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• Introduction
• Supported Systems
• Acknowledgments
• Y2k Compliance

Mesa is a 3-D graphics library with an API which is very similar to that of OpenGL.* To the extent that Mesa utilizes the OpenGL command syntax or state machine, it is being used with authorization from Silicon Graphics, Inc(SGI). However, the author does not possess an OpenGL license from SGI, and makes no claim that Mesa is in any way a compatible replacement for OpenGL or associated with SGI. Those who want a licensed implementaion of OpenGL should contact a licensed vendor.

While Mesa is not a licensed OpenGL implementation, it is currently being tested with the OpenGL conformance tests. For the current conformance status see the CONFORM file included in the Mesa distribution. Despite these technical/legal terms, you may find Mesa to be a valid alternative to OpenGL. Most applications written for OpenGL can use Mesa instead without changing the source code.

Please do not refer to the library as MesaGL (for legal reasons). It's just Mesa or The Mesa 3-D graphics library.

Mesa was originally designed for Unix/X11 systems and is still best supported on those systems. All you need is an ANSI C compiler and the X development environment to use Mesa. Others have contributed drivers for the Amiga, Apple Macintosh, BeOS, NeXT, OS/2, MS-DOS, VMS, and Windows 9x/NT. See the README file included with the Mesa distribution for more details.

NOTE: For general linux 3d hardware information, surf www.linux3d.org or linux3d.netpedia.net.

3dfx Voodoo1, Voodoo2, Voodoo Rush, Voodoo Banshee, Voodoo3

All cards based on these chipsets should work with Linux and Windows 95 via 3dfx's glide library.

David Bucciarelli wrote and maintains the 3dfx driver for Mesa. Look here for the latest info.

Daryll Strauss wrote and maintains the Linux version of Glide. Look here for the latest info.

nVidia

nVidia drivers (based on Mesa 3.0) and information can be found at http://www.nvidia.com/Products.nsf/htmlmedia/software_drivers.html. In addition, you can find RPMS at ftp://ftp.mesa3d.org/mesa/misc/nVidia/.

Amiga Warp3D

Amiga systems can support 3D hardware with the Warp3D API. See here.

Matrox G200/G400, nVidia RIVA, ATI Rage Pro

There is a group working on support for the Matrox G200 and G400 series cards, along with the nVidia cards that nVidia released the specs for, and most recently, the ATI Rage Pro chipset. The group is located at glx.on.openprojects.net. They use Mesa as the OpenGL driver, but implement their own glx module.

New projects

• Precision Insight, Inc. is implementing a new 3D architecture for XFree86 using Mesa.
• S.u.S.E. is working with the XFree86 group to integrate 3-D hardware support into the XFree86 X server for Linux. Currently, a variety of 3Dlabs chipsets are being targeted. There is no targeted release date at this time. Also see the XFree86 3D Status Report for information.

Supporting the 3dfx hardware was relatively simple because of the 3dfx Glide library. In order to support other 3D hardware we need:
• Detailed technical specifications which often must be obtained under NDA.
• Volunteers to write a Mesa driver for the hardware.
• On Unix systems we ideally want integrations with the X server. This is complicated work.

If you would like to work on a hardware project you should post to the Mesa mailing list to organize a development team. It will probably be easier to get hardware vendor cooperation if there is an organized group of developers rather than just one person.

In addition to the contributors listed on the developers page, the following parties are to be acknowledged for their contributions.

Early Mesa development was done while Brian was part of the SSEC Visualization Project at the University of Wisconsin. He'd like to thank Bill Hibbard for letting him work on Mesa as part of that project.

John Carmack of id Software, Inc. has funded Keith Whitwell in order to optimize Mesa's vertex transformation module. This is a very substantial piece of work.

The mesa3d.org domain is hosted by VA Research. Thanks to VA Research and Rob Walker for site administration.

Since several people have asked, Mesa is Y2k safe. Mesa is just a graphics library; it does not make use of the system's date or time facilities. This is true for all versions of Mesa.