Option "no_block_write"</b><dd><p>This option allows you to turn off block write mode.
Block write mode only works on certain types of VRAM
cards.  This option has no effect on DRAM based cards.
If you see noise on the screen that can be captured
via xmag, then it is probably a problem with block
write mode being turned on when it should not.  This
``noise'' usually looks like bits of windows/menus
repeated on the screen.</p>
<dt><b>Option "block_write"</b><dd><p>This option allows you to turn on block
write mode.  Block write mode only works on
certain types of VRAM cards, and this option has
no effect on DRAM based cards.  If you want to
override the probed default, you can use this option.
Note that this may result in ``noise'' appearing on
the screen.</p>
<dt><b>Option "power_saver"</b><dd><p>This option allows the server to use the power
saving features of certain "green" monitors
instead of blanking when the screen saver is
activated.  This option is still experimental.</p>
<dt><b>Option "no_program_clocks"</b><dd><p>This option allows you to disable the clock
programming.  Normally the Mach64 server will program
the clocks based on the clock chip type unless this
option is given.  With this option, the clocks are
either read from the BIOS or, if the "no_bios_clocks"
option is set, set from the Clocks line.</p>
<dt><b>Option "no_bios_clocks"</b><dd><p>This option allows you to override the clocks read
from the video card's BIOS and use the clocks
specified in the Clocks line in your XF86Config file.
Normally the Mach64 server will ignore both the BIOS
clocks and the clocks specified in the Clocks line
unless the "no_program_clocks" options is set (see
above).</p>
<dt><b>Option "no_font_cache"</b><dd><p>This option allows you to disable the font cache.  By
default the font cache is turned on if the horizontal
resolution is 1024 pixels or greater and there is
enough off-screen video memory to hold the cache.</p>
<dt><b>Option "no_pixmap_cache"</b><dd><p>This option allows you to disable the pixmap cache.
By default the pixmap cache is turned on if the
horizontal resolution is 1024 pixels or greater and
there is enough off-screen video memory to hold the
cache.</p>
<dt><b>Option "fifo_conservative"</b><dd><p>This option allows you to use a more conservative
display fifo value.  If you are experiencing snow or
vertical banding on the screen, try adding this option 
to see if it fixes the problem.</p>
<dt><b>MemBase baseaddress</b><dd><p>This entry specifies the video memory aperture
address.  By default the aperture address is
automatically determined and this option should
not be necessary.  If the Mach64 X server is dying
with a seg. fault, then the memory aperture might
not be correctly determined.  To fix this try setting
the aperture address to another location.</p>
<dt><b>ClockChip "<i>type</i>"</b><dd><p>This entry specifies the clock chip type.  The
following values are valid for <i>type</i>:
<ul>
<li>ati18818</li>
<li>att20c408</li>
<li>ch8398</li>
<li>ibm_rgb514</li>
<li>ics2595</li>
<li>stg1703</li>
</ul>
</p>
<dt><b>Ramdac "<i>type</i>"</b><dd><p>This entry specifies the RAMDAC type.  The following
values are valid for <i>type</i>:
<ul>
<li>ati68860</li>
<li>ati68860b</li>
<li>ati68860c</li>
<li>ati68875</li>
<li>att20c408</li>
<li>ch8398</li>
<li>ibm_rgb514</li>
<li>internal</li>
<li>stg1702</li>
<li>stg1703</li>
<li>tlc34075</li>
</ul>
</p>
<dt><b>DacSpeed "<i>MHz</i>"</b><dd><p>This entry allows you to override the default maximum
dot clock.  Use this option with extreme caution.  If
you specify a <i>MHz</i> value too large for your
card, you can damage it.</p>
</dl>
</p>

 <HR NOSHADE>
<A HREF="Mach64.html"><EM>Mach64 X Server Release Notes</EM></A>
 <b>:</b> <EM>XF86Config options</EM><BR>
<b>Previous:</b> <A HREF="Mach642.html"><EM>Optimizing the speed of the Mach64 X server</EM></A><BR>
<b>Next:</b> <A HREF="Mach644.html"><EM>Enhancements for this release</EM></A>



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