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To: Brad Karp <karp@eecs.harvard.edu>
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Subject: Re: NeoMagic and IBM 380 vs. XFree86 
In-reply-to: Your message of "Fri, 03 Oct 1997 21:24:44 -0400."
             <199710040124.VAA19169@pinot.eecs.harvard.edu> 
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Date: Sat, 04 Oct 1997 17:29:49 +0930
From: Mike Smith <mike@smith.net.au>
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This question has nothing to do with FreeBSD, and should have been 
submitted to the XFree86 people.  As it happens, I have been following 
the issue recently so I can help a little.

> I understand from the XFree86 FAQ that NeoMagic is unsupported at present.

Correct.

> I am also aware of the commercial server for NeoMagic video chipsets.

It is currently poor, and hasn't shown any recent signs of improving.

> Is anyone aware of ongoing development effort for the IBM 380s' NeoMagic
> chipsets in XFree86? My lab has purchased IBM 380s, and to my chagrin,
> I've only learned that XF86_SVGA doesn't support their video hardware after
> the fact.

Dell are also now exclusively using the NeoMagic hardware.  This is an 
excellent reason not to buy IBM or Dell systems.  Buy Toshiba or NEC 
instead, as they both use the C&T655xx chips.

> I'd be willing to do such development myself, if I had a source for specs on
> the NeoMagic chipsets; NeoMagic's web page claims they don't provide specs to
> end-users.

You got it in one.  No documentation -> no support, end of story.

mike