Small correction
"The Intel Poulsbo DRM was open-source, but it was rejected from the mainline Linux kernel since the user-space X.Org Poulsbo driver remained a binary blob."
Small correction - the basic X driver itself is not in fact a binary blob. Interestingly, you can actually get basic 2D functionality on the GMA 500 using entirely F/OSS components; you only need the kernel module and the X driver, both of which are open. The binary blobs are psb-firmware and xpsb-glx, which are required for 3D acceleration and vaapi video playback acceleration functionality.
(I think this may not have been entirely understood by the kernel folks when they were considering whether or not to merge the kernel module, but it doesn't change the fact that both kernel module and X driver are messily maintained. Or, these days, apparently not maintained at all).
I'm losing track of how many GMA 500 / GMA 600 drivers Intel actually has, now. I think it's at least 3, possibly 4. This thread makes for hilarious / tragic reading:
"The Intel Poulsbo DRM was open-source, but it was rejected from the mainline Linux kernel since the user-space X.Org Poulsbo driver remained a binary blob."
Small correction - the basic X driver itself is not in fact a binary blob. Interestingly, you can actually get basic 2D functionality on the GMA 500 using entirely F/OSS components; you only need the kernel module and the X driver, both of which are open. The binary blobs are psb-firmware and xpsb-glx, which are required for 3D acceleration and vaapi video playback acceleration functionality.
(I think this may not have been entirely understood by the kernel folks when they were considering whether or not to merge the kernel module, but it doesn't change the fact that both kernel module and X driver are messily maintained. Or, these days, apparently not maintained at all).
I'm losing track of how many GMA 500 / GMA 600 drivers Intel actually has, now. I think it's at least 3, possibly 4. This thread makes for hilarious / tragic reading:
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