"ATI's R5xx line was first released back in October 2005. The initial launch covered the X1800 and X1300 series, with the X1600 series following suit in November. Last month we saw the release of the new X1900 series too. Now, let me count the months from October to February; it is 5 months, right? Well, believe it or not, that's the number of months the new X1000 series is out in the market without Linux support. If you are unfortunate enough to own such a card, all you have is Matthew Tippett's statement in Phoronix."
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Member since:2006-02-08
[i]But in any case: wouldn't something like this force all OSes to use the same driver model? [/I}
Yeah. I agree. I don't think cross platform driver would work at all. The architecture between X and the Windows driver model is so different.
Besides, having DirectX on Linux or BSD? /*shudder*/
Member since:2005-07-04
I think you need to re-read his comment. He means that Nvidia's drivers from a year ago won't work on a modern kernel. That is pathetic. The Nvidia driver from '03 works on WinXP with the latest patches from '06. Yet the Linux developers insist on constantly breaking binary compatability. Not only does it piss off companies like Nvidia and ATI, it pisses off users like myself as well.
Member since:2006-01-03
Member since:2005-11-14
He means that Nvidia's drivers from a year ago won't work on a modern kernel. That is pathetic
I agree. It's pathetic that you would need a NVidia driver from one year ago, especially since they were buggy like hell.
It's pathetic that you would need a so old component, while the kernel is going forward.
The Nvidia driver from '03 works on WinXP with the latest patches from '06
Will it work with 64 bit WinXP ? Or with Vista ? Or with Win98 ?
Try comparing apples and apples, not apples and oranges. The Linux kernel supports SMP, x86, x86-64, ppc, ... so a driver for Linux is already far more than what you have on Windows. You need at least different drivers on Windows for 64 bit for example. Also, drivers in Windows often are one archive of files containing drivers for all Windows versions. See ? The picture in Windows is far worse than what you describe, especially when compared to Linux
Especially given the fact that only binary drivers have problems with Linux going forward.
Even worse, is what you imply : that Linux development should depend on NVidia !!! Or that NVidia not supporting its older drivers (if it means anything) is Linux's fault. And even worse, that you would need old NVidia drivers because NVidia no longer supports your card with their newer drivers is Linux fault. All of this is BS, most are not even facts.
Yet the Linux developers insist on constantly breaking binary compatability. Not only does it piss off companies like Nvidia and ATI, it pisses off users like myself as well
BS. Linux developers insist on going forward, and you astroturfer would like to stop them. Sorry to trell you that newer Linux kernel bring so much good improvements, that I never feel like you do, and it never pissed me off. Having a choice between going with the newer kernel or NVidia compatibility, I'd go Linux without a thought (already happened).
Member since:2006-01-10
Member since:2005-07-08
I think you need to re-read his comment. He means that Nvidia's drivers from a year ago won't work on a modern kernel. That is pathetic. The Nvidia driver from '03 works on WinXP with the latest patches from '06. Yet the Linux developers insist on constantly breaking binary compatability. Not only does it piss off companies like Nvidia and ATI, it pisses off users like myself as well.
That's exactly what I meant. Thank you ;-)
Member since:2006-01-26
The Nvidia driver from '03 works on WinXP with the latest patches from '06.
Well, gee... Considering Windows XP debuted in 2001, that's hardly a surprise...
I'm sure if you stuck to the same linux kernel for 5 years, you would still be able to use drivers that were created during those 5 years...
Member since:2005-07-08
Last I looked we were on OSNEWS -- where Alternative OSes are the discussion topic of choice. Since hardware support is probably the primary issue that alternative OSes face - I would say that you appear to be trolling...
I'm not sure what you're proposing is the solution here. Is there some magical way that a hardware-interfacing driver is going to be magically cross-platform capable? I've heard of some ideas like this before, but they seem to have their limitations - and last I checked, no hardware manufacturers were interested in supporting them anyway.
But in any case: wouldn't something like this force all OSes to use the same driver model?
Well first, I think people like you are lame. I just made a point, I wasn't trolling. Unless trolling means something wrong about Linux, GCC...
Second, you look like a bit ignorant on the subject. I never said we need cross platform compatibility. I'm talking about kernel and gcc revisions requiring people to rebuild their stuff against them too often.
Member since:2005-11-14
I'm talking about kernel and gcc revisions requiring people to rebuild their stuff against them too often
That's BS.
New GCC never require you to rebuild anything against it (except sometimes, not always, for C++ between major revisions), and new kernel only need that you recompile external drivers for it.
You're not even required to recompile external drivers if you don't fear for stability of your system, but it won't work every time.
Member since:2006-01-26
Second, you look like a bit ignorant on the subject. I never said we need cross platform compatibility. I'm talking about kernel and gcc revisions requiring people to rebuild their stuff against them too often.
You're right, I am a bit ignorant on the subject. For that, I apologize (and I'm sorry I called you a troll)
I suppose I am part of the "open your specs please" crowd. I somewhat despise Linux, but I love alternative OSes (like Haiku, SkyOS, etc.)...
I personally don't see how a binary linux driver helps any of these other OSes at all, so therefore I didn't see how a complaint about binary-compatibility on Linux was going to help any of my causes whatsoever.
In any case, I guess it is definitely unfortunate that changes to GCC and Linux have caused older drivers to be useless - but this same thing can happen with any OS just as easily - so having hardware manufacturers produce all the software for their hardware seems ridiculous to me.
I do not expect ATI/nVidia to open their specs, but I would love to see them do it as many of the others here have stated. I actually would jump at the opportunity to buy an open-spec 3d card similar to what the Open Graphics Project is proposing... I just don't think it's going to happen any time soon. In the meantime, my integrated Intel graphics will probably suffice as I won't be playing any newer hard-core 3d games anyway.
"The first killer app was VisiCalc. This early spreadsheet turned the Apple II from a hobbyist toy to a business computer. VisiCalc came with room for improvement, though. In addition, a new architecture and operating system, the Intel-based IBM PC and MS-DOS, also needed a spreadsheet to be taken seriously. That spreadsheet, released in early 1983, would be Lotus 1-2-3, and it would change the world. It became the PC's killer app, and the world would never be the same. On May 14, IBM quietly announced the end of the road for 1-2-3, along with Lotus Organizer and the Lotus SmartSuite office suite. Lotus 1-2-3's day is done." Impressive 30 year run.
"There's a disconnect between how Apple CEO Tim Cook sees his company's tax strategies and how some members of the US Senate view it. That became clearer than ever today after Cook and two other Apple executives testified before Congress, explaining why they're holding most of their international income in Irish subsidiaries like Apple Operations International, which declare no tax residency anywhere in the world. AOI hasn't filed a tax return anywhere in the world for the last five years, yet it earned $30 billion in income from 2009 to 2012, according to a Senate report released yesterday." Just because something is legal, doesn't mean it's just. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and many more - these companies might not be breaking any laws, but it's obvious to anyone that what they are doing is scummy.
The new WebKit Opera for Android has been released. "Opera 14 for Android is built on top of Chromium 26, with a total overhaul of the UI in native code, making it fit well with the latest Android design guidelines. Go get the build from Google Play or point your browser to m.opera.com, and give it a spin!"
The Verge pointed me to a blog post by Leap Motion - which reveals how their Kinect-like motion control works with Windows 8. "From the second you plug in your Leap Motion Controller, you'll be able to browse the web and interact with your computer just by moving your hands and fingers in the air. With Leap Motion technology and Windows, you can do everything that's possible with multi-touch inputs - without actually touching anything. This also means that existing applications in Windows 7 and 8 will respond to your natural hand and finger movements. Soon, we'll show you how Leap Motion will work with Mac OS X." Quite cool.
PocketNow interviews Marc Dillon, and there's an interesting note about why Jolla is keeping the display properties under wraps: "We're leaving some of those details out because we do understand that there are a lot of really big players in the market and they tend to take certain components in the market and dominate them. We created the ability to actually be able to run Sailfish on multiple hardware displays and be able to swap components, so this is part of the demand and supply planning phase. We are committed to this industrial design which is a 4.5-inch display, an 8 megapixel camera on the back and a front-facing camera at the front, and the exact specs of the display we'll provide when we're close to delivery." Something you rarely hear anything about.
"This is my NeXTstation Turbo Color booting the Mac System 7.1 Operating System using a hardware add-on called 'Daydream'. The Daydream has a Mac ROM and a few custom ICs in it and hooked up to the NeXTs DSP port. Turns your NeXT into a full fledged 68k powered Mac." So cool.
"The NetBSD Project is pleased to announce NetBSD 6.1, the first feature update of the NetBSD 6 release branch. It represents a selected subset of fixes deemed important for security or stability reasons, as well as new features and enhancements. Please note that all fixes in the prior security/bugfix updates (NetBSD 6.0.1 and 6.0.2) are also in 6.1."
"At the end of a week in which Electronic Arts confirmed it wasn't developing a thing for the Wii U, one of the software engineers in EA Sports' Canada studio, in a series of since-deleted tweets, disparaged the console as 'crap' and suggested Nintendo should give up on hardware altogether. 'The Wii U is crap. Less powerful than an Xbox 360. Poor online/store. Weird tablet', tweeted Bob Summerwill, listed as a senior software engineer at EA Canada, in a reply to a tweet posting a link about EA's no-Wii U news. 'Nintendo are walking dead at this point'." The Wii U is turning into the 21st century's Virtual Boy.
"In NixOS, the entire operating system - the kernel, applications, system packages, configuration files, and so on - is built by the Nix package manager from a description in a purely functional build language. The fact that it's purely functional essentially means that building a new configuration cannot overwrite previous configurations. Most of the other features follow from this." Interesting approach. A Linux distribution, sure, but with some very refreshing ideas about system configuration.
Appfour added, among other features, C/C++ support to its new version of AIDE. From Android-IDE, "Now you can write parts of your app or your whole app in C/C++ on your device. AIDE supports the Standard Android NDK toolchain (GCC 4.6 + Bionic, STL, ...). No changes are necessary if you want to build an app developed on a PC with Eclipse. C/C++ development is fully integrated: Build errors appear in the error list and files can easily be navigated to with Go to file. The editor supports C/C++ syntax highlighting."
Member since:
2006-01-26
The problem isn't ATI here, but Linux, GCC, and binary compatibility. It requires vendors like ATI to release new binaries (that need some tweaking) too often.
Last I looked we were on OSNEWS -- where Alternative OSes are the discussion topic of choice. Since hardware support is probably the primary issue that alternative OSes face - I would say that you appear to be trolling...
I'm not sure what you're proposing is the solution here. Is there some magical way that a hardware-interfacing driver is going to be magically cross-platform capable? I've heard of some ideas like this before, but they seem to have their limitations - and last I checked, no hardware manufacturers were interested in supporting them anyway.
But in any case: wouldn't something like this force all OSes to use the same driver model?
Wouldn't that hinder the ability for alternative OSes to make better use of resources and hardware and even exist for different architecture choices?