NeoMagic Video Chipsets on Linux/X Window System
by Rick Moen, rick@hugin.imat.com
Updated 21 Sept 1998

This is a short information file for people who've asked me about
X Window System support for Neomagic video chipsets on Linux.

Neomagic video chipsets are used by quite a number of manufacturers
of laptop computers, and have been problematic for X support, because
Neomagic refuses to release technical specs on its circuitry.
The company is willing to release details only under non-disclosure
agreement. So, developers have either signed NDAs and developed
binary-only X servers, or have attempted to reverse-engineer the
chips without assistance.

Owners of Neomagic-based laptops have three options for X support:

1. Buy Accelerated X, a binary-only, US $200, proprietary, accelerated
X server package from Xi Graphics, Inc. http://www.xig.com/

2. Download and install a binary-only, gratis, accelerated X server
for NeoMagic developed by Red Hat Software, at
ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/XBF/
NOTE: As of 21 Sept. 1998, Red Hat has received NeoMagic's
permission to release the XBF server's source code to the
XFree86 Project (where it has yet not shown up, at this date).
This does not (yet) include chipset technical specs (e.g., API
details), necessary to improve/debug such drivers.

3. Download and install a modified (by Jeff Shorey) version of the
open-source, gratis, non-accelerated XFree86 SVGA server, at
http://www.mnsinc.com/js/Neomagic.html

Here is a list of laptop models known to use NeoMagic chipsets,
with (in some cases) the best available information as to which
chipset each has. I cannot guarantee accuracy, much less completeness:

Acer Extensa 367T (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Acer Extensa 710
Acer Nuovo 970 (NeoMagic NM-2090)
Acer TravelMate 7120T (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Acer TravelMate 7130TE (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Actebis TN559Pro
ARM Computer ARMNote TS97MX (NeoMagic NM-2093)
ARM Computer ARMNote TS96CD
CHEM USA Chembook 6000 series (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Comex (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Compaq Presario 1000 (NeoMagic NM-2090)
Compaq Presario 1020 (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Compaq Presario 1060
Compaq Presario 1070
Compaq Presario 1080
Compaq Presario 1210 (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Compaq Presario 1220 (NeoMagic MagicGraph 128ZV+)
Compaq Presario 1610 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Compaq Presario 1611 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Compaq Presario 1620 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Compaq Presario 1621 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Compaq Presario 1680 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Compaq Presario 1681 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
CTX Cybernote (NeoMagic NM-2160)
CTX EzBook 700 (NeoMagic NM-2093)
CTX EzBook 760MT-XK
CTX EzBook 77X series
Dell Inspiron 3000 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Dell Inspiron 3000 M200ST
Dell Inspiron 3000 M266XT (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Dell Inspiron 3200 D266ST (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Dell Inspiron 3200 (NeoMagic NM-2160 or NM-2093)
Dell Inspiron 3200 D266XT
Dell Latitude CP series (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Dell Latitude LM (NeoMagic NM-2070 or NM-2160)
Dell Latitude LM P166MMX
Dell Latitude LM P166ST (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Dell Latitude XPi (NeoMagic NM-2070)
Dell Latitude XPi CD 1M P150ST (and P166ST) (NeoMagic NM-2090)
Dell Latitude XPi 896 (NeoMagic 2070)
Digital HiNote VP500 (NeoMagic NM-2090)
Digital HiNote VP567 (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Digital HiNote VP700 (NeoMagic NM-2090)
Digital HiNote VP710 (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Digital HiNote VP720
Digital HiNote VP725 (NeoMagic 2160)
Digital HiNote VP735 (NeoMagic NM-2090 or NM-2160)
Digital HiNote VP745 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Ergo Computing/Brick Computer Co. CD-PowerBrick3 (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Everex Stepnote SC
Fujitsu FMV-BIBLO NC III13 (NeoMagic MagicGraph 128ZV+)
Fujitsu FMV-BIBLO NC13D (NeoMagic MagicGraph 128ZV+ or NM-2093)
Fujitsu FMV-BIBLO NC313 (NeoMagic MagicGraph 128ZV+)
Fujitsu FMV-513NP6/W (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Fujitsu FMV-5100NC/S (NeoMagic NM-2090)
Fujitsu Lifebook 420D (NeoMagic NM-2070)
Fujitsu Lifebook 435DX (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Fujitsu Lifebook 635Tx (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Gateway 2000 Solo 2300 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Gateway 2000 Solo 2300XL (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Gateway 2000 Solo 2500 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Gateway 2000 Solo 2500SE (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Gatewau 2000 Solo 5150SE
Higrade AS6200 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
HP Omnibook 800 (NeoMagic NM-2093)
HP OmniBook 800 166MMX (NeoMagic NM-2093)
HP OmniBook 800CS (NeoMagic NM-2093)
HP OmniBook 3000
HP OmniBook 3000CTX (NeoMagic NM-2160)
HP OmniBook 4100
HP OmniBook Sojourn
Hitachi Notebook E133T (NeoMagic NM-2070)
Hitachi VisionBook Plus 5000
HyperData MediaGo 800
IBM ThinkPad 380
IBM ThinkPad 380D (NeoMagic NM-2090)
IBM ThinkPad 380E
IBM ThinkPad 380ED (NeoMagic NM-2093)
IBM ThinkPad 380XD
IBM ThinkPad 385D
IBM ThinkPad 385ED (NeoMagic NM-2090)
IBM ThinkPad 535X (NeoMagic NM-2160)
IBM ThinkPad 560
IBM ThinkPad 560X (NeoMagic NM-2160)
IBM ThinkPad 600 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
LEO Designnote 5200CDT (NeoMagic NM-2093)
MAG Verity 685CDT
MAG Verity 690CDT
Medion Laptop
Micro Transport Xke
Micron GoBook
Micron TransPort Treks
Micron TransPort VIx (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Micron TransPort VLX (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Micron TransPort XKE (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Mitsubishi (Melco) AMiTY CN (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Mitsubishi (Melco) AMiTY CN model 2 (NeoMagic 128ZV+)
NEC PC-AL13C (98 Aile NX) (NeoMagic NM-2160)
NEC PC-AL20C (98 Aile NX) (NeoMagic NM-2160)
NEC PC-MB12CUDA1 (98 mobio NX) (NeoMagic NM-2093)
NEC Versa 2730MT (NeoMagic NM-2160)
NEC Versa 2760MT
NEC Versa 2780MT
NEC Versa 6230
NEC Versa 5080X (NeoMagic NM-2160)
NEC Versa 6060
NEC Versa 6060MX (NeoMagic NM-2160)
NEC Versa 6220 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
NEC Versa 6230 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
NEC Versa 6260 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Panasonic CF_S21
Panasonic CF-25 MKIII
Panasonic CF-25 Mark3 Ruggedised
Panasonic CF-35
Panasonic Let's Note AL-N2T515J5 (NeoMagic NM2093)
Panasonic Let's Note AL-N2T516J5 (NeoMagic NM2160)
Panasonic Let's Note AL-N2T520J5 (NeoMagic NM2160)
Panasonic Let's Note Mini AL-N4T515J5 (NeoMagic NM-2093)
Quantex H-1331 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Sharp Mebius PC-PJ1 (NeoMagic MagicGraph 128ZV+)
Sharp 3040
Sharp Actius
Siemens-Nixdorf SCENIC Mobile 510 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Sony VAIO PCG-505 (NeoMagic NM-2097)
Sony VAIO PCG-505EX (NeoMagic MagicGraph 128ZV+)
Sony VAIO PCG-505G (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Sony VAIO PCG-705 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Sony VAIO PCG-705C
Sony VAIO PCG-707 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Sony VAIO PCG-717C (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Sony VAIO PCG-719
Sony VAIO PCG-719C (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Sony VAIO PCG-808 (NeoMagic NM-2200)
Sotec WinBook Slim 133 (Z1P133) (NeoMagic MagicGraph 128ZV+)
Sotec WinBook Slim 133MT (NeoMagic NM-2093)
TI Extensa 660 CD and CDT
TI Travelmate 6160
Toshiba Libretto 100CT (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Toshiba Portege 3010CT (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Toshiba Portege 7000 (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Toshiba Portege 7000CT (NeoMagic NM-2160)
Toshiba Portege 7010CT (NeoMagic NM-2200)
Toshiba Tecra 8000 (NeoMagic NM-2200)
Unisys Aquanta EN
WinBook LM (NeoMagic NM2070)
WinBook XL P266MMX

Neomagic models NM-2070, NM-2093, NM-2097, and NM-2160 are supported
by Red Hat's server. NM-2090 (aka MagicGraph128V) support is currently
disabled in Red Hat's server, pending testing. However, the SVGA server
works on that chipset.

Neomagic model MagicGraph 128ZV+ may be compatible, but this is unknown
to me.

Variant names you'll see, and what they really mean:

MagicGraph 128 = NM-2070
MagicGraph 128V = NM-2090
MagicGraph 128V+ = NM-2097
MagicGraph 128XV = NM-2160 (?)
MagicGraph 128ZV = NM-2093
MagicGraph 128XD = NM-2160
MagicGraph 128ZV+ = ???
MagicMedia 256AV = NM-2200

The very newest NeoMagic chip family is the NM-2200 series, with
AGP bus logic, MPEG2 video playback, and PCI/AGP digital audio. I have
no information on compatibility, yet.

Example X setups:

http://www.cmis.csiro.au/Graham.Williams/xwindows/linux.dell.html
http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/linux-laptop/latitude-lm133.html
http://ling.upenn.edu/~alexis/neomagic/readme.html
http://www.publiccom.com/web/mikey/lifebooklinux.html
http://www.phoneboy.com/pig/howto/neomagic-x.html
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/5832/fujitsu.html
http://www.wigitek.com/daniel/presario1000s.html
http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~etgold/linuxsharp.html
http://csg.uwaterloo.ca/~dmg/violeta/index.html
http://sac.uky.edu/~msunde00/latitude.html
http://www.arctic.org/~dgaudet/tp560/

Please note that I don't personally own a laptop, and have experience
with NeoMagic only through helping others set up X support. The bulk
of the above information isn't mine, but rather is copied from the Net.