OSNews > Thread > "RE[17]: Only one choice for solid 3D under Linux

Linux 2.6.32 To Get R600 Kernel Mode Setting

Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 9th Sep 2009 22:29 UTC, submitted by lemur2

Open source 3D graphics drivers for ATI R600 garphics cards has been submitted to the kernel-next tree for possible inclusion in the Linux kernel 2.6.32. "David Airlie has pushed a horde of new code into his drm-next Git tree, which is what will get pulled into the Linux 2.6.32 kernel once the merge window is open. Most prominently, this new DRM code brings support for kernel mode-setting with R600 class hardware as well as 3D support."

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RE[17]: Only one choice for solid 3D under Linux - Nvid

by lemur2 on Sat 12th Sep 2009 12:41 UTC in reply to "RE[16]: Only one choice for solid 3D under Linux - Nvid"

Member since:
2007-02-17

" It isn't the fault of any FOSS DE project that Nvidia drivers were totally unable to get this to work for YEARS (when everyone else had no problems whatsoever) ... but ONLY in Nvidia's binary Linux driver (for some models of card) was this a problem, it works fine on the same Nvidia cards in Windows, and it works fine on reverse-engineered FOSS drivers for the same Nvidia cards.

kwin compositing works fine in current binary drivers as well. "

But it didn't for such a loooooong time.

Also, there seems to be a bad communication impedance mismatch here. You keep thinking that people are opposed to ATI drivers in principle (which would be somewhat absurd), whereas the problem here-and-now is that the new and glorious ATI driver is not really there yet. *Right now*, nvidia is the one you'd rather use on Linux.

Not at all. *Right now* there is already a new open source ATI driver which works for 3D. The situation *can't* get any worse than that ... since it is open source. If needs be we can always revert back to the source we have now.

It is like that with open source ... once it works even once, partially, you can't have a error by the OEM (intentional or otherwise) screw you. You can always revert a version. You can always fork the code.

ATI might have the upper hand when .32 kernel is deployed. We'll wait and see (and root for ATI).

Fair enough. For me it is no contest ... Linux using ATI graphics cards can't be held up any longer by recalcitrant or incompetent OEMs. The functionality will come, it can't be stopped. The self-interest of an estimated 1.5 million Linux developers will see it continuously improve. Any PC manufacturer wanting to ship Linux systems, from this point on, knows that they cannot be forced into having to ship a system with crippled graphics ... just install an ATI card and it will be good.

Edited 2009-09-12 12:47 UTC

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