Install via source drivers

• Install: via-xserver-86a-50283_src.tgz
• OS: Ubuntu 8.10
• PC: HP2133 au version
• zd: 2d drivers only
• Date: 6/9/2009

• Author: https://launchpad.net/people/ozfalcon

• NOTE: Recommended to use Ubuntu 9.04 & Version 86a-u904-50937 (26oct09) Binary Drivers.

Synopsis:

Once installed, You can watch hardware scaled video. Something I was unable to do using the previous via or vesa drivers with 8.10.
Running two+ videos simultaneously still does not work. But overall desktop performance is much better than previous drivers or the vesa drivers. I am not sure of the current status of 3d integration....

Note: vinstalls require root access (sudo)

Install required packages:

(Others would be better at determining exactly which packages are required)
sudo apt-get install subversion build-essential automake1.9 libtool pkg-config xserver-xorg-dev libxvmc-dev x11proto-gl-dev libglu1-mesa-dev autoconf libdrm2 libdrm-dev mesa-common-dev gettext libxinerama-dev x11proto-xf86dri-dev xutils-dev autoconf2.13 autoconf-archive gnu-standards autoconf-doc automake1.9-doc libtool-doc gcj automake

Get the source ready

Download via-xserver-86a-50283_src.tgz from http://linux.via.com.tw/
Unpack the archive

• bunzip2 -c via-xserver-86a-50283_src.tgz | tar x

Ensure full directory path contains no spaces.

Compile the XServer drivers

• Read the README and follow to compile. Do not install (make install), The vinstall process will do that.

Compile the DRM kernel module

• Read the README and follow to compile. Do not install (make install), The vinstall process will do that.

Fix the vinst process

Copy the compiled files to "via-xserver-86a-50283_src/XServer/Misc/bin" for the vinstall script

• Copy the just compiled kernel (DRM) module
  cp via-xserver-86a-50283_src/DRM/H5DRM_Independent_2.6.27_28/via_chrome9.ko via-xserver-86a-50283_src/XServer/Misc/bin

• Copy the just compiled X driver
  cp via-xserver-86a-50283_src/XServer/src/.libs/via_drv.so via-xserver-86a-50283_src/XServer/Misc/bin

• Notes (3D Driver)

  • We can't copy libGL.so.1.2 (Sourced elsewhere)
    We can't copy via_chrome9_dri.so (Sourced elsewhere)
    

Do the install

Run the vinstall script as sudo from the Misc folder.

• sudo ./vinstall_ubuntu

add/modify entries in /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Section "Device"

• BusID "PCI:01:00:0"
  Option "ActiveDevice" "LCD"
  

EndSection

Fixup libGL.so.1

My libGL.so.1.2 seems to come from libgl1-mesa-glx, You may need to install this package. I had to add a link for libGL.so.1 to enable X11/Xv playback in mplayer.

• sudo ln -sf /usr/lib/libGL.so.1.2 /usr/lib/libGL.so.1
  sudo ldconfig
  

Hold your breath and reboot! (or restart X)

Credits

Thanks to the people in this thread http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7887317