By: Groo (charlie.delete@this.semiaccurate.com), August 15, 2011 8:09 pm
Room: Moderated Discussions
David Kanter (dkanter@realworldtech.com) on 8/12/11 wrote:
---------------------------
>There was source available. If you want to use cutting edge hardware on Linux, you need to be prepared to CYO.
>
An Intel CPU launch isn't exactly a niche, bleeding edge bit of obscure hardware. They have multiple people working on drivers, and those people dropped the ball. Then again, do you think Intel would tell a customer buying a few racks of parts for their data center the same thing? Come on now David, take the blinders off.
>Honestly, the number of consumers using Linux is small enough that it's impossible
>to justify making it a high priority for development right now. When Android starts
>becoming more prevalent in tablets though, I think that's when you'll see more resources allocated.
>
So, Intel should not support THEIR OWN OS? Really? That is a good one. I can see it now.
Intel Software Person: We need drivers for our new Meego device.
Intel Hardware Person: Well, Sandy is a new chip, you will have to wait until the community rolls a driver, then reverse engineer it. We couldn't be bothered supporting our own OS, the market isn't big enough.
Intel Software Person: *BLINK*
Sadly, this seems closer to the truth than Intel may find comfortable.
>Honestly, all that means is that Mike Larabel couldn't get it working. I'm pretty
>confident that other people did have SNB working.
>
Well, I seem to recall Linus couldn't do anything more than the basic graphics, there was no acceleration of the desktop for him either. I can't find the rant with the search tools, but it was here a few months ago. Anyone got a link?
That said, no one got the drivers working because THEY WERE NON-FUNCTIONAL. INTEL DID NOT HAVE WORKING DRIVERS, CONTRARY TO THEIR PR BLUSTER. Should you want to prove me wrong, everything is available online. If you don't have a sandy, I'll send you mine to test with.
>The truth is that Intel's Linux drivers are not as robust as NV or AMD. However,
>they are available in source form, which is a pretty damn big advantage and frankly unique amongst GPU vendors.
>
Non-working but open isn't all that big of a step up. I would prefer working and open myself.
>If you don't like the prepackaged drivers, you can always fix it yourself.
>
Here is where YOU show your ignorance. THERE WERE NO PREPACKAGED DRIVERS at the time, and I am pretty sure the April ones weren't all that hot either. Before you comment on the drivers Intel provides, may I suggest you try them?
Try this, go to:
http://intellinuxgraphics.org/
And grab the drivers available on 1/7/11 (2010Q4 release) and the 4/14/11 (2011Q1 release). Then grab whatever distro you like that was available on those dates, I would recommend Ubuntu 10.10 for ease of use. Try getting desktop acceleration working.
Have fun. If you get it going, I will buy you an ice cream or popsicle of your choice at the appropriate break during Hot Chips. Deal?
-Charlie
---------------------------
>There was source available. If you want to use cutting edge hardware on Linux, you need to be prepared to CYO.
>
An Intel CPU launch isn't exactly a niche, bleeding edge bit of obscure hardware. They have multiple people working on drivers, and those people dropped the ball. Then again, do you think Intel would tell a customer buying a few racks of parts for their data center the same thing? Come on now David, take the blinders off.
>Honestly, the number of consumers using Linux is small enough that it's impossible
>to justify making it a high priority for development right now. When Android starts
>becoming more prevalent in tablets though, I think that's when you'll see more resources allocated.
>
So, Intel should not support THEIR OWN OS? Really? That is a good one. I can see it now.
Intel Software Person: We need drivers for our new Meego device.
Intel Hardware Person: Well, Sandy is a new chip, you will have to wait until the community rolls a driver, then reverse engineer it. We couldn't be bothered supporting our own OS, the market isn't big enough.
Intel Software Person: *BLINK*
Sadly, this seems closer to the truth than Intel may find comfortable.
>Honestly, all that means is that Mike Larabel couldn't get it working. I'm pretty
>confident that other people did have SNB working.
>
Well, I seem to recall Linus couldn't do anything more than the basic graphics, there was no acceleration of the desktop for him either. I can't find the rant with the search tools, but it was here a few months ago. Anyone got a link?
That said, no one got the drivers working because THEY WERE NON-FUNCTIONAL. INTEL DID NOT HAVE WORKING DRIVERS, CONTRARY TO THEIR PR BLUSTER. Should you want to prove me wrong, everything is available online. If you don't have a sandy, I'll send you mine to test with.
>The truth is that Intel's Linux drivers are not as robust as NV or AMD. However,
>they are available in source form, which is a pretty damn big advantage and frankly unique amongst GPU vendors.
>
Non-working but open isn't all that big of a step up. I would prefer working and open myself.
>If you don't like the prepackaged drivers, you can always fix it yourself.
>
Here is where YOU show your ignorance. THERE WERE NO PREPACKAGED DRIVERS at the time, and I am pretty sure the April ones weren't all that hot either. Before you comment on the drivers Intel provides, may I suggest you try them?
Try this, go to:
http://intellinuxgraphics.org/
And grab the drivers available on 1/7/11 (2010Q4 release) and the 4/14/11 (2011Q1 release). Then grab whatever distro you like that was available on those dates, I would recommend Ubuntu 10.10 for ease of use. Try getting desktop acceleration working.
Have fun. If you get it going, I will buy you an ice cream or popsicle of your choice at the appropriate break during Hot Chips. Deal?
-Charlie
