NVIDIA Alerts Nouveau: They're Starting To Sign/Validate GPU Firmware Images

[Calinou]

How so?

Michael, don't be a fanatic.

This marks the death of Nouveau which could be used in freedom now.

Unless the firmware is distributed under a free license (way too unlikely), fully free GNU/Linux distributions (and the ones that don't ship proprietary firmware by default like Debian) won't make you able to use Nouveau at all without installing the proprietary firmware.

Time to look at IGPs even more… dedicated cards are sad.

[swiftgeek]

Easiest solution possible: sign plain firmware that functions just as a loader. Windows/proprietary driver would need to be heavily rewritten to make it work with changed firmware, so security is still improved.
Actually it would need to be obfuscated a lil bit, so stock images wouldn't load via this firmware-loader

[sbolokanov]

solution?
How about open-hardware? FUC(k) NVIDIA!

[Sonadow]

This is just like what AMD is doing. Firmware blobs made freely redistributable, and can be loaded by the open drivers on demand to access the card's full functionality.

I'm in favor of this. Simplifies things a lot more, and the Nouveau developers can focus on improving the driver and spend lesser time trying to fight with extracting those firmware blobs from the proprietary driver.

EDIT: A quick look at the couple of responses in the mailing list seems to suggest that the Nouveau developers are also in favor of the new arrangement.

[TheSoulz]

This is just like what AMD is doing. Firmware blobs made freely redistributable, and can be loaded by the open drivers on demand to access the card's full functionality.

I'm in favor of this. Simplifies things a lot more, and the Nouveau developers can focus on improving the driver and spend lesser time trying to fight with extracting those firmware blobs from the proprietary driver.

True, if they allow the firmware to be redistribuided...
This would allow the nouveau driver to even improve, if such does not ahhpen im gonna be a angry consumer.... :C

[AnonymousCoward]

snip

FWIW - signing firmware is done so that you can manufacture one chip design and sell crippled versions. Eventually they'll have an in-app purchases "unlock 60fps" for hardware...

OpenGL STARTER PACK DLC (1.2 - 3.0) 9.99$
OpenGL EXPERT PACK DLC (4 - 4.5) 19.99$
OpenGL EXTENSIONS DLC 4.99$
DirectX STARTER PACK DLC (2 - 9) 9.99$
DirectX EXPERT PACK DLC (10 - 12) 19.99$
CUDA DLC 19.99$
UNLOCK EXTRA CUDA CORES DLC 14.99$
OpenCL DLC 99.99$
MEMORY DLC UNLOCK EXTRA 512MB 29.99$
UNLOCK EXTRA PERFORMANCE DLC 14.99$
HIGH SCREEN RESOLUTION DLC (1024x768+) 29.99$
MULTI-MONITOR STARTER PACK DLC (2) 14.99$
MULTI-MONITOR EXPERT PACK DLC (3+) 39.99$
VSYNC DLC 14.99$
SLI DLC 9.99$
HD TEXTURE RENDERING DLC 4.99$
ANTIALIASING DLC 4.99$

[log0]

...
EDIT: A quick look at the couple of responses in the mailing list seems to suggest that the Nouveau developers are also in favor of the new arrangement.

A quick look at the couple of responses in the mailing list seems to suggest that the Nouveau developers don't really have a choice than to work with what they get.

[birdie]

Just what I was saying:

The intent for GM20x is to improve upon the GM10x implementation and add some protection to the configuration of the hardware thermal shutdown mechanism.

I2C bus C writes are restricted to a secure context, to prevent misprogramming thermal sensors.

Physical memory access restrictions are introduced.

From: ftp://download.nvidia.com/open-gpu-d...-Security.html

[R00KIE]

OpenGL STARTER PACK DLC (1.2 - 3.0) 9.99$
OpenGL EXPERT PACK DLC (4 - 4.5) 19.99$
OpenGL EXTENSIONS DLC 4.99$
DirectX STARTER PACK DLC (2 - 9) 9.99$
DirectX EXPERT PACK DLC (10 - 12) 19.99$
CUDA DLC 19.99$
UNLOCK EXTRA CUDA CORES DLC 14.99$
OpenCL DLC 99.99$
MEMORY DLC UNLOCK EXTRA 512MB 29.99$
UNLOCK EXTRA PERFORMANCE DLC 14.99$
HIGH SCREEN RESOLUTION DLC (1024x768+) 29.99$
MULTI-MONITOR STARTER PACK DLC (2) 14.99$
MULTI-MONITOR EXPERT PACK DLC (3+) 39.99$
VSYNC DLC 14.99$
SLI DLC 9.99$
HD TEXTURE RENDERING DLC 4.99$
ANTIALIASING DLC 4.99$

I'm not sure all of this would fly but some might. Initially chips with defects are sold in cheaper slower products with the defect areas disabled in firmware, but as yields increase fully functional chips are crippled in firmware to match that initial feature level, so having to pay the difference to unlock that is a possibility. Unlocking any form of overclock and/or SLI might also be something you could have to pay for.

All the rest seem too much of a stretch and would probably get lots of complaints and bad press unless the initial cost of the card is much lower than it is now, but then again, never underestimate the greediness of corporations and the resignation of consumers to get stuff like this thrown down their throats.

[vivo]

Just before reading this article, I was thinking about replacing my 770 with a 970.
I guess I will have to wait and see. If I don't like what I see, AMD here I come.