DragonFlyBSD Updates Its Intel Graphics Driver From Linux 4.8.17

[phoronix]

Phoronix: DragonFlyBSD Updates Its Intel Graphics Driver From Linux 4.8.17

The Linux 4.8 series is over three years old while now the DragonFlyBSD crew has pulled in the Linux 4.8.17 sources of the Intel "i915" DRM driver into their kernel for providing updated graphics driver coverage...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=DragonFlyBSD-i915-From-4.8.17

[Spooktra]

The irony is that NVIDIA, that only releases closed source proprietary drivers is more friendly to the BSD and Linux community than AMD and Intel that release open source drivers. For years, since at least the days when it was pretty much only Red Hat (pre-Fedora), Suse (before Novell) and Mandrake, NVIDIA graphics cards were basically a must have if you wanted hardware accelerated 3D on Linux.

In recent years, Intel has caught up somewhat with their open source stack and AMD has caught up somewhat with their proprietary driver. but NVIDIA, that refuses to open source their drivers or share any of their driver code base with the open source community is still king when it comes to stable, reliable, dependable and high performing hardware gpu accelerated functionality on Linux/BSD.

[Dark-Show]

The irony is that NVIDIA, that only releases closed source proprietary drivers is more friendly to the BSD and Linux community than AMD and Intel that release open source drivers. For years, since at least the days when it was pretty much only Red Hat (pre-Fedora), Suse (before Novell) and Mandrake, NVIDIA graphics cards were basically a must have if you wanted hardware accelerated 3D on Linux.

In recent years, Intel has caught up somewhat with their open source stack and AMD has caught up somewhat with their proprietary driver. but NVIDIA, that refuses to open source their drivers or share any of their driver code base with the open source community is still king when it comes to stable, reliable, dependable and high performing hardware gpu accelerated functionality on Linux/BSD.

I take this more as a note, that if you are interested in computer 3D acceleration, just like most of us, bought into NVIDIA marketing. Most gamers that make the switch are probably coming off of a Intel CPU+NVIDIA system for the 1337 FPS. I can't speak for everyone, but I know for sure my next system is going to be pure Linux AMD goodness.
Opensource in my opinion is the future, and why shouldn't it be?

[Spooktra]

Opensource in my opinion is the future, and why shouldn't it be?

"Open source" has existed since before closed source, yet it's not the dominant software distribution license.

The first time I went to college I majored in Physics and Com Sci and I recently went back to get a Bio degree and after that an It degree and I have taken numerous college classes in programming, in various languages. By definition, you are exposed to open source software first when you are taught how a computer works and how to write software and back in the old days one of the first, if not the first languages you learned was Quick Basic. QB is an interpreted language, and consequently the source code to all programs was open for anyone to see and modify, I remember taking an old QB game where 2 gorillas stood on top of opposing buildings throwing bananas at one another and modifying the code so that bananas would go flying at a ridiculous rate of speed.

The point is that open source has not, and never will, take over closed source for the simple reason that there is no financial incentive or benefit to releasing your software as open source.

Here's the thing, I can tell you from first hand experience it's not easy to get a degree in Computer Science, just for an Associates Degree from a community college you need 64 college credits, which include Data Structures and Algorithms 1 and 2, Calculus 1 and 2, Physics 1 and 2, Statistics, C++ 1 and 2, Objective C, Comp Organization and Assembler 1 and 2, math and computer programming electives, such as VB and Perl, and that's not counting the humanities electives.

For a B.S. in Comp Sci, depending on the school, you can need over 140 credits, which take up to 5 years on a full time basis, a bunch more math, science and computer programming classes, not to mention electives and most likely tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt by the time you finish college.

And then you think a person that spend that much time studying and working to get that degree is going to want to turn around and write code that he just give away for free?!?

No, like any normal person he is going to look for a job with a high starting salary, good benefits, good vacation time, steady employment, and so on.

People that thing software should be open source are the same people that think education or health care should be free, basically someone is supposed to bust his ass studying, accumulate a mountain of student loan debt and then work for free so that you can get free services from them.

How exactly is that supposed to work? you don't work for free but somehow doctors, nurses, teacher and programmers are expect to?

WTF are people like you smoking?

[aht0]

Here's the thing, I can tell you from first hand experience it's not easy to get a degree in Computer Science, just for an Associates Degree from a community college you need 64 college credits, which include Data Structures and Algorithms 1 and 2, Calculus 1 and 2, Physics 1 and 2, Statistics, C++ 1 and 2, Objective C, Comp Organization and Assembler 1 and 2, math and computer programming electives, such as VB and Perl, and that's not counting the humanities electives.

For a B.S. in Comp Sci, depending on the school, you can need over 140 credits, which take up to 5 years on a full time basis, a bunch more math, science and computer programming classes, not to mention electives and most likely tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt by the time you finish college.

And then you think a person that spend that much time studying and working to get that degree is going to want to turn around and write code that he just give away for free?!?

No, like any normal person he is going to look for a job with a high starting salary, good benefits, good vacation time, steady employment, and so on.

People that thing software should be open source are the same people that think education or health care should be free, basically someone is supposed to bust his ass studying, accumulate a mountain of student loan debt and then work for free so that you can get free services from them.

How exactly is that supposed to work? you don't work for free but somehow doctors, nurses, teacher and programmers are expect to?

WTF are people like you smoking?

Different countries, different practises. Here university education can be had for free, provided you got sufficient points from certain mandatory exams during the final months of the high school. Like.. ones getting 70+ points out of 100 in hard sciences (math, chemistry, physics) have plenty of selection, honor graduates have places in universities guaranteed.

Student loans aren't mandatory either, one can work part time while studying and cover most of the expenses.