What Do You Want In Linux Drivers This Year?

[puelocesar]

ALL that I want is don't ever need to bother with them again.. This means that it would be great if they just work decently

Now on a more serious note, better performance would be great.. It's very sad comparing video/2d/opengl/composite performance on my Mac machine with my Linux machines

[NSLW]

Nvidia
They've got all what i need. I cannot figure out any feature that lacks so maybe HybridPower.
ATI(fglrx):
-2D acceleration
-Compiz Fusion with xv
-video playback acceleration
-WINE without problems
-compatibility with Fedora

[Peterix]

Nvidia:
Better kwin performance. I can play complex 3d games on my 7600GT, but the desktop still stutters sometimes.
Use less CPU and more GPU. I can still hit 100% CPU while redrawing KDE windows with compositing... the problem may be elsewhere but that doesn't make it less of a problem.

ATI/AMD:
DRI2 already! Don't be shy to contribute to X more. Fix your problems with display corruption - I still can't play most games in Wine with your cards! Composited 2D in kwin is TERRIBLE (I switched to nvidia because of that). And finally, fix the faulty vsync in video.

Intel:
More performance is needed. When it comes to features, you're the best. I want larabee NOW

Everyone:
Use less memory to do things faster and use less code to ensure stability where it's possible. Split up driver packs to make them lighter. And above all, cooperate more when it comes to the base packages - X.org and the Linux kernel. I want to see kernel modesetting for AMD and Nvidia this year.

[wiscados]

3D for radeonhd

[Dandel]

FGLRX:
Fixes around OpenGL/XVideo and compiz. ( 9.1 has serious problems with it)

• Distribution Specific Repositories w/ prebuilt packages ( Less hassle than having to go to the web site each time, and automatic updates are faster )
• Reboot-less updating ( update driver w/o having to reboot every time. )
• Overall Improved Stability
• Smaller download size
• OpenCL Support

Nvidia:

• Fix modifying Mesa3D/Opengl so that other drivers can have 3D alongside the nvidia cards.
• Remove nvidia Xorg start up logo by default

Radeon/RadeonHD:

• OpenGL support (enough for blender)
• AIGLX support also wouldn't hurt.

[Louise]

1. Open Source AMD R600/R700 drivers with KMS and Power Management.
   
2. Open Source OpenCL drivers.
   
3. H.264 acceleration.

[MetalheadGautham]

Lets see... the NEW things:

1. Support for switching GPUs without going to BIOS, and, as a result of that, ability to have what nVidia called "Hybrid Power" on all GPUs indirectly.

2. Firmware updates on all GPUs and also drivers to decode ALL types of video playable by FFMPEG, or, atleast H.264, WMV-HD, MPEG, VP6, VP7, DivX/HD, XviD/HD should be decodable by GPU.

3. Ability to load multiple video drivers at the same time, for different GPUs, so that nVidia GPUs, ATi GPUs and Intel IGPs can all be used at the same time, for powering different displays.

4. Ability to playback audio along with video in GPUs.

5. In AMD drivers, support for 4-way CrossfireX and also support to use different families of cards in crossfirex configuration (assuming they all support crossfirex).

6. A major overhaul of OpenGL to make it truely rival DirectX in gaming.

[Vadi]

More collaboration with major distros from nvidia - newbies are installing their drivers, bypassing all of the nice mechanisms that distros setup to bork their systems.

[nocrack]

Even if last year was the best one in terms of inovation for ATI, the fglrx drivers still missing
-stability
-a good power management
-a decent and complete 2D acceleration
-video playback acceleration using gstreamer or ffmpeg
-Compositing without any problem whatever the desktop manager or the compositing system.
-an official support for a couple of games running in Wine.

If we get to that point next year, we all could be more than happy !!!

[tuxdriver]

FGLRX/Catalyst:

- Fix for the critical bugs with AGP RadeonHD cards
- Working Xv and XvBA with Xine
- Decent 2D performance without compositing
- Fixed 3D with WINE
- more OpenGL extensions (geometry shaders)
- KMS
- OpenCL
- A better-looking CCC with native widgets (ditch that stone-age MOTIF look)

FGLRX:
[*]Reboot-less updating ( update driver w/o having to reboot every time. )

You can do that even now.Just uninstall the driver,restart X,install the newer one and restart X again.No need to reboot.