AMD Releases New "AMDGPU" Linux Kernel Driver & Mesa Support

[nanonyme]

Umm, why? This argument never makes sense, so for once I'd like someone to explain the train of thought behind it. Why would someone be served better by Windows when they don't mind using a closed graphics driver in Linux? As if the only difference between them is open source graphics drivers.

Windows does and always will have a more mature closed source driver stack than Linux. If you're ready to go with proprietary, might as well go all the way

[dungeon]

I use Windows 7 for gaming and working with MS Office documents and I'm not ashamed of that. My primary OS is CentOS 6.6.

Why CentOS 6 while 5 is still supported? It is valid question in this crazy world, where many people still use Windows XP even without support .

[Gusar]

Windows does and always will have a more mature closed source driver stack than Linux. If you're ready to go with proprietary, might as well go all the way

When it comes to graphics, sure. Other areas, not so much, except individual pieces of hardware (like certain Broadcom wifi only having a closed driver, while other Broadcom wifi works well with open ones). Then there's the rest of the kernel (there's more to it than just drivers) and the entire userspace. And the whole communities around the kernel and every piece of userspace software. So one might as well drop all that, just because one is prepared to use proprietary in one small area? Still doesn't make sense.

[dungeon]

Windows XP is probably still used more then OS_X, all Linux distributions and modern game consoles combined . It does not make sense, but that seems true.

Even Google is forced few days ago to extend Chrome support http://chrome.blogspot.com/2015/04/p...me-for-xp.html

My advice to those people who does not care, to not ever read any manual which made sense or listen any other advice - just continue to use Windows XP, even after cunami, eartquake or any apocaliptic day+1... even if you can be born again, please remember to still use Windows XP

[birdie]

Why CentOS 6 while 5 is still supported? It is valid question in this crazy world, where many people still use Windows XP even without support .

It's nigh impossible to run Firefox (I use binaries from ftp.mozilla.org), Google Chrome in CentOS 5.x and LibreOffice 4 in CentOS 5.x. Don't tell me about VMs and chroots - that's akin to running a second OS.

[dungeon]

It's nigh impossible to run Firefox (I use binaries from ftp.mozilla.org), Google Chrome in CentOS 5.x and LibreOffice 4 in CentOS 5.x. Don't tell me about VMs and chroots - that's akin to running a second OS.

No, i will not tell you that. I advice people to use oldest OS they can found, preferably without any support if they think that is good for them Something like this:

[mao_dze_dun]

Umm. No.

The open source userspace (Gallium3d) is the same for the old cards and the new cards. So support for OpenGL/Vulkan will be the same between the two. (As long as the hardware is capable)
The open source drivers and the new binary drivers will share the same 2D code.
The new open source driver and the new binary driver will share the same kernel code.

The kernel side of the codebase for current and older hardware is pretty well done. Most of the speed improvements for 3d are in user space (LLVM, Mesa, etc).

They still plan to release binary drivers for current hardware. Its just that those binary drivers will still have all the current flaws (need specific kernels or it will break).

So any improvements in driver performance made to the 3** series will be valid for 2** it's just that I won't be able to use bleeding edge kernel for example? I can live with that, as long as they fix the abysmal performance. For example the guys that ported (sort of) The Witcher 2 and Bioshock: Infinite to Linux said they've optimized their wrapper as much as they could and at this point AMD have to do something for the games to run properly. I know developers love the AMD excuse but in this case I do believe it was an honest revelation from the team that ported both games.

[nanonyme]

When it comes to graphics, sure. Other areas, not so much, except individual pieces of hardware (like certain Broadcom wifi only having a closed driver, while other Broadcom wifi works well with open ones). Then there's the rest of the kernel (there's more to it than just drivers) and the entire userspace. And the whole communities around the kernel and every piece of userspace software. So one might as well drop all that, just because one is prepared to use proprietary in one small area? Still doesn't make sense.

Communities of closed source driver developers? This seems paradoxical to me

[GreatEmerald]

So any improvements in driver performance made to the 3** series will be valid for 2** it's just that I won't be able to use bleeding edge kernel for example?

You will be able to use as bleeding edge kernels as you like... This news changes nothing for radeonsi.

[LordVulkan]

Will AMD open their OpenGL implementation around this driver? If not, why not?

Also, will this allow better OpenGL and Vulkan open source implementations?