[Gllug] TV out

[Adam Bower]

Mike Brodbelt wrote:
> On Fri, 2002-11-01 at 15:15, Xander D Harkness wrote:
> 
> I'm curious as to why you'd go Nvidia - they are *entirely* closed
> source. Matrox aren't perfect, but at least it's possible to use most of
> the functionality of their products without resorting to binary only
> code. It looks to me as though you should be able to use the Matrox
> cards without resorting to proprietary drivers, even though the
> necessary patches aren't blessed by Matrox.

I was under the impression that only the kernel module is binary only 
and that the GLX bits were open. (i may be wrong though) Anyhow the only 
graphics cards that provide me with the functionality to run the 
software that I want to under Linux are the Nvidia cards with closed 
source drivers.

If you want to play unreal tournament 2003 the only gfx cards to support 
the needed GL extensions are the Nvidia cards with the closed drivers, 
ATI don't have them and the Matrox cards are really not fast enough to 
run the game at anything like the framerates of the Nvidia cards.

Also the Nvidia cards can be run with the nv driver in X 4.x without 
resorting to the binary only drivers. Of course I would much prefer it 
if the drivers for the Nvidia cards were open source but rock and hard 
place come to mind as if I choose another manufacturer/card then I would 
have to use windows to play games, but if i choose Nvidia I have to use 
a closed driver but without lots of reboots to play games etc.....

Adam
PS some of the high end ATI cards (did?) only have binary only kernel 
modules like the FireGL2 which there is a rather large stack of sitting 
not to far away from me, hopefully Nvidia if they give up on the Linux 
"support" in the future they will at least open their drivers so that 
the hardware doesn't become useless for 3d in Linux.


-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at linux.co.uk
http://list.ftech.net/mailman/listinfo/gllug