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NVidia, SGI, and VA Linux Working on OpenGL
Milkman Ken writes "I just received an email from NVidia's Dave Schmenck
about this press release about VA Linux, NVidia, and SGI
collaborating on a 100% OpenGL 1.2-compliant graphics subsystem
for Linux.
According to the press release, this graphics subsystem
should make OpenGL apps as fast or faster than they are currently
in Windows. They're going to be demoing it during LinuxWorld
in Feburary.
"
Precision Insight is also working on drivers for a bunch of cards; with the cooperation of the card manufacturers. These should also be released soon.
With the release of XFree86 4.0, the DRI, and these drivers, everyone will be able to have workstation-class graphics on Linux. I believe that most of these drivers, and certainly XFree86 and the DRI are open source, too.
My question is; why is SGI persuing a different approach now? I am sure that their solution will be have spectacular performance (when it is finished...SGI has been notoriously late in many of its plans).
The press release says nothing about whether the announced systems will use XFree86, the DRI, and whether they will be open-source (although I'm certainly that the NVidia drivers will not be open). It's almost as if SGI was going to try to steal the thunder of the upcoming release of the free software; which, I believe, will be an earth-shattering explosion of interest in 3D.
thad
I love Mondays. On a Monday, anything is possible.
So here's the deal. I've talked a lot with NVIDIA folks about the lack of good 3D drivers under Linux. They are sympathetic. This is why this driver is going to be released.
The driver will definitely be closed source, as it is using a licensed version of SGI's OpenGL implementation. They obviously cannot open source this.
The word I've received from them is that the fast, DRI driver will be out sometime after XFree 4.0 is released. The latest beta (3.9.17) did not include any hardware acceleration of all.
I've tried to get more specifications for the chipsets so that the Utah GLX driver could be made to use DMA, but they've told me that the specs are too complicated for people to understand and they would rather spend their resources developing their own driver than supporting everyone and their sister who wants to learn the specs.
Whether you agree or disagree, you must remember one thing: it is completely up to NVIDIA as to whether they want to release ANYTHING. They have been very accomodating to those open source advocates (and zealots) who demand drivers. They have released enough specs and source to create a driver from, and the only big thing lacking is the DMA stuff. I agree that they should have released the full specs a long time ago so that the GLX group could have a better driver for us by now, but by now it's a moot point as we will have a badass driver in a month or so.
And for those anti-NVIDIA-pro-Matrox-types, don't give Matrox THAT much credit. Mark Vojkovich, who I believe originally worked to get Matrox to release the specs that they have, posted the following to the Utah GLX dev list: Matrox have not released full specs for the card. They also haven`t contributed anything along the lines of source code and very little along the lines of support. I think people give them too much credit.
Will you buy a whole VA Linux rig to get it? I am sceptical along with some others that this will benefit "Linux users" anymore than the existence of fully OpenGL modules for XiGraphics. Maybe even less. XiGraphics requires you to purchase some software. This press release (hinted at on MaximumPC site yesterday) sounds to me like VA's bid to produce an essentially proprietary workstation platform which is based on, but not sharing with, Linux. I don't fault them for doing it, but I doubt I'll benefit from this move despite the fact that I own a TNT2.
Johnny Quest has two Daddies.