Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Tue, 31 Dec 2002 22:05:20 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Tue, 31 Dec 2002 22:05:20 -0500 Received: from smtp-outbound.cwctv.net ([213.104.18.10]:4435 "EHLO smtp.cwctv.net") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Tue, 31 Dec 2002 22:05:18 -0500 From: To: scott@coyotegulch.com, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 03:13:00 +0000 Subject: RE: Why is Nvidia given GPL'd code to use in closed source drivers? MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Liberate TVMail 2.6 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="1041390780084" Message-ID: <0aebf3510030113DTVMAIL9@smtp.cwctv.net> Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 4364 Lines: 106 --1041390780084 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit no Nvidias drivers arent like coal because coal is useful for fires, what happens when Nvidia decide those cards are too old? But just new enough to not show the competition their code, Nvidia are a drain on the community with nothing useful to show for it. Dean. Three ways to kill yourself, and ive been drove in one... On Tue, 31 Dec 2002 12:05:35 -0500 "Scott Robert Ladd" wrote: --1041390780084 Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Received: from vger.kernel.org ([209.116.70.75]) by smtp.cwctv.net with Microsoft SMTPSVC(5.5.1877.447.44); Tue, 31 Dec 2002 17:04:46 +0000 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Tue, 31 Dec 2002 11:57:43 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Tue, 31 Dec 2002 11:57:43 -0500 Received: from smtp-server1.tampabay.rr.com ([65.32.1.34]:13816 "EHLO smtp-server1.tampabay.rr.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Tue, 31 Dec 2002 11:57:42 -0500 Received: from kepler (129-112.8-67.tampabay.rr.com [67.8.112.129]) by smtp-server1.tampabay.rr.com (8.12.2/8.12.2) with SMTP id gBVH5c48004550; Tue, 31 Dec 2002 12:05:38 -0500 (EST) From: "Scott Robert Ladd" To: "Paul Jakma" , "Mark Rutherford" Cc: Subject: RE: Why is Nvidia given GPL'd code to use in closed source drivers? Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 12:05:35 -0500 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2911.0) In-Reply-To: Importance: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org Precedence: bulk X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Return-Path: linux-kernel-owner+Hell.Surfers=40cwctv.net@vger.kernel.org Paul Jakma wrote > "what you get for christmas?" > > "a lump of coal" > > at least you get /something/. however, you didnt get what counts, > programming info for the card. I, and many other Linux users, do not consider nVidia's drivers to be "a lump of coal." What "counts" is being able to use my hardware effectively. Closed-source drivers may not be ideal, but few things in life are. Even the conservative Debian distribution (which I use) has the nVidia drivers available in the distribution. In order of preference (for me): 1) High-quality drivers with open source 2) High-quality drivers with closed source 3) Poor-quality drivers with open source 4) Poor-quality drivers with closed source Out of four possibilities, we're getting the next-to-best thing. Certainly, I'd *like* to have the specs for nVidia's cards -- but given competition between nVidia and ATI, I don't see that happening. One advantage nVidia has (small as it may be) is high-quality drivers for Linux; it's one reason my Linux systems have TNT2 and GeForce 4 cards installed. Note that my Windows boxes run ATI cards; I'm not an nVidia shill. One of Linux's historical weaknesses (when compared to the competition) is video support. While I urge nVidia to open their specifications (and in the end think it would be in their best interest), I'm also very pleased that they provide high-performance drivers for free (as in beer). ...Scott -- Scott Robert Ladd Coyote Gulch Productions (http://www.coyotegulch.com) Professional programming for science and engineering; Interesting and unusual bits of very free code. - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/ --1041390780084-- - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/