NVIDIA To Begin Publishing Open GPU Documentation

[Danny3]

Finally. Thank you!

[GreatEmerald]

You mean better out-of-the-steambox experience?
Apart from that the dire need for a better ootb-experience existed for many years.
So the question was what's different *now*?

Technical and legal review being done for the piece of documentation released, I bet. It doesn't happen overnight, after all.

Either way, this is really good news, now that my main PC is using NVIDIA hardware. I never expected this to happen.

[sirdilznik]

/looks at calendar

It's not April...

//looks at calendar again
///pinches self

Well, I'll be damned.

[kwahoo]

Do not be too optimistic!

Device Control Blocks (DCBs) are static tables used to describe the board topology and connections external to the GPU chip.

Each board built has specific additions to the capabilities through external devices, as well as limitations where output lines are not linked to device connectors. DCBs define the devices connected, specific information needed to configure those devices, and the external electrical connections such as HDMI and Display Port.

DCBs do not try to explain the capabilities of the chip itself. That information is implicit in the VBIOS, firmware and drivers, which are built differently for each chip. Both the firmware and the drivers know the inherent capability of each chip, and use runtime choices to determine chip dependent code paths.

I don't think it's very useful...

[xeekei]

I bet the open source Nvidia driver will catch up to AMD's and embarrass them there too like they do with the proprietary ones. Nvidia always take drivers more seriously.

[gamerk2]

The other thing threatening Nvidia is APUs. Intel has an onboard GPU. AMD has an onboard GPU. Integration can result in lower power and potentially higher performance through unified memory. Apple already moved the Macbook 11" and 13" to integrated GPU, both Sony and MS next-gen consoles are integrated GPU... The writing is on the wall for discrete cards in consumer systems. This only leaves Nvidia with the possibility of licensing their core for ARM mobile, or selling high performance cards to select customers. They need to adapt fast because people aren't going to pay the discrete card premium once Sony+MS show the world that cheaper integrated graphics is good enough for the top videogames consoles.

Disagree. Due to power draw, APU's are never going to advance past entry-level performance. Desktops and high end systems are still going to need dedicated GPU's as a result.

[libv]

That would only cement nouveau inferiority to blob. Please do realize when nouveau devs are hired by NVIDIA they will be forced to work on stuff which does not threaten vendor NVIDIAs vendor lock-in strategy. Just look at AMD stalling in UVD PM cases.

I of course inferred that they would be working on nouveau.

And yes, i am very well aware of the AMD situation, you might want to read up on me.

[Ericg]

I don't think it's very useful...

Read the mailing list... Andy specifically said that THIS documentation release wasn't that special and was basically only there for weird corner case bugs they hit. The REST of his announcement focused on them trying to release MORE documentation and that Nouveau should send them a prioritized list so they can begin to figure out what can be released and what can't be in order of priority to the devs

[Temlar]

I bet the open source Nvidia driver will catch up to AMD's and embarrass them there too like they do with the proprietary ones. Nvidia always take drivers more seriously.

As a AMD user, I hope so.
AMD is currently doing nothing, that steamroller must be a miracle, or else there is no bright future for them.

[Ramiliez]

I of course inferred that they would be working on nouveau.

And yes, i am very well aware of the AMD situation, you might want to read up on me.

Yes radeonhd vs radeon was really interesting read thanks. I just wanted to ensure everybody can understand it.