Macbook graphics capable of xgl/aixgl on Linux?

[forbes]

I'm just wondering if the new MacBook (not pro) with the onboard Intel GMA950 will support the xgl or aigxl projects on Linux? I believe that intel graphic chipsets are usually well supported within linux, but have head that there may be a problem with the way the GMA950 on the Mac Minis and MacBooks are configured. Easy test could be with the Kororaa LiveCD maybe.

Which is more likely to succeed, elilo or bootcamp with BIOS emulation?

Any advice (particularly confirmed experiences) or more insight would be wonderful.

many thanks, forbes.

[chrisp]

Which is more likely to succeed, elilo or bootcamp with BIOS emulation?
According to the reports on the mactel-linux mailing list, you need the BIOS emulation (a.k.a. "Boot Camp"), but with that everything works fine. I haven't seen actual reports from MacBooks yet, only from Mac mini users, but I wouldn't expect them to behave differently.

[brianwc]

Hi,

I just wrote up a HowTo Triple-Boot on a MacBook (http://sharealike.org/index.php?m=20060526) that I implemented on my Black MacBook.

I haven't tried the XGL graphics, but will do that now that you mention it. I need help getting the sound to work under Debian and making the keyboard work like it's supposed to under Debian as well. Any pointers on that welcome.

[brianwc]

So,

The Kororaa LiveCD 0.2 is not able to load X on my MacBook by default (and nothing I tried fixed it.) The X log has two main errors: It can't load/find the module "speedo" and it can't find the driver "i915". I commented out "speedo" and tried again, but it still couldn't find i915 and I didn't know what other driver to try there.

Also strange was that the LiveCD wouldn't boot from the rEFIt menu, but instead only worked when I held down C from the beginning of the boot process before rEFIt takes over...

I found this HowTo Install XGL on Debian Etch (http://sonique54.free.fr/xgl/xgl.htm) that I may try, since that's the distro I'm running. I know very little about XGL though, so I worry I'll screw up my system which now at least works.

[brianwc]

Took the plunge and tried that script. It doesn't work. Everything appears to download and install (mostly) OK but Xgl never launches. Not sure what the problem is, but I left a comment on the script author's blog. Maybe someone with more Xgl know-how can explain what else I could try to confirm whether Xgl will work on this Intel 950 chipset.

[chrisp]

Also strange was that the LiveCD wouldn't boot from the rEFIt menu, but instead only worked when I held down C from the beginning of the boot process before rEFIt takes over...
I downloaded the "kororaa-xgl-livecd-0.2.iso" image and tried it myself -- it shows up in the rEFIt menu and boots fine. It fails to start Xgl, though, just like on your box. (I have a 17" iMac.)

[forbes]

Just to let everyone know, in case you are still searching for an answer to this, I installed AIGLX and compiz last night and it flies along quiet happily :)

Apparently XGL is real slow on the MacBook, but AIGLX certainly works for me. Either way you still get the great compiz effects :D

I followed the instructions on this blog and added it to my dual boot black MacBook (with 2GB RAM) last night on an Ubuntu Dapper 6.06 install. Fantastic.

Just find the section under “3D Accelerated Desktop/aiglx compiz:” over here:

http://bin-false.org/?p=17

Only took about 30 minutes.