AMD Puts Out A Beta Catalyst Linux Driver For The Public

[allquixotic]

This beta is a very old build, relative to what we have now. The beta is not indicative of what will be in Catalyst 11.1. It is targeted to the GPGPU / high end customers (think 12 monitors connected to 3-way Crossfire HD5970s or equivalent FireGL) who pour in $$$ and demand more heavily tested drivers so they don't get random kernel panics and stuff.

It's like when Red Hat releases a 5.x beta update -- my reaction is "um, OK..." because it provides no new features and maybe fixes a few tiny bugs or security issues. And corporations would rather pay for that stability / "known quantity" factor than use the latest developments.

Catalyst 11.1 will be using "old" code relative to the development trunk, but not quite as old as this beta. So you should see a really, really, really often desired feature show itself.

[mugginz]

Catalyst 11.1 will be using "old" code relative to the development trunk, but not quite as old as this beta. So you should see a really, really, really often desired feature show itself.

Sounds good.

Having complained about the v-sync issue and all I still get the feeling this driver's better then 10.12 so it's always good to see progress I guess.

[Tgui]

This beta is a very old build, relative to what we have now. The beta is not indicative of what will be in Catalyst 11.1. It is targeted to the GPGPU / high end customers (think 12 monitors connected to 3-way Crossfire HD5970s or equivalent FireGL) who pour in $$$ and demand more heavily tested drivers so they don't get random kernel panics and stuff.

It's like when Red Hat releases a 5.x beta update -- my reaction is "um, OK..." because it provides no new features and maybe fixes a few tiny bugs or security issues. And corporations would rather pay for that stability / "known quantity" factor than use the latest developments.

Catalyst 11.1 will be using "old" code relative to the development trunk, but not quite as old as this beta. So you should see a really, really, really often desired feature show itself.

What, a working driver after a number of years?

[Ragas]

Another thing still there is if you un-fullscreen SMPlayer you still get corruption on the desktop. Grabbing a window and dragging it round the screen the corruption is fixed due to the repainting effect.

I think this is a problem in newer versions of Mesa.
My Intel card does that too.

[mirv]

Just for an interesting tidbit on the beta, it really does look like a workstation only release. More info here: http://fireuser.com/blog/firepro_dri...ows_and_linux/

[mugginz]

I think this is a problem in newer versions of Mesa.
My Intel card does that too.

Good to know.

[BlackStar]

Is this the driver with the new Mono-based control center?

[PsynoKhi0]

Is this the driver with the new Mono-based control center?

Erm what? Please tell me it's just a sick joke.

[devius]

....But even though GL Vsync is set to force on in Catalyst Control Center and Compiz is set to V-Sync on, it still tears like a b_stard when moving windows around.

This may be a problem with compiz. Just a few hours ago I saw a computer with a Geforce GTS250 using the binary drivers exhibit the same behaviour. I don't know if vsync was activated in nvidia control panel though.

[BlackStar]

Erm what? Please tell me it's just a sick joke.

It is. The Windows version is written in .Net.