NVIDIA's Looking To Expand Its Linux Team

[efikkan]

I personally hope the new member of the driver team will focus on user oriented features, such as optimus, game profiles, custom fan profiles, fermi overclocking etc. nVidia is currently the only one offering enterprise quality drivers.

[marwi509]

I'd like to see optimus support. What kind of license clash stands in the way?

[t.s.]

nvidia:"join the team of the open-source haters we pay 6$6$6$ dollars per Day you only need to sign a contract with the Devil and your soul goes to hell after you are death"

Well, that's Ironic, isn't it? The one who pro open-source with their hiring mechanism, VS the one who hate open-source?

But it is not. AMD gives way to linux developers while nvidia employs them and you know why? They are successful in linux workstations, handheld linux devices, scientific visualization etc. and amd is not.

One word: Tegra FTW.
err.. that's 4 word.

[deanjo]

So most recent nvidia laptops will not work with Linux.

This is clearly a terrible situation. Every AMD chipset ever released works under Linux, even using OSS drivers.

All depends on the implementation of the BIOS.

[deanjo]

I'd like to see optimus support. What kind of license clash stands in the way?

Namely the GPL. Then there is also Xorg's reluctance to accept any code required for nvidia blob use. They wouldn't even accept a 4 line condition to give preference to the blob if detected installed on the system.

[deanjo]

Everyone else seems pretty convinced.

That isn't the case at all however. Wayland is still a proof of concept more then anything else and there are still tons of plans and releases ahead for X.

[TheBlackCat]

Namely the GPL. Then there is also Xorg's reluctance to accept any code required for nvidia blob use. They wouldn't even accept a 4 line condition to give preference to the blob if detected installed on the system.

There is a difference between code to support the blob and code to give preference to the blob. Do you have examples where they turned down patches that were needed to support features on anything other than its technical merits?

And I am not exactly clear on how GPL makes optimus impossible.

[TheBlackCat]

That isn't the case at all however. Wayland is still a proof of concept more then anything else and there are still tons of plans and releases ahead for X.

GTK, Qt, and KDE are all in the process of getting wayland support working.

[TheBlackCat]

All depends on the implementation of the BIOS.

I was under the impression it had more to do with how the hardware was built, with proper support requiring a building an extra, separate hardware pathway for the Nvidia card which very few companies appear to be willing to do (with such implementations being mostly limited to enterprise-level laptops).

[deanjo]

There is a difference between code to support the blob and code to give preference to the blob.

There is no difference. It was a simple situation where if the blob was installed it would use it otherwise utilize the free drivers if no blob was installed.

Do you have examples where they turned down patches that were needed to support features on anything other than its technical merits?

Pretty much every feature that the blob provides. By turning down the above mentioned patch they essentially knocked out all the features of it as well. Don't forget that kernel guys also turfed out parts of the kernel in the past until they realized that virtualbox was also using them. Then all of a sudden they decided they would keep those in the kernel until vb had a chance to adjust.

And I am not exactly clear on how GPL makes optimus impossible.

The greatest difficulty would more then likely having to interface with KMS (which as we know is a big no no because of the GPL licensing). You are also dealing with multiple memory manager between the two video devices.

GTK, Qt, and KDE are all in the process of getting wayland support working.

That still doesn't mean much. Until the day that Wayland is poised to replace X it isn't a pressing matter.

I was under the impression it had more to do with how the hardware was built, with proper support requiring a building an extra, separate hardware pathway for the Nvidia card which very few companies appear to be willing to do (with such implementations being mostly limited to enterprise-level laptops).

I see what your getting at, you are referring to the crappy implementations that vendors like Asus and Sony use where they hardwire the IGP to the display. This is true however not ever vendor of optimus graphics out there does this.