TDFX(4)

📦 version 12.2, in debian bookworm, debian trixie, ubuntu jammy, ubuntu noble, ubuntu questing, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💖 TDFX(4) — the vibe check 💖

okay bestie, so this is a kernel interfaces manual page, and it's all about tdfx, the Voodoo Graphics and VoodooII Memory Access GLIDE device driver. yes that's a lot of capital letters, we love a dramatic name. let's get into it ✨

✨ NAME ✨

tdfx — Voodoo Graphics and VoodooII Memory Access GLIDE device driver 🦋

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

device tdfx
device tdfx_linux

like. that's it. two little lines. precious 💅

💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

so what does this driver actually do, you ask? it makes an entry in /dev so programs — mostly the GLIDE-based software girlies — can go touch the device memory of the Voodoo Graphics and VoodooII 3D accelerators, which were made by 3Dfx, Inc. basically it's the little doorway that lets apps based on the GLIDE API (or apps that just use the API that the linux /dev/3dfx device gives you) actually use the video device. no cap. 🫶

it supports all cards based on these chipsets:

  • 3Dfx Voodoo Graphics
  • 3Dfx Voodoo II

and specifically? these cards should work, like fr fr:

  • Diamond Multimedia Monster 3D
  • Diamond Multimedia Monster 3D II
okay now the sad part 😭 so listen: this driver does not currently support cards based on the Voodoo Banshee, Voodoo3, Voodoo5, or Voodoo6. it also does not currently support the Voodoo Rush. and it also does not yet handle the SLI feature of the Voodoo II boards — you can only use each of them separately. yes that's a lot of "no"s. i'm sorry. it's giving exclusivity but not in the fun way 💀

and ooh, here's a cute lil upgrade: by including tdfx_linux, you can enable the linux ioctl code for this driver — which is where the only supported applications currently live. so like, if you want the apps, you want the tdfx_linux. periodt. 👑

🎀 FILES 🎀

  • /dev/3dfx — symlinked to the default 3dfx board
  • /dev/3dfx* — character device programming interface
  • /dev/voodoo — mirrors of the above interfaces
  • /dev/voodoo* — (some apps use /dev/voodoo, iconic of them honestly)

🌈 HISTORY 🌈

the tdfx driver appeared in FreeBSD 5.0, and was originally developed for Linux kernel 2.0.x, then later written for 2.2.x and 2.4.x. a whole glow-up journey, we love to see it ⭐

👑 AUTHORS 👑

the driver was developed by Coleman Kane <cokane@micro.ti.com>, after the linux version of this driver by Darryll Straus, John Taylor, Jens Axboe, Carlo Wood <carlo@alinoe.com> and Joseph Kain <joseph@3dfx.com> — made to be directly compatible with it and to support the many GLIDE based games available for Linux and Unix. a whole squad. a whole friend group. the way they collaborated?? obsessed 💖

and that's the whole page bestie!! this one's from Debian, dated February 19, 2001, and it lives under the TDFX(4) name. mwah 💋 go forth and GLIDE 🧚✨

📦 where this page comes from