CentOS - Jan 2012 - NOUVEAU driver video acceleration

My Xorg.0.log file says:

[ 64601.460] (==) Using default built-in configuration (30 lines)
[ 64601.460] (==) --- Start of built-in configuration ---
[ 64601.460]    Section "Device"
[ 64601.460]            Identifier      "Builtin Default nouveau Device
0"
[ 64601.460]            Driver  "nouveau"
[ 64601.460]    EndSection
[ 64601.460]    Section "Screen"
[ 64601.460]            Identifier      "Builtin Default nouveau Screen
0"
[ 64601.460]            Device  "Builtin Default nouveau Device 0"
[ 64601.460]    EndSection

[ 64601.469]    GeForce 6       (NV4x)
[ 64601.474] (--) NOUVEAU(0): Chipset: "NVIDIA NV4b"

I have no xorg.conf file.

I have a GeForce 7 (G7x) chip set on my video card.  The NOUVEAU driver 
is misidentifying my chip set.  I suspect that this is a major part of 
the reason why video acceleration is not working.

How can I get the NOUVEAU driver to recognize the GeForce 7 (G7x) chip 
set on my video card?

Maybe I don't care about that.  How can I get the NOUVEAU driver to 
support accelerated video?


-- 
     _
    ?v?
   /(_)\
    ^ ^  Mark LaPierre
Registerd Linux user No #267004

On Sunday 15 January 2012 10:58:35 Mark LaPierre wrote:
> My Xorg.0.log file says:
[snip] 
> [ 64601.469]    GeForce 6       (NV4x)
> [ 64601.474] (--) NOUVEAU(0): Chipset: "NVIDIA NV4b"
> 
> I have no xorg.conf file.
> 
> I have a GeForce 7 (G7x) chip set on my video card.  The NOUVEAU driver
> is misidentifying my chip set.
No, it is not. The GeForce 7 family is the NV40 family, and your specific card 
appears to be NV4B. Refer to

   http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/CodeNames

for details.
> I suspect that this is a major part of
> the reason why video acceleration is not working.
I doubt. For the general review about what is supported by Nouveau for the 
NV40 family (and other families), refer to the Nouveau feature matrix, at

   http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/FeatureMatrix

However, I am not sure how much of the current driver's functionality is 
actually present in the kernel module that comes with CentOS. You didn't 
specify which version of CentOS you use, but at best (CentOS 6.x) the kernel 
is from Fedora 12 timeframe. I am not familiar if all the features and bugfixes 
that have been introduced to Nouveau since that time are actually backported 
to the CentOS kernel. Not sure if it is even possible. YMMV.

If you absolutely need 3D acceleration, maybe take a look at the nvidia 
proprietary drivers --- you can find CentOS-packaged yum-installable rpm's
in
elrepo (or was it rpmforge?)...

HTH, :-)
Marko