1. Requirements

Before you can either compile or execute a binary distribution of XFree86, the following conditions must be met:

• Ensure that you are running Release 5.0.4 or later. This is required because OSS646 is only supported on those platforms. There are no plans to support XFree86 on earlier releases of OpenServer.
• Ensure that OSS646, the ``Execution Environment Update'' package is installed, if appropriate. Check the release notes for that update to see whether or not your current operating system requires this update. This supplement will be available to the public in February 2003.
• Ensure that OSS631, the "Graphics, Web and X11 Libraries" package is installed. This ships standard with release 5.0.7 and later, and is only required for 5.0.[456] users. This package will be updated fairly frequently, and it us always suggested you have the latest possible version installed. At some point in the future it may even update the libraries in 5.0.7, so it is worth checking the release notes for this supplement.
• To compile XFree86, you must use the SCO-supported version of the GNU C Compiler. It is possible that Skunkware versions of the compiler will work too, but this has not been tested. The ``GNU Development System'' is available for all releases from (and including) SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.5. It is provided with the operating system in all versions from Release 5.0.7, although you need to run ``custom'' to install it from the media. You can always download the latest latest version of the GNU Development System from the SCO Web site.
• If you are not using OSR 5.0.7 or later, you need to get an updated console driver. See http://www.sco.com for details on OpenServer supplements. If you can't or don't want to upgrade your console driver, XFree86 will still compile, but you may run into problems with some cards such as the Riva TNT and ATI Rage cards. The problem with the console driver in 5.0.6A and earlier is that when the X server sets graphics mode, the driver does not set a status bit, so any text that is sent directly to /dev/console, such as kernel warning or notice messages when you access tape drives or NFS notices, will be sent to the console video memory. This just happens to be slap bang in the middle of palette data for the Riva TNT, so you get color map corruption. The updated console driver also has an improved mechanism for allocating video memory that XFree86 detects at compile time, and it will use it if it exists. It is STRONGLY recommended that you get the console driver update.