Re. http://mail-index.netbsd.org/current-users/2002/05/08/0009.html

Um, XFree86 *is* NetBSD's ``graphics subsystem''.

I think that the lack of 3D support that you allude to is the fact that
the XFree86 DRI (Direct Rendering Infrastructure) is not supported under
NetBSD.  3D still should work, but on NetBSD it has to all be done with
software rendering.  I don't know how much is involved in adding DRI
support.  (Presumably it is non-trivial.)  Originally, only LINUX had
this---and it was developed for LINUX by a commercial outfit if memory
serves.  FreeBSD added the hooks necessary to support it.

My understanding of DRI is that it is essential in order to use XFree86
4.x's hardware-accelerated 3D (or rather, specifically Mesa
(OpenGL-compatible) hardware support), but it may help more mundane
rendering.


I am not aware of anyone presently working on DRI under NetBSD.  (That
doesn't mean that no one is working on it.  (^&)  If there were a
money-pot earmarked for NetBSD DRI development, I'd put some money in it
towards getting *someone* to do the work.  I'm a grad student on a
$12,000/year stipend, but I could put $100 or so towards DRI.  Get 10 or
20 people willing to do the same, and someone who is already almost
willing to do the work for nothing, and it might get done.


  ``I probably don't know what I'm talking about.'' --rauch@math.rice.edu