Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mailrus!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!mephisto!ncar!ico!scottw
From: scottw@ico.isc.com (Scott Wiesner)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: VRAM Vga
Message-ID: <1990Mar22.155517.3242@ico.isc.com>
Date: 22 Mar 90 15:55:17 GMT
References: <1557@redsox.bsw.com>
Organization: Interactive Systems Corporation, Boulder, CO
Lines: 20

From article <1557@redsox.bsw.com>, by campbell@redsox.bsw.com (Larry Campbell):
> No, this message occurs because VGA cards can display only 16 colors at a
> time.  GIF images can contain 256 colors.  You'll get this message from xgif
> with nearly any image if you're using a VGA card.  

Actually, if you run a "bare bones" X configuration, you can display 
many of the 16 color gif images without trouble.  Where you run into
problems is when you are running several other applications that are
allocating colors (such as motif).

> I think the only card that
> supports 256 colors and is supported by ISC's X server is the IBM 8514A.

Also supported with 256 colors are the Microfield T8, the Pixelworks
Clipper Series, the Matrox PG-Series-1, and any register compatible
clones of the IBM 8514A (such as the board sold by Western Digital/Pardise).

Scott Wiesner
Interactive Systems
X Development Group