Is Via C3 CPU supported, also, how much RAM/swap needed?

[tylernt]

I can't get X to start, catches signal 4. Before I submit a bug report, let me ask if my setup even has a chance of working:

CPU: Via Epia C3 (CyrixIII / CentaurHauls)
RAM: 512MB (no swap)
NVIDIA driver: 256.35
Kernel: 2.6.29.6
Distro: Slackware 13
Card: BFG-manufactured 8400 GS

My main questions are:

1. Is my Via C3 CPU supported? Do I need to recompile my kernel for i486 instead of the C3?

2. Will my 512MB RAM cut it? In my X startup logs I see the NVIDIA driver is allocating 768MB, but this is a PXE/NFS netboot box with no swapfile. Do I need a swapfile or more RAM to make the NVIDIA driver work?

I'll gladly submit a "proper" bug report if the answers are yes, but in the meantime, here's a snippet of the Xorg log:

(II) Jul 02 19:22:28 NVIDIA: Using 768.00 MB of virtual memory for indirect memory access.
(II) Jul 02 19:22:28 NVIDIA(0): Initialized GPU GART.
(II) Jul 02 19:22:28 NVIDIA(0): kernel module enabled successfully
(II) Jul 02 19:22:28 NVIDIA(0): GPU initialized
(II) Jul 02 19:22:28 NVIDIA(0): Setting mode "800x600"
(II) Jul 02 19:22:28 NVIDIA(0): First mode initialized

Backtrace:
0: /usr/bin/X(xorg_backtrace+0x3b) [0x812d22b]
1: /usr/bin/X(xf86SigHandler+0x51) [0x80bc721]
2: [0xffffe400]

Fatal server error:
Caught signal 4.  Server aborting

Thoughts?

[cehoyos]

Originally Posted by tylernt

1. Is my Via C3 CPU supported?

IIRC, you need a processor with SSE support, only later C3 ("Nehemiah" C5XL/C5P instead of "Ezra" C5C/C5N or "Samuel 2" C5B) support it.

Carl Eugen

[tylernt]

Originally Posted by cehoyos

IIRC, you need a processor with SSE support, only later C3 ("Nehemiah" C5XL/C5P instead of "Ezra" C5C/C5N or "Samuel 2" C5B) support it.

Thanks Carl, with that tip I was able to find http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=114415 and other threads which appear to seal my doom. However, unlike that thread, I don't care about 3D -- I'm using this card in my HTPC for VDPAU ("PureVideo") MPEG acceleration. Will the old, old NVIDIA 96.* driver (which does not require SSE) do VDPAU? Alternatively, can I somehow disable all 3D functions for 256.* or in X so it'll run without SSE? Please say yes.

[piotrq__]

I'd try and disable GLX extensions. They are the ones that handle 3D acceleration and VDPAU should be OK without them.

[tylernt]

Tried disabling GLX, tried 96.* driver, tried i486 kernel, no go. The 96.* driver actually seems promising because I get a different error message, but endless playing with IRQs/ACPI/noapic was fruitless. Unless anyone has any tips or suggestions I think this Epia board is ready for recycling.