Ok, I just built mine.

I used an old ('98 or so) wintv card. I'm sure there's no hardware encoder/decoder on the card. I wouldn't think that would matter though, here's the specs:

AthlonXP 1600
1GB Ram
20GB harddrive (I'll add a new one if I can get this thing to work)
ATI Rage (yes, old) AGP video card
Onboard audio (haven't even messed with that yet.)

When simply watching video, it's jumpy, like 5fps jumpy. I logged in from another machine and hit top, and the load average is .9 (by this time I was recording a movie)

I think I should have more than enough cpu there to simply VIEW TV with any card? The interface is snappy, boot time is quick, the webserver is fast, it's just the video is dog slow!

make sure that you are not using the vesa driver, as it has no xv acceleration.

also make sure dma is enabled for the hard drive.

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Ok, so lets see how stupid I can get...

Where do I check to see and how would I change it?

Well, actually, I'll try to be a little less stupid, and I'll check XF86Config...


###START XF86Config
Section "Files"
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/PEX"
# Additional fonts: Locale, Gimp, TTF...
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
# FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/75dpi"
# FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/100dpi"
# True type and type1 fonts are also handled via xftlib, see /etc/X11/XftConfig!
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/ttf/western"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/ttf/decoratives"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/truetype"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/openoffice"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/ttf-bitstream-vera"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/latex-ttf-fonts"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/defoma/CID"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/defoma/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
EndSection

Section "Keyboard"
Protocol "Standard"
AutoRepeat 500 5
LeftAlt Meta
RightAlt Meta
ScrollLock Compose
RightCtl Control
# This is just the default keymap for X.
# May be changed with the KDE international keyboard tool.
XkbModel "pc105"
XkbLayout "us"

# XkbOptions "ctrl:swapcaps"
# XkbKeycodes "xfree86"
# XkbTypes "default"
# XkbCompat "default"
# XkbSymbols "us(pc101)"
# XkbGeometry "pc"
# XkbRules "xfree86"
# XkbModel "pc101"
# XkbLayout "us"
EndSection

Section "Pointer"
Protocol "Microsoft"
Device "/dev/mouse"
Emulate3Buttons
Emulate3Timeout 70
EndSection

# Auto-generated by mkxf86config

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "STC"
ModelName "STC02ce"
HorizSync 30 - 72 # DDC-probed
VertRefresh 50 - 160 # DDC-probed
# These are the DDC-probed settings reported by your monitor.
# 1024x768, 85.0Hz; hfreq=68.68, vfreq=85.00
ModeLine "1024x768" 94.50 1024 1072 1168 1376 768 769 772 808 +hsync +vsync
# 1024x768, 75.0Hz; hfreq=60.02, vfreq=75.03
ModeLine "1024x768" 78.75 1024 1040 1136 1312 768 769 772 800 +hsync +vsync
# 800x600, 85.0Hz; hfreq=53.67, vfreq=85.06
ModeLine "800x600" 56.25 800 832 896 1048 600 601 604 631 +hsync +vsync
# 800x600, 75.0Hz; hfreq=46.88, vfreq=75.00
ModeLine "800x600" 49.50 800 816 896 1056 600 601 604 625 +hsync +vsync
# 800x600, 60.0Hz; hfreq=37.88, vfreq=60.32
ModeLine "800x600" 40.00 800 840 968 1056 600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync
# 640x480, 85.0Hz; hfreq=43.27, vfreq=85.01
ModeLine "640x480" 36.00 640 696 752 832 480 481 484 509 -hsync -vsync
# 640x480, 75.0Hz; hfreq=37.50, vfreq=75.00
ModeLine "640x480" 31.50 640 656 720 840 480 481 484 500 -hsync -vsync
# 640x480, 60.0Hz; hfreq=31.47, vfreq=59.94
ModeLine "640x480" 25.17 640 648 744 784 480 482 484 509 -hsync -vsync
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "My Video Card"
VendorName "Unknown"
BoardName "Unknown"
# TextClockFreq 22.175
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "fbdev"
VendorName "Unknown"
BoardName "Unknown"
EndSection


# Standard Server
Section "Screen"
Driver "svga"
Device "My Video Card"
Monitor "Monitor0"
Subsection "Display"
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection

# Accel. Server(s)
Section "Screen"
Driver "accel"
Device "My Video Card"
Monitor "Monitor0"
Subsection "Display"
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection

# Fallback
Section "Screen"
Driver "vga16"
Device "My Video Card"
Monitor "Monitor0"
Subsection "Display"
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Driver "fbdev"
Device "fbdev"
Monitor "Monitor0"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
EndSection


###END XF86Config


Ok, now I see a number of fbdev, and I know that framebuffer is slow. But I also see svga and accel which should be fast. But how do I tell it which one it's using and tell it to use another one.

Forgive me, I've used linux for a decade, and it's almost always on a server where X never got installed.

Let me add to this, I see that XF86Config-4 may be in use... not sure why.

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "XFree86 Configured"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
# PS/2 Mouse not detected
InputDevice "Serial Mouse" "CorePointer"
# USB Mouse not detected
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
Option "AllowMouseOpenFail" "true"

EndSection

Section "Files"
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
ModulePath "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/PEX"
# Additional fonts: Locale, Gimp, TTF...
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
# FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/75dpi"
# FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/100dpi"
# True type and type1 fonts are also handled via xftlib, see /etc/X11/XftConfig!
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/ttf/western"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/ttf/decoratives"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/truetype"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/openoffice"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/ttf-bitstream-vera"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/latex-ttf-fonts"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/defoma/CID"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/defoma/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "ddc" # ddc probing of monitor
Load "GLcore"
Load "dbe"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "glx"
Load "bitmap" # bitmap-fonts
Load "speedo"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
Load "record"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"

EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Serial Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "Microsoft"
Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
Option "Emulate3Timeout" "70"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "PS/2 Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
Option "Emulate3Timeout" "70"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "USB Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Buttons" "5"
EndSection

# Auto-generated by KNOPPIX mkxf86config

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
Option "DPMS" "true"
VendorName "STC"
ModelName "STC02ce"
HorizSync 30 - 72 # DDC-probed
VertRefresh 50 - 160 # DDC-probed
# These are the DDC-probed settings reported by your monitor.
# 1024x768, 85.0Hz; hfreq=68.68, vfreq=85.00
ModeLine "1024x768" 94.50 1024 1072 1168 1376 768 769 772 808 +hsync +vsync
# 1024x768, 75.0Hz; hfreq=60.02, vfreq=75.03
ModeLine "1024x768" 78.75 1024 1040 1136 1312 768 769 772 800 +hsync +vsync
# 800x600, 85.0Hz; hfreq=53.67, vfreq=85.06
ModeLine "800x600" 56.25 800 832 896 1048 600 601 604 631 +hsync +vsync
# 800x600, 75.0Hz; hfreq=46.88, vfreq=75.00
ModeLine "800x600" 49.50 800 816 896 1056 600 601 604 625 +hsync +vsync
# 800x600, 60.0Hz; hfreq=37.88, vfreq=60.32
ModeLine "800x600" 40.00 800 840 968 1056 600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync
# 640x480, 85.0Hz; hfreq=43.27, vfreq=85.01
ModeLine "640x480" 36.00 640 696 752 832 480 481 484 509 -hsync -vsync
# 640x480, 75.0Hz; hfreq=37.50, vfreq=75.00
ModeLine "640x480" 31.50 640 656 720 840 480 481 484 500 -hsync -vsync
EndSection

Section "Device"
### Available Driver options are:-
# sw_cursor is needed for some ati and radeon cards
#Option "sw_cursor"
#Option "hw_cursor"
#Option "NoAccel"
#Option "ShowCache"
#Option "ShadowFB"
#Option "UseFBDev"
#Option "Rotate"
Identifier "Card0"
# The following line is auto-generated by KNOPPIX mkxf86config
Driver "vesa"
VendorName "All"
BoardName "All"
# BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Card0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultColorDepth 16
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

######



Now looky there, I see:
Driver "vesa"

I'm going to go try to change that to svga, or maybe fbdev.

based on the other file, which would you suggest?

Thanks for the help btw.

This is the part you should be looking at. Notice the Driver "vesa" line. that needs to be changed to an appropriate driver for your hardware. I'm not sure what the old rage cards you. Off the top of my head I'm thinking "ati" but you'd better double check that.

you need to change that line to the appropriate setting and do "/etc/init.d/gdm restart" and you should be good to go.

_________________
Have a question search the forum and have a look at the KnoppMythWiki.

Xsecrets