How to compile an experimental X server

Some functions of the X.org server, such as 3D acceleration for newer cards, are under constant developments. To test the latest features, you need to build the X server and related software directly from the developers' CVS and GIT repositories. Since several projects and dozens of sub-projects are involved, this is a complicated task.

The following script automates fetching, compilation and installation of the following:

• Modular X.org server+libraries from CVS and GIT (see http://wiki.x.org/wiki/ModularDevelopersGuide and http://wiki.x.org/wiki/GitPage)
• libDRI and DRM kernel modules (see http://dri.freedesktop.org/wiki/Building)
• Mesa libraries and DRI drivers (see http://www.mesa3d.org/install.html and http://www.mesa3d.org/cvs_access.html)

By default all compilation happens in ~/3d-pit and everything is installed into ~/3d-pit/install. The built DRM kernel module is installed to /lib/modules/.... No other paths are touched (but run as a non-root user, just in case).

To save time not all X libraries are built, so you'll need the usual X development environment packages installed (see above links).

Currently only the ATI radeon X.org drivers and r300 DRI driver are fetched and compiled. If you need different drivers, search for "radeon" and "r300" and modify as needed.

The script

#!/bin/bash
# Script to build X.org, DRI and Mesa from CVS and GIT.
# Source http://thinkwiki.org/index.php?title=How_to_compile_an_experimental_X_server
# See also:
#   http://wiki.x.org/wiki/ModularDevelopersGuide
#   http://wiki.x.org/wiki/GitPage
#   http://dri.freedesktop.org/wiki/Building
#   http://www.mesa3d.org/cvs_access.html
#   http://www.mesa3d.org/install.html

#############################################
# Init

PIT=$HOME/3d-pit    # Download and build here
DEST=$PIT/install   # Install here

set -e -E -v

#############################################
# Fetching and building libDRM and DRM kernel drivers

DRI_CVS=:pserver:anonymous@anoncvs.freedesktop.org:2401/cvs/dri

mkdir -p $PIT; cd $PIT
grep -qF $DRI_CVS ~/.cvspass || cvs -d $DRI_CVS login
[ -d drm ] || cvs -d $DRI_CVS co drm

cd drm
cvs update -C

./autogen.sh
CFLAGS=-march=pentium-m XCCFLAGS=-march=pentium=m ./configure --prefix=$DEST
make clean
make
make install

cd $PIT/drm/linux-core
make DRM_MODULES="radeon" 
sudo sh -c 'rm -fv /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/char/drm/*.ko; \
            cp -v *.ko /lib/modules/`uname -r`/extra/; \
            /sbin/depmod -a'

#############################################
# Fetching Mesa

MESA_CVS=:pserver:anonymous@anoncvs.freedesktop.org:2401/cvs/mesa

mkdir -p $PIT; cd $PIT
grep -qF $MESA_CVS ~/.cvspass || cvs -d $MESA_CVS login
[ -d Mesa ] || cvs -d $MESA_CVS co Mesa

cd Mesa
cvs update -C
# patch to make Google Earth use acceleration:
perl -i -pe 'print "//DISABLE " if m/^\s*FALLBACK_IF.*Line\.SmoothFlag/' \
  ./src/mesa/drivers/dri/r300/r300_render.c 

#############################################
# Fetching and building X.org

XORG_CVS=:pserver:anoncvs@anoncvs.freedesktop.org:2401/cvs/xorg
XORG_GIT=git://anongit.freedesktop.org/git/xorg

X_CVS_DIRS="proto data util \
         driver/xf86-input-mouse driver/xf86-input-keyboard \
         lib/dmx lib/pciaccess lib/Xcomposite \
         lib/Xcursor lib/Xdamage lib/Xevie lib/Xext lib/Xfixes \
         lib/Xi lib/Xinerama lib/xkbui lib/Xmu lib/Xt \
         lib/Xrandr lib/Xrender lib/XRes lib/xtrans \
         lib/XTrap lib/Xv lib/XvMC lib/Xxf86dga lib/Xxf86misc \
         lib/Xxf86rush lib/Xxf86vm"
X_GIT_DIRS="xserver xcb driver/xf86-video-ati lib/libX11"

# In case of trouble try adding these to X_CVS_DIRS:
#   lib/Xau lib/ICE lib/SM lib/xkbfile lib/Xpm
#   lib/AppleWM lib/fontenc lib/FS lib/lbxutil lib/oldX lib/WindowsWM 
#   lib/Xaw lib/Xdmcp lib/Xfont lib/Xfontcache lib/Xft 
#   lib/Xp lib/XprintAppUtil lib/XprintUtil lib/XScrnSaver lib/Xtst

mkdir -p $PIT/xorg; cd $PIT/xorg
grep -qF $XORG_CVS ~/.cvspass || cvs -d $XORG_CVS login
for D in $X_CVS_DIRS; do
  [ -d $D ] || { echo @$D; cvs -d $XORG_CVS co $D; }
done
for D in $X_GIT_DIRS; do
  G=$XORG_GIT/$D; G=${G/xorg\/xcb/xcb}
  [ -d $D ] || { echo @$D; git clone $G $D; }
done

for D in $X_CVS_DIRS; do ( echo @$D; cd $D && cvs update -C ); done |grep -v '^\?'
for D in $X_GIT_DIRS; do ( echo @$D; cd $D && git pull ); done

( export PATH="$DEST/bin:$PATH" \
         PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$DEST/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH" \
         CACHE=$PIT/xorg/autoconf.cache  MAKE="make -j2"  QUIET=y
  nice ./util/modular/build.sh -n -m $PIT/Mesa $DEST 2>&1 \
  | tee xbuild.log )
sudo sh -c "chown -v root $DEST/bin/Xorg; \
            chmod -v 4711 $DEST/bin/Xorg"

#############################################
# Building Mesa (after installing X.org)

# This uses both old-style and new-style vars, to support older Mesa snapshots.

cd $PIT/Mesa
( export DRM_SOURCE_PATH=$PIT/drm \
         PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$DEST/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH" \
         DESTDIR=$DEST \
         INSTALL_DIR=$DEST \
         DRI_DRIVER_INSTALL_DIR=$DEST/lib/dri \
         DRI_DIRS=r300 \
         OPT_FLAGS='-O2 -g -march=pentium-m'
  make -e linux-dri-x86
  make -e install
  cp -v lib/r300_dri.so $DRI_DRIVER_INSTALL_DIR/ )

#############################################
# Creating a script which sets env vars

cat <<EOF > $DEST/bin/xsetenv
export PATH="$DEST/bin:$PATH" 
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$DEST/lib
export LIBGL_DRIVERS_PATH=$DEST/lib/dri
EOF

echo "Run '. $DEST/bin/xsetenv' to point env vars to this installation."

Running

Just run the above. If prompted for a CVS password, press Enter. There are two sudo invocations for which you may need to provide a password.

Prepare a config file called (say) /etc/X11/xorg.dri-test.conf with DRI enabled.

Then, exit your current X server (e.g., via # init 3) and run something like: $ . ~/3d-pit/install/bin/xsetenv; X -config xorg.dri-test.conf :0 >& xout.log & ( export DISPLAY=:0; sleep 3; kwin& xterm& )

If all goes well, you'll get a minimal X session with just an xterm open. Some things to do now:

• $ xdriinfo
• $ LIBGL_DEBUG=verbose glxinfo 2>&1 | less
• $ glxgears
• $ sudo less ~3d-pit/install/var/log/Xorg.0.log
• $ ppracer (and report on the associated bug including the relevant # lspci -v lines)
• $ googleearth (Linux version here)

To keep up with the latest CVS and GIT versions, just run the script again. You don't need to (and shouldn't) delete ~/3d-pit beforehand.