Missing Functionality From The Linux Graphics Drivers

[crazycheese]

This would make "force minimum" force a higher power level than "adaptive" at idle, which doesn't make much sense. Also, what does dualhead have to do with it?

This would not. The adaptive also has minimum rised upon connect of additional VGA. The difference is that adaptive has logic to adapt clocks, the fixed always keeps either possible minimum or programmed maximum.

Dualhead, I mean double head, i.e two monitors active. Not the matrox adapter.

[md1032]

Nope, dualhead should just have its minimal base clocks limit rised. This detection could be done automatically.

This would make "force minimum" force a higher power level than "adaptive" at idle, which doesn't make much sense. Also, what does dualhead have to do with it?

[deanjo]

Another hidden useful option, why does nvidia hide it anyway? Is it developer-only?

It's in their well docmented readme.

[curaga]

Huh, firefox does that too? IIRC the problem was much less on FF than in Opera, though neither handles dark themes properly. It's a shame they let css override the theme partially, they should detect black text on black / white text on white etc.

[johnc]

Ahhh, thank you...!

I haven't checked out KDE since the '90s so now I see what I've been missing...

Yes, I like the dark themes but you're right, sometimes it can be hard to get all the apps to play nice and to get the contrast right (kinda stuck working with different grays, etc.).

I was thinking for Firefox maybe they have a theme add-on that would work for dark desktops? Not sure if CSS would respect that though.

[crazycheese]

I think the important question here is... what kind of window theme is it that you're using there...? I'd like to give it a try.

Heh, thats easy one.

But I just straight tell you about the problem it produces, I think it is general problem of darker themes. I think I wrap it in codebox, so its skippable...

Default font is somewhat creme-white and background grey dark. 

So, here, right now, on phoronix, in *this edit box* I have white background(enforced by css?) with creme white font(as it should be). Hard to read... 

Somewhere I get reverse - darker background from theme(as it should be) and black(urgh) font(enforced by css?.)  - impossible to read.

I have blindly typed the text and doubleclicked to check Or pasted from editor..  I have tried to limit number of accessible colors within firefox. Even edited its config files, usually result was even worse.

This problem is with Firefox only.. Maybe I work around it, when I have bit of time, or you have ideas?..

KDE 4.6 (not upgraded, yet)
KWin compositing on
Window borders theme: Perfection, by scnd101 ; (within window decoration manager) window borders:large, buttons: normal, button layout a bit modified

Desktop theme: Elegance(standard one), with "panel background" from Ghost

Style: Oxygen (defines how buttons inside windows look, ie widget look)
Colorscheme: Obsidian Coast (main color scheme, that easy (on my) eyes grey)

Used gtk-theme-switch app to change gtk theme engine to qtcurve(found it most appealing), I think nvidia-settings uses gtk.

[johnc]

Maybe.. On windows, there was that russian guy, Unwinder, who wrote Rivatuner... eventually he was bought by MSI and now Rivatuner exists under name "MSI Afterburner".
But maybe not. I see all this as limitation of product, which hinders its value for enthusiasts or overall linux buyers. I agree that you should be warned... once.

I think the important question here is... what kind of window theme is it that you're using there...? I'd like to give it a try.

[crazycheese]

I think you're being too harsh here. The point is that the driver does indeed expose these functions (though no overclocking on fermi). If nvidia is going to provide a piece of software to interact with these settings, clearly they have to use caution, because it is the vendor that is responsible for replacing damaged cards, not nvidia.

If you want software that allows greater flexibility with fan speeds and overclocking, ask your video card vendor to release a linux version of their software, or you are free to write your own software to get the job done according to your preferences.

Maybe.. On windows, there was that russian guy, Unwinder, who wrote Rivatuner... eventually he was bought by MSI and now Rivatuner exists under name "MSI Afterburner".
But maybe not. I see all this as limitation of product, which hinders its value for enthusiasts or overall linux buyers. I agree that you should be warned... once.

The driver cannot allow forcing the minimum power level because then there would not be enough memory bandwidth to perform all of the graphics functions and drive the displays at the same. It may have to raise the clocks dynamically to cope, which is exactly what the adaptive clocking is for.

Nope, dualhead should just have its minimal base clocks limit rised. This detection could be done automatically.

[md1032]

The driver cannot allow forcing the minimum power level because then there would not be enough memory bandwidth to perform all of the graphics functions and drive the displays at the same. It may have to raise the clocks dynamically to cope, which is exactly what the adaptive clocking is for.

[johnc]

So the moral of the story is as easy and old as the world itself:
Allow people to use their brain.
Do not get into the way - do not conflict, but complement.
Allow humans to take the decision themselves when they want to take it.

Do not put every one in one group of "unknowledgeable", do not make idiocratic society.

But apparently, microsoft has been following this policy so long, it might have converted itself into own case in the process. And nvidia - follows?

I think you're being too harsh here. The point is that the driver does indeed expose these functions (though no overclocking on fermi). If nvidia is going to provide a piece of software to interact with these settings, clearly they have to use caution, because it is the vendor that is responsible for replacing damaged cards, not nvidia.

If you want software that allows greater flexibility with fan speeds and overclocking, ask your video card vendor to release a linux version of their software, or you are free to write your own software to get the job done according to your preferences.