AMD Is Still Moving Towards A Unified Open-Source Driver

[smitty3268]

Oh, how i can test OpenGL 4.4 on OSS drivers? Let alone Crossfire setup

Just talking i am not that developer, but i realise thing like that are imposibille right now

You'd be testing the fallbacks, obviously.

[dungeon]

You'd be testing the fallbacks, obviously.

There is no mesa fallback to bigger versions, swrast and llvmpipe does not have even 4.0

Let say i am not in hurry because i planed my engine will be there in about 3 years fron now, but to work with i need OpenGL 4.4 now... so fglrx is badly needed for workstations

[smitty3268]

There is no mesa fallback to bigger versions, swrast and llvmpipe does not have even 4.0

Your engine would have the fallbacks.

Who creates an engine that only supports GL4.4?

Nobody, that's who, because large numbers of people don't even have hardware which can support that. So you create an engine that can use 4.4, but with fallbacks for other people.

If you are claiming you don't have fallbacks, then you are essentially just doing some hobby project and targeting specific drivers, which is meaningless in this kind of discussion. You might as well say that your targeting the windows nvidia driver only so obviously linux OSS drivers won't help you.


Again - as i said before - if you are really creating an engine, which obviously should be able to run on multiple hardware and drivers - then you'll need to test it out on multiple hardware and drivers. So having the OSS drivers doesn't limit you at all in adding advanced functionality. You're still going to have to test stuff out on both fglrx and nvidia whether you additionally have the OSS drivers or not. And anyone trying to create an engine without testing on multiple drivers like that just deserves to fail.

[dungeon]

Who creates an engine that only supports GL4.4?

4.4+ so OpenGL 4.4 will be minimal version How can i work with those things today if i don't have fglrx?

Again i am not developing any engine, but if i start now to develop that New Age engine fglrx will be the only choice

[RahulSundaram]

4.4+ so OpenGL 4.4 will be minimal version How can i work with those things today if i don't have fglrx?

Again i am not developing any engine, but if i start now to develop that New Age engine fglrx will be the only choice

I am going to assume you aren't actually a game developer. Nobody at this point would develop any game or engine which has 4.4 as the minimum version. Every real game or engine being developed WILL have fallbacks to support older versions.

[smitty3268]

4.4+ so OpenGL 4.4 will be minimal version How can i work with those things today if i don't have fglrx?

Again i am not developing any engine, but if i start now to develop that New Age engine fglrx will be the only choice

You are spouting nonsense. I realize you don't see that, but you are. Which GL 4.4 feature do you require for your engine? That can't be easily turned off?

Or are you just trying to spout some theoretical argument that has no bearing in reality? Don't answer that, i already know.

For the record - if you really had to do that, likely fglrx wouldn't be good enough either. There's a reason everyone develops GL apps on nvidia first.

[smitty3268]

In short, it sounds to me like this comes down to the definition of "engine".

If by that you mean, a toy application you are personally playing around with as a hobby, then yes, your arguments start to make sense.

If you mean a real, actual engine you expect other people to use in the real world, then no, you aren't making any sense.

[dungeon]

I am going to assume you aren't actually a game developer. Nobody at this point would develop any game or engine which has 4.4 as the minimum version. Every real game or engine being developed WILL have fallbacks to support older versions.

No i am not (and i already mentioned that ) a game developer, just trying to realise why fglrx is needed.

You are spouting nonsense. I realize you don't see that, but you are. Which GL 4.4 feature do you require for your engine? That can't be easily turned off?

Or are you just trying to spout some theoretical argument that has no bearing in reality? Don't answer that, i already know.

For the record - if you really had to do that, likely fglrx wouldn't be good enough either. There's a reason everyone develops GL apps on nvidia first.

We are talking about (and i only make XYZ situation when fglrx is needed) why should or not AMD needs to abandon fglrx for Linux . And only stay or not with only opensource driver

[bibaheu]

This might bring CrossFire to Mesa... Imagine "CrossFire" with totally different GPUs using Mesa, it would totally rock.

[dungeon]

For the record - if you really had to do that, likely fglrx wouldn't be good enough either. There's a reason everyone develops GL apps on nvidia first.

But this one is interesting to me so i must , firstly you say OSS driver is enough for me now you say use nvidia first . What you have against fglrx?

"Do not answer i already know" what kind of bullshit is that