The Truth About ATI/AMD & Linux

[sundown]

Somebody from LQ wrote to AMD recently and they responded with:

Thanks - could you contact us again in July? We're reviewing our Linux strategy right now, so anything I tell you know could be out of date in weeks.

Hehe

[Michael]

Somebody from LQ wrote to AMD recently and they responded with:


Hehe

Link For others. http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=561907

[sundown]

The guy said to read his full "asking" here

AMD's response appears to be only that sentance.

[dotancohen]

The guy said to read his full "asking" here

AMD's response appears to be only that sentance.

Hey, I'm famous! It took a few weeks for them to even send that info, so something is definitely brewing at AMD. I'll post back when I hear new news from them.

[Michael]

The guy said to read his full "asking" here

AMD's response appears to be only that sentance.

Don't expect anything radical, I had just heard back from AMD on that.

[yoshi314]

ati reviewing their linux strategy?

the only change i expect to happen in their strategy is ati admitting failure in linux and totally dropping linux support.

hell would freeze over if they would just release the specs. with no strings attached.

[dotancohen]

Maybe they won't release the specs, but they could improve their own driver. Stability issues aside, it would be nice to have Composite support.

[yoshi314]

Stability issues aside, it would be nice to have Composite support.

composite aside, it would be nice to have a driver that actually works , does not lock up the system, and at least has proper video playback and working tv-out support.

[Svartalf]

Maybe they won't release the specs, but they could improve their own driver. Stability issues aside, it would be nice to have Composite support.

Heh... If only...

In reality, the statement coming from AMD indicates they may have (FINALLY!!!) twigged on to how bad things REALLY are for them and they're trying to see how to spin-doctor things, or to buy themselves time to salvage the mess they've gotten themselves into. This statement is not intended to disparage the Linux team there at ATI- I will never disparage any of Matthew's team unless I've been given good reason to do so. Ever.

The upper management at ATI, on the other hand... >:-)

[Svartalf]

ati reviewing their linux strategy?

Considering that the strategy was to give minimal support and only when someone brow-beat them into it, and pour everything into DirectX, X-Box 360, and their Set-Top box line... They probably ARE reviewing it. AMD thinks a little differently about this space- and part of the BIG reason for their purchase of ATI was to get the high-end stream processor expertise for supercomputing purposes. Considering that the biggest bulk of that particular space ISN'T MS-centric in the slightest and is actually Linux-dominated...

the only change i expect to happen in their strategy is ati admitting failure in linux and totally dropping linux support.

No Linux support. No supercomputing cluster space business. PERIOD. No good use for what they just bought. Might happen. VERY UNLIKELY. >;-)

hell would freeze over if they would just release the specs. with no strings attached.

While I'd be tickled beyond words if they did that, I could see them doing something like Intel did with their stuff. Or, conversely, they could pull a rabbit out of the hat with the new codebase- also very unlikely... >;-)

AMD's stuck, in all honesty. They HAVE to provide something that does a good job in the Linux space, if only to take on the markets they bought ATI for in the first place. To NOT do something here is to invite a stock price plunge at one of the worst possible times for them.