Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 24th Jun 2008 12:07 UTC
A constant thorn in the eye of many Linux kernel developers is the existence of closed-source kernel modules, most notably those by Nvidia and Ati, but also some file system drivers and other elements. Most of the Linux developers have been against these modules ever since they were first used, and in fact, bug reports originating from a tainted kernel are often disregarded and ignored. The kernel developers have now rallied together by issuing a statement urging vendors to release open source Linux kernel modules and drivers.
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Member since:
2006-11-22
Unfortunately, I had a different experience. Since nvidia has several versions of their driver you need to download a very old version to run old video cards (like the Geforce 2 Go I had). The problem is these only support very old kernels so in essence your card will work for 4 years with modern distributions and then just stop. Additionally, overall non-kernel drivers are much more maintenance / troubleshooting to deal with raising the support cost.
Nvidia used to be the default graphics card I recommended to clients and for internal use, now Intel is. Even with the GLX problems Intel has they cost much less to maintain (time and money) and provide an overall good experience. Nvidia is now only used for special high-end needs.
Whereas I do subscribe to the philosophy of open source kernel modules it is the practical reasons (reduced cost) that drive it home for my clients.