AMD Moves Forward With Unified Linux Driver Strategy, New Kernel Driver

[schmidtbag]

@CrystalGamma
Thanks for clearing things up for me. I'm a little worried about what will happen with the older devices - at this point I have a feeling I will never be able to crossfire my HD 5750s in linux. I can try doing it now in catalyst but there's no way to force-enable it anymore. I don't necessarily blame AMD for the way they decided to approach this - I feel more comfortable with them starting from scratch (though technically it isn't starting from scratch). Just a bit disappointing I might be left out of features I want/need. But, when the Windows drivers drop support for my GPUs, that's when I think I might need to do a full system upgrade.

@AMBoTuLoX
Your logic makes no sense at all. You don't want to buy something new that is AMD based because they're dropping support for something old?

[blackout23]

The current nvidia and fglrx drivers both have the obnoxious problem that their proprietary kernel modules are usually lagging.

fglrx, yes. nvidia, no.
Even if you work on implementing driver support and new features in the kernel well in advance most users will only get them after years, because distro policies. Even rolling distros have to wait for new kernel releases to get new features.
Looks like Windows has Linux beat in this regard. You just grab whatever driver you want and install it or remove it. Doesn't matter how new or old your Windows is. Nothing is split in two parts where you have to wait for release of the 3D Blob part from one company and a new release of the NT kernel for other features. No need to have a compiler toolchain and kernel headers on your system as with DKMS.

[sbolokanov]

What's the game on the second photo??
Does anybody know?

[Michael]

What's the game on the second photo??
Does anybody know?

Xonotic

[Michael]

Slides: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...tem&px=MTgwODA

[sbolokanov]

Xonotic

Thanks!

[Ardje]

fglrx, yes. nvidia, no.

So you are actually implying I did not have to patch the nvidia drivers myself for a new kernel? That all those compiler errors were just imagination?
Fglrx doesn't need any patches in the future, userspace drivers can test for the current ABI and decide which userspace to use... Nvidia will be lagging.

[blackout23]

So you are actually implying I did not have to patch the nvidia drivers myself for a new kernel? That all those compiler errors were just imagination?
Fglrx doesn't need any patches in the future, userspace drivers can test for the current ABI and decide which userspace to use... Nvidia will be lagging.

Using latest driver with Linux 3.17 here without problems. Very rarely Arch Linux had to ship a patch in their nvidia package. nvidia driver never blocked releasing a new kernel or xorg-server as opposed to catalyst.

[LLStarks]

So wait... this is a new open-source kernel driver, but AMD won't accept patches that enable older hardware?

Why?

[somini]

So wait... this is a new open-source kernel driver, but AMD won't accept patches that enable older hardware?

Why?

Support nightmare, I would imagine. 2 drivers for each card?