[linux-help] Re: Mandrake 8.2

["gLaNDix (Jesse Kaufman)" <glandix@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wednesday 20 March 2002 08:14 pm, you wrote:
> * gLaNDix (Jesse Kaufman) <glandix@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> [2002 Mar 20 16:30 
-0600]:
> > difference!  Plus, i can now have a nifty shadow under my cursor just
> > like win2k....  oooo...  : ^ )
>
> Oh yeah?  Tell me more.  I thought Xfree still only had the brain-dead
> 2D black on white cursor.  Have they finally done something to improve
> it?

actually, from what i understand it's specific to the nVidia X server...  
here's the info from the README on nvidia.com:

        Option "CursorShadow" "boolean" Enable or disable use of a
                shadow with the hardware accelerated cursor; this is a
                black translucent replica of your cursor shape at a
                given offset from the real cursor.  This option is
                only available on GeForce2 or better hardware (ie
                everything but TNT/TNT2, GeForce 256, GeForce DDR and
                Quadro).  Default: no cursor shadow.

        Option "CursorShadowAlpha" "integer"
                The alpha value to use for the cursor shadow; only
                applicable if CursorShadow is enabled.  This value must
                be in the range [0, 255] -- 0 is completely transparent;
                255 is completely opaque.  Default: 64.

        Option "CursorShadowXOffset" "integer"
                The offset, in pixels, that the shadow image will be
                shifted to the right from the real cursor image; only
                applicable if CursorShadow is enabled.  This value must
                be in the range [0, 32].  Default: 4.

        Option "CursorShadowYOffset" "integer"
                The offset, in pixels, that the shadow image will be
                shifted down from the real cursor image; only applicable
                if CursorShadow is enabled.  This value must be in the
                range [0, 32].  Default: 2.

Granted, as someone mentioned, it doesn't make your machine any better, but 
in my opinion it just looks nice...  plus, it's nice to be able to say to my 
windows-using friends "so, i can do that too" when they brag about having 
shadow cursors, antialiased text, fading menus and all the other eyecandy...  
i'm big on eyecandy, but only if underlying applications do what i need them 
to do...  for instance, despite all the various gui text editors (gnotepad+, 
gEdit, Kate, etc, etc, etc) i still prefer using VI on a plain console (well, 
as plain as a 1024x768 console can be)...  i just like my GUI to have a nice, 
polished look so that when people see my desktop, they say "wow, that really 
is kewl...  maybe i should try linux"...  

> I'm still running Debian Testing. AFAIK, XFree 4.2.0 has not even landed
> in Unstable yet, so I'm a bit behind there.  I just put a new system
> together, an AMD Athlon, 1.33 GHz, and I also bought an nVidia GeForce 2
> MX 400 board.  After building the kernel with MTRR and AGP support, I
> noticed the OpenGL stuff really smoothed out.  I guess you're going to
> convince me to try the nVidia drivers too.

yup! ; ^ )  when i first tried them, the only thing i changed was the drivers 
(no settings, other kernel modules, etc) and i noticed a HUGE difference...  
for instance, MDK has some OpenGL arcade-like space game (reminiscent of the 
old 1942 arcade game) that i was unable to play before installing the nVidia 
drivers...  the movement was choppy and almost unresponsive...  I installed 
the nvidia drivers, turned on ALL the extra effects in the game (antialiased 
this and that, high res, etc) and now i can hardly keep up with it! :^ )  at 
first, i was a bit disappointed by my GF2 card, because I expected a HUGE 
improvement after coming from using my old STB Nitro3D 2MB PCI card...  but 
after installing the nvidia drivers, i've been thoroughly impressed with the 
card...  wouldn't trade it for anything (except maybe a GeForce4, but that 
may be a while! :^ )  ArmegeTron and GLTron work wonderfully now, too!  and 
most importantly, my cursor has a shadow! ; ^ )  haahaa!

Let me know if you have a similar improvement in performance...  I'm 
interested in seeing if it makes as radical of a difference for other people 
as it did for me...  

gLaNDix
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