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Diffstat (limited to 'xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/doc/sgml/README.sgml')
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1 files changed, 136 insertions, 52 deletions
diff --git a/xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/doc/sgml/README.sgml b/xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/doc/sgml/README.sgml index 4cc3953fd..cccfddb14 100644 --- a/xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/doc/sgml/README.sgml +++ b/xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/doc/sgml/README.sgml @@ -10,15 +10,16 @@ <title>README for XFree86&tm; &relvers; <author>The XFree86 Project, Inc -<date>26 February 2000 +<date>30 June 2000 <ident> -$XFree86: xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/doc/sgml/README.sgml,v 3.103 2000/03/08 20:36:43 dawes Exp $ +$XFree86: xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/doc/sgml/README.sgml,v 3.106 2000/07/02 02:35:27 dawes Exp $ </ident> <abstract> -XFree86 is a port of X11R6.4 that supports several UNIX(R) and UNIX-like +XFree86 is the Open Source port of X.Org's X11R6.4 release that supports +several UNIX(R) and UNIX-like (such as Linux, the BSDs and Solaris x86) operating systems on Intel and other platforms. </abstract> @@ -53,38 +54,45 @@ well developed and reasonably stable, while others are not. <![ %release [ XFree86 &relvers; is <![ %firstrel; [the first]]> -<![ %laterrel; [a]]> full release of the <![ %earlyrel; [new]]> XFree86 4 -series. -The road to XFree86 4 began in mid 1997, with serious work starting in -early 1998. The first pre-4.0 snapshot was released in mid 1999, and -4.0 was released in early 2000. A lot has been completed in that time, -and even more has been started since the "4.0" design was drafted. The -result is that this release contains a lot of new features, some new -drivers, and some significant performance improvements. This release -contains components in various stages of development, ranging from stable -and well tested to new and not-so-well tested. One the other side, -there are drivers from the 3.3.x series that have not yet been ported -to XFree86 4. Most of these are for old hardware. To find more -information about which hardware is supported, see the <htmlurl -name="Driver Status document" url="Status.html">. - -XFree86 4 uses a very modular design. We had hoped to finalise and fully -document the driver module API/ABI in time for the 4.0 release, but instead -we are planning to have this done for a subsequent release. We will try -where possible to retain backward compatibility with the module interfaces -in 4.0 in future releases, but we can't make guarantees about that until -the interfaces have been fully documented. +<![ %laterrel; [a]]> the upgrade to the first full release in the <![ %earlyrel; [new]]> XFree86 4 +series. Release 4 is a major re-design of the basic architectural +underpinnings of XFree86's implementation of the original X Consortium's +X Server. This re-design allows for a modular interaction between the +hardware drivers and the XFree86 core X server. With 4.0, upgrades to +the X server with new and unsupported hardware can be easily done and +installed without undergoing the previous process of rebuilding a X +server. All that is required is installing the new driver module and +updating the configuration file. + +The road to XFree86 Release 4 began as an architectural concept in mid +1997, with the serious framework being implemented in code the beginning +of 1998. There were several snapshots on the road to 4.0 which are now +part of the 4.0 base release. The &relvers; version is an upgrade to +&prevrelvers;, which include more hardware ports, code enhancements and +bug fixes. + +Release 4 also included the long-awaited integration of the DRI (Direct +Rendering Infrastructure). This upgrade into the code base gives XFree86 +the abilities of direct 3-D graphics rendering, used widely in games +and other visualization programs. + +Many drivers used in the old 3.3.x series have not be converted over to +the 4.0 design and so check first whether your hardware is supported +before upgrading to the 4.0 series in the <htmlurl name="Driver Status +document" url="Status.html">. + ]]> -Information on this release's features and their status can be found in -the <htmlurl name="Release Notes" url="RELNOTES.html">. +Specific release enhancements can be viewed in the +<htmlurl name="Release Notes" url="RELNOTES.html">. -Information about obtaining and installing binary distributions of this -release can be found in the <htmlurl name="Installation Document" +Information about binary distributions and the attendant installation +instructions can be found in the <htmlurl name="Installation Document" url="Install.html">. -Copyright and Licensing information for this release can be found in -the <htmlurl name="License Document" url="LICENSE.html">. +Copyright and Licensing information for this release and all XFree86 +releases can be found in the <htmlurl name="License Document" +url="LICENSE.html">. <![ %snapshot [ <sect>Redistribution of the Snapshots @@ -97,17 +105,98 @@ you make it clear that people using then should contact you for support and not XFree86. ]]> -<sect>Developers +<sect>Joining The Team +<sect1> Development <p> -If you would like to work on the development of XFree86 4, then it is -recommended that you <url name="join the XFree86 development team" -url="http://www.xfree86.org:/developer.html">. That way you will have -access to the latest source and to other developers. +If you would like to work on the development of XFree86 4, either by +helping with the conversion of our older drivers to the new 4.0 design, +or assisting in the addition of new drivers or platforms to the code base +then send a request to to <url name="join the XFree86 development team" +url="http://www.xfree86.org:/developer.html">. This will give you direct +access to the latest XFree86 related development topics and discussions. +Include in your note, your name, email address, reason for joining (what +you will work on) and, level of expertise (coder, DRI, core, specific +driver) and area of interest. -<sect>How to get XFree86 &relvers; +</sect1> + + +<sect1> Documentation +<p> +If instead your interests are on the Documentation side of the Project, +or you want to contribute and are not ready for plunging into the code, +you can join the Documentation Team (those hardy souls responsible for +the content you are reading :-). Amongst the Doc Team's activities are +converting our SGML based documentation into an XML based one and updating +and creating technical documentation used by staff and public. If this +sounds interesting then please send a request to <url name="join the +XFree86 documentation team" url="mailto:signup@xfree86.org">. +Include in your note, you name, email address, reason for joining (what +you will work on) and level of expertise and whether you are interested +in the tools or content side of the group. + +</sect1> +</sect> + +<sect> The Public Mailing Lists +<sect1> Newbie +<p> +For those who are new to XFree86 and want to learn more about our +Project we recommend that you join our Newbie list, located at <url name += "Public Mailing Lists" url = "http://www.xfree86.org/mailman/listinfo">, +where this and other discussions occur with our senior all-volunteer +staff. This is great forum to get introduced to XFree86 and ask for +help on how to set up the XServer or whether your hardware is supported, +and why not?, and make suggestions for future releases of XFree86. +This list is supported by our volunteer staff who needs to know how you +are using and interacting with XFree86 and what is wrong and could be +better. Tell them, they want to know! + +</sect1> + +<sect1> Announce <p> +For those who just want to know the release schedule +this is a good list to join. + +<sect1> CVS Commit +<p> +For those who want to see what has been committed recently to our CVS +repository this is the list that will show you those updates. This list +is updated dynamically every time the repository is updated after the +the commit happens. + +<p> +A followup to the commit list is the soon to be public, patch archives. +This archive will be available on our web-site and will show what patches +have been submitted and will soon be committed. This is helpful for +people who are interested in a specific area and want to know what work +is happening there. When this goes public we will announce it +on our web site and our Announce mailing list, so keep watching. + +<sect1> Xpert +<p> +If instead you are the lone developer who is improving XFree86 on an +ad hoc basis for your particular environment (I want to get my mouse or +video card to work), and need a specific question asked then you should +go over to our Xpert list where such questions are raised and answered +by our technical development staff. Remember you do not have to be a +member to write fixes to our code base and if your changes are discrete +and self-contained the volume of developer mail may just be too noisy. + + +Once your work is finished (coded, debugged and documented) please send +your fix to <email>fixes@XFree86.org</email>. This will ensure that +they are included in future releases. And thanks! You make this truly +an Open group. + +</sect1> +</sect> + +<sect>How to get XFree86 &relvers; +<p> <![ %snapshot; [ XFree86 &relvers; can be found at the <url name="XFree86 ftp server" url="ftp://ftp.xfree86.org/pub/XFree86/snapshots/&relvers;/">, and at @@ -135,10 +224,10 @@ contains the general X11 documentation in hardcopy format. <![ %onediff; [ A source patch relative to version &prevrelvers; is also available. -The patch file is <tt>&prevrelvers;-&relvers;.diff.gz</tt>. This patch should -be applied to a clean &prevrelvers; source tree, working from the directory -containing the <tt>xc/</tt> directory. The patch should be applied by -running: +The patch file is <tt>&prevrelvers;-&relvers;.diff.gz</tt>. This patch +should be applied to a clean &prevrelvers; source tree, working from +the directory containing the <tt>xc/</tt> directory. The patch should +be applied by running: <tscreen><verb> gunzip < &prevrelvers;-&relvers;.diff.gz | patch -p0 -E @@ -177,26 +266,21 @@ gunzip < &prevrelvers;-&relvers;.diff3.gz | patch -p0 -E </verb></tscreen> ]]> -The contrib part of the distribution has now been folded into the main +The contrib part of the distribution has been folded into the main source tree, so a separate contrib tarball is no longer required. -To format the XFree86 documentation, the latest version of our doctools -package. That is available as <tt>doctools-1.1.2.tgz</tt>. +To format the XFree86 documentation use the latest version of our doctools +package available as <tt>doctools-1.1.3.tgz</tt>. <sect>Reporting Bugs <p> Bugs should be reported to <email>XFree86@XFree86.org</email>. Before reporting bugs, please check the X server log file, which can be found -at <tt>/var/log/XFree86.0.log</tt> on most platforms. If you can't resolve -the problem yourself, send the entire log file with your bug report. Please -don't edit out what you think might not be important. The information -contained in the log file is there to make it easier for the developers -to determine what is going wrong when there are problems. - -If you have patches (bug fixes or enhancements, etc) that you'd like to -submit for inclusion in a future version of XFree86, please send them -to <email>fixes@XFree86.org</email>. +at <tt>/var/log/XFree86.0.log</tt> on most platforms. If you can't +resolve the problem yourself, send the entire log file with your bug +report but not the operating system core dump. Do not edit the log +file as our developers use it to reproduce and debug your problem. |