Installation

1. Install libdrm with the nouveau support

    echo "/ video_drivers: nouveau" >> /etc/paludis/options.conf
   cave resolve -x libdrm
   

2. Install the 2D nouveau driver for xorg

    cave resolve -x xf86-video-nouveau
   

3. Start xorg with this minimal config

    cat <<EOF >>/etc/X11/xorg.conf
   echo Section "Device"
   Identifier "myvideocard"
   Driver     "nouveau"
   EndSection
   EOF
   

4. Optional: For 3D, install mesa with support for gallium

    echo "/ video_drivers: gallium-nouveau" >> /etc/paludis/options.conf
   cave resolve -x mesa
   

5. Restart X, and check that everything is working

    /etc/init.d/displaymanager restart
   glxinfo | egrep 'OpenGL.string.'
   

   If everything is working correctly, you should see something like:

    OpenGL vendor string: Mesa Project
   OpenGL renderer string: Software Rasterizer
   OpenGL version string: 2.1 Mesa 7.8.1
   OpenGL shading language version string: 1.20
   

   On working gallium3d, it will look like:

    OpenGL vendor string: nouveau
   OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on NV4B
   OpenGL version string: 2.0 Mesa 7.8.1
   OpenGL shading language version string: 1.20