The Challenge In Delivering Open Source GPU Drivers 182
yuhong writes "After the recent Intel Sandy Bridge launch left Linux users having to build the latest source from Git repositories in order to have full support for the integrated graphics, Phoronix looked at the problems involved in delivering new graphics drivers for Linux."
Intel and Open Source (Score:3, Interesting)
I would have expected Intel to have released drivers. They are involved heavily in Open Source. They have the Open Source Technology Center. Has anyone asked Intel about it?
http://www3.intel.com/cd/corporate/icsc/apac/eng/teams/331393.htm [intel.com]
Re:It's not easy (Score:5, Interesting)
How many gaping issues are left unresolved because microsoft is maintaining a stable ABI?
Seems worse in the mobile space. (Score:4, Interesting)
Even if you can 'root' your Android phone, getting a 3D accelerated x.org experience is unlikely. Even Nokia's forthcoming Meego device will be a binary blob affair, I suspect.
Re:Intel and Open Source (Score:5, Interesting)
Wait, am I getting this right? Intel wrote an _open source_ driver working with the latest and greatest in Linux GPU-support-land, it was availible on release day, and people are WHINING about this?!
You're getting it 90% right - the whining hasn't started yet, but these guys are explaining why it's about to start...
Over the years the expectations of Linux users have gone from simply wanting Linux drivers for their hardware to wanting open-source Linux drivers (read: no binary blobs) to now wanting open-source drivers in the distribution of their choice at the time the hardware first ships...
So, yeah - there's code out there which should be usable to make the open-source drivers go, but most of the reviewers on the net won't be able to make the bits go, some of the bits won't be ready for a while, and in general, anyone who tries to make them go in order to review this will have something or other to complain about...
But you're spot on with this statement, which echos some of the sentiments from the article:
I guess Linux on the desktop has come a long way when people start bitching about new hardware not being supported out of the box in Ubuntu.
Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)