Nouveau: NVIDIA's New Hardware Is "VERY Open-Source Unfriendly"

[xylef]

I suspect you can have the dkms backend installed etc. but a lack of configuration, when the dkms stuff will not bother to compile the nvidia kernel module and you'd have to register the module in some way.
If you install a newer or different kernel (not a security udpate) the system might also omit to install the kernel headers, but that's a separate issue.

I say all that in a generic way, not Suse/OpenSuse related - I don't know what happens in particular there.

The nvidia installer takes care of registering the module on dkms. Also distribution specific packages (at least on fedora and ubuntu) provide the same functionality.
So it's pretty much install and forget if you have dkms on your system (unless a new kernel release decides to break it like https://devtalk.nvidia.com/default/t...1-fc22-x86_64/).

[Baconmon]

Purchasing is tantamount to voting..

I want to kind of echo what Luke has been saying in these forums:
Just as you can't continue to pollute the world with CO2 with out eventually getting hotter and more venus-like climate, you can't perpetually financially help to support the giant corporations that are using your money to erode your freedoms with out eventually having your freedoms eroded away from you..

Boot-guard: Intel's creation to disallow you the freedom of flashing a BIOS/UEFI of your choosing to your own motherboard that you own.. (Good bye Coreboot)..

Requiring signed drivers to update firmware: You can't update your nvidia driver except via cryptographically signed firmware blobs signed only by nvidia.. (Good bye Nouveau)..

"Secure"-boot: You can't boot any operating system on your own computer that you bought other than 1 kind (windows) made by only 1 company in the entire world (microsoft).. (Good bye Linux)..


What ever your complaints might be about AMD, at this time they seem to be the best (comparatively speaking) at being open-source, and at NOT restricting your freedoms.. And once they release their Zen architecture, I think they will again have comparable processor power for games and stuff like they did back with the FX processors..


Even though you might think that your money you spend to buy a product might pale in comparison to how much money giant corporations have (intel, nvidia, microsoft etc), it still goes to help them financially, and help them with their malicious agendas.. You need to vote with your wallet and stop buying things that have been engineered to syphon away your freedoms bit by bit (pun not intended, but oh well)..

You get what you support.. Yeah sure, go buy that new expensive intel chip for $1000 and nvidia card for $1000, you will get few more frames per second in your game that you care about so dearly.. But don't whine later in the future when your new chip tells you "I'M SORRY BOB, I CAN'T LET YOU DO THAT."

[chithanh]

You need to vote with your wallet and stop buying things that have been engineered to syphon away your freedoms bit by bit (pun not intended, but oh well)..

Actually there is a better way. You can buy such hardware and then return it, giving as reason the locked down nature and lack of proper open source drivers.
Because a high number of returns will upset the distribution channel and hit a vendor where it hurts.

"I'M SORRY BOB, I CAN'T LET YOU DO THAT."

+1 for that quote, but AFAIR it was Dave, not Bob.

[Luke]

Cheap is relative

I wouldn't say that it's hard to find a cheap AMD laptop... in fact it seems most AMD laptops are cheap and thus have not that great specs. On our market.yandex.ru the most top-priced AMD laptop is MSI GX60 which costs ~1200$ according to current USD/RUR rate and most are below 700$. And the ONLY ONE model with AMD CPU and IPS screen is 13.3" ASUS VivoBook U38N. THE ONLY ONE!!! (

As I recall the Fusion netbooks came out at $600, double the price of the one I have. For $1200 I could build an updated copy of my top line video editing system, install all 6TB of storage in brand new disks, and have hundreds left over. To me a cheap laptop is a sub $300 machine, preferably a sub $200 machine. If my netbook dies and all replacements cost $1200, that means mobile work goes back to the Pentium II with an encrypted Ubuntu Jaunty install I used at the Sep 2009 G20 protests in Pittstburgh. If that dies too, well, those were trading for $15 apiece at a hamfest in early 2009, I'm sure the current equivalent from the same vendors would do better. Best bet of all, find a Pre-Windows 8 machine whose user is trashng it because of "viruses," buy it dirt cheap, wipe the disk and install.

[nanonyme]

Actually there is a better way. You can buy such hardware and then return it, giving as reason the locked down nature and lack of proper open source drivers.
Because a high number of returns will upset the distribution channel and hit a vendor where it hurts.


+1 for that quote, but AFAIR it was Dave, not Bob.

So what will you do when they refuse to give you your money back on grounds that product is not broken? Sue the reseller?

[Luke]

There are ways to pressure any retail outlet

So what will you do when they refuse to give you your money back on grounds that product is not broken? Sue the reseller?

People have forced car dealers to take back lemons by parking the offending vehicles legally near the dealer with "lemon signs" on them. The dealer cannot legally force the signs to be removed, and will lose more than the cost of a refund by allowing this to continue. This usually generates a refund or vehicle replacement.

For a computer store, buy a crate of lemons and print some fliers. Get any needed food service permits and sell lemons outside with a "lemons for sale" sign. Have on a table literature explaining that lemons are for sale inside as well, and exactly what makes their products lemons.

[nanonyme]

People have forced car dealers to take back lemons by parking the offending vehicles legally near the dealer with "lemon signs" on them. The dealer cannot legally force the signs to be removed, and will lose more than the cost of a refund by allowing this to continue. This usually generates a refund or vehicle replacement.

For a computer store, buy a crate of lemons and print some fliers. Get any needed food service permits and sell lemons outside with a "lemons for sale" sign. Have on a table literature explaining that lemons are for sale inside as well, and exactly what makes their products lemons.

Eh, I doubt you'd get a permit for that in most countries. Possibly outside the premise but if it's a shopping centre, that may mean quite some distance from the store

[jntesteves]

People have forced car dealers to take back lemons by parking the offending vehicles legally near the dealer with "lemon signs" on them. The dealer cannot legally force the signs to be removed, and will lose more than the cost of a refund by allowing this to continue. This usually generates a refund or vehicle replacement.

For a computer store, buy a crate of lemons and print some fliers. Get any needed food service permits and sell lemons outside with a "lemons for sale" sign. Have on a table literature explaining that lemons are for sale inside as well, and exactly what makes their products lemons.

This is the same as BAD REVIEWS! Lots of people search online before buying or even order online from Amazon and alikes. Whenever you see a big offender, leave a comment and a bad rating. Maybe it's time to start doing this on all listings of nvidia's 900+ products on the basis of... IDK exactly what yet... Got to be convinced yet that nvidia is as bad as people portray them since I don't see any other company doing much better. They at least acknowledge Linux users as an existent potential market, which is better than most. :/

[prodigy_]

nVidia is a typical corporation and always has been. They "care" about open-source only when they can get some free publicity out of it which means basically never.

What to do? Boycott nVidia hardware. Yes, it's hard. But every time you give them money you validate their point of view.

[chithanh]

So what will you do when they refuse to give you your money back on grounds that product is not broken? Sue the reseller?

In the EU, consumer protection directives allow you to return merchandise to e-tailers without giving any reason within two weeks. Most large brick-and-mortar stores voluntarily offer the same.

I believe in most other developed nations consumers enjoy similar rights. If not, then make sure you can return the product before purchasing.