This problem you are seeing is that you are = rendering via=20 the software method. The GL implementations on XFree86 3.x.x use the = MESA GL=20 routines that don't take advantage of the accelerated hardware for 3d = functions.=20 In the XFree86 4.x.x release, we're being introduced to DRI (Direct = Rendering=20 [Infrastructure?]) that will allow the GL libraries to interact with the = hardware more functionally. I am getting my system geared up to try this = as we=20 speak, and I'll post what I find out when I get done.

I ran into this problem when I compiled my first = GL=20 prog... I was running the XFree server in a box in the corner of the = room and an=20 X server on a windows system as my connection to that server.. when I = compiled=20 the program I noticed that all of the GL libraries were symbolically = linked to=20 the MESA libraries. On further reading I figured out why - the X window = system=20 was not built during a time of 3d rendering hardware, so to do hardware=20 rendering through the X protocol would be hella insane on the network = and also=20 slower than molasses. We had to wait for DRI to come about before this = was even=20 possible. I've heard stories on other Unix platforms (Linux -puke- and = HPUX) of=20 phenominal success on XFree 4.x.x (provided that the mesa GL libs are = replaced=20 properly with the new XFree 4.x.x libs, and on some platforms like Linux = a=20 proprietary driver or set of libs from the manufacturer) regarding the = use of=20 WINE, 3D apps native to the OS, and 3d apps through WINE. One member of = my=20 Everquest guild has been able to run EQ through WINE, using the hella = crappy D3D=20 API with full functional force and he says it works great, a lot better=20 performance than windoze.

I found a page that might be an interesting = starting point=20 for your reading (you'll need to do lots of it, trust me).. it's at : http://www.xfree.org/4.0.1/= DRI6.html ..=20 this is a brief ( but useful ) explanation of how DRI works and how to = implement=20 it.

On Tue, 8 Feb 2000, Mike Morgan = wrote:

>=20
> I'm running 3.4-stable w/x86 3.3.6 and Mesa 3 for OpenGL = support. =20 However
> when i run xscreensaver's OpenGL screensaver shots, the = movement=20 is sluggish
> and not fluid.
>
> I have a Viper 770 = ultra=20 tnt2 with 32 megs of RAM so it should moving pretty
> = speedy. Plus=20 my system ram is 192 megs, with a PII-400.
>
> tnx, as=20 always,
> michael morgan
>