PowerVR Driver Gets New Site, Little Progress

[phoronix]

Phoronix: PowerVR Driver Gets New Site, Little Progress

The Free Software Fondation has had a high priority project to reverse-engineer the PowerVR SGX GPU and to write an open-source 3D driver around this popular Imagination graphics processor more than a year...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTE0MDc

[XorEaxEax]

Seriously? This pathetic shit again Micheal? It's a list of things FSF things there is a need for open source alternatives so that developers interested in helping out can see where there is a need.

If we should judge you by the same measure with which you judge FSF, you should be held accountable for every time you have pointed out a shortcoming with the open source ecosystem since you are not doing anything other than pointing it out (of course often with some inflammatory title just so you can get more clicks). Yet, for some reason you think FSF should be shouldering the responsibility for these drivers coming to frution just because they mention that they are something which is lacking? Your hypocrisy knows no bounds it seems.

[libv]

Seriously? This pathetic shit again Micheal? It's a list of things FSF things there is a need for open source alternatives so that developers interested in helping out can see where there is a need.

If we should judge you by the same measure with which you judge FSF, you should be held accountable for every time you have pointed out a shortcoming with the open source ecosystem since you are not doing anything other than pointing it out (of course often with some inflammatory title just so you can get more clicks). Yet, for some reason you think FSF should be shouldering the responsibility for these drivers coming to frution just because they mention that they are something which is lacking? Your hypocrisy knows no bounds it seems.

Things have changed in the last 3-4 years. The PowerVR has been losing marketshare due to several highly credible and capable competitors (PowerVR business itself has grown, but this is because the whole market has boomed). Yet still the FSF maintains that the PowerVR is the sole high priority project.

We actually have lima and freedreno today. They do not have drivers yet, but their REing is well advanced. We have the start of a tegra initiative. And there is vivante just begging for attention. Who knows what is going to happen with the insanely closed up design that is the broadcom videocore... Yet no-one is going near the heavily microcode based PowerVR, despite the FSF claiming that it is the sole high priority project. What does that tell you about the FSF?

Michael is quite relevant and up-to-date, and he does definitely manage to stir some emotions.

[AnonymousCoward]

Have you checked out this page?

http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/priority-projects/reverse-engineering

The Lima driver is actually listed as a high priority project. In facts it's even listed as having a higher priority than PowerVR.

[libv]

Have you checked out this page?

http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/priority-projects/reverse-engineering

The Lima driver is actually listed as a high priority project. In facts it's even listed as having a higher priority than PowerVR.

Oh, this is new. Finally.

But it fails to mention freedreno, tegra or vivante. The first is actually well advanced, the latter two are very much possible.

Aha... Open firmware for the ATI hw. Are they talking AtomBIOS or the 3d microcode? Either way, where were they 4 to 5 years ago when we were doing RadeonHD, and when ATI was providing docs for a bit, and i was busting my ass to get the display support in proper C?

[XorEaxEax]

Michael is quite relevant and up-to-date, and he does definitely manage to stir some emotions.

Oh I have no problem with Micheal pointing out shortcomings of open source drivers in various areas, that's exactly what the FSF priority list was doing. What pisses me off is Micheal is repeatedly trying to frame this lack of drivers in these areas as being FSF's fault.

Just because they recognize that there are areas where open source alternatives are lacking and points to them doesn't mean they can magically conjure up the resources necessary to make it happen.

Meanwhile Micheal himself is doing precious little other than pointing out areas in which open source drivers are lacking, again often with very inflammatory and exaggerated headlines just so that he can get more clicks as he certainly thinks he should get _paid_ for pointing out said shortcomings.

Here's a suggestion, why doesn't Micheal pony up some dosh to make some of these drivers happen, as he obviously thinks FSF is obligated to do so if they point out the need for them, then it stands to reason that Micheal himself should be obligated aswell. Heck, if he skims 20% off his beer budget he should be able to hire a full time programmer, problem solved!

Seriously, crap like the flame-bait headlines and things like his agenda against FSF etc is turning what could be a great site for technical objective news into a haven for trolls and zelots/fanboys who just wants to spit at eachother. But hey, as long as those clicks keeps up right? Bah, adblock stays on from now on, I'm done clicking ads to support this site.

[curaga]

@XorEaxEax

No comment on the criticism, just noticed that you're consistently misspelling his name. s/Micheal/Michael/g