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How To Request Better ATI Linux Support
An anonymous reader writes "Michael Larabel, the editor of Phoronix, has outlined some strategies for contacting ATI's customers (OEM/ODM/AIBs) to seek ATI Linux fglrx driver improvements. He opines that contacting ATI or AMD directly is the 'wrong approach.' He also states, 'I know for certain that at least one major OEM would like to see improved Linux support but is afraid that the Windows support would then be at risk.' Michael cites examples from the past where Lenovo had sought improved Linux display drivers, which resulted in several new features last year. He provides links to the feedback pages for a number of the vendors to whom ATI actually does listen."
Get yogether with your buddies and collect a pile of ATI and competitor proofs of purchase.
With the ATI ones say that you are a customer and would really like to see Linux support. With all the competitor ones, say that you would have bought ATI but for the driver issue. make sure you youtube it, blog it,...
Engineering is the art of compromise.
I basically have to agree. nVidia drivers now seem to work well, after much pain over the years. They even managed to open up their development process up a tiny little bit by leaking beta drivers. Kind of like a prude who secretly has a little on the side anyway.
Nonetheless, it behooves us to fight the good fight and annoy the shit out of graphics card manufacturers to reveal the eleven secret herbs and spices so we can fully enjoy the hardware we paid for. Discriminating against crappy support is a step.
Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
If you want Linux drivers, you have to let these companies know:
ASUS
Lenovo
HP
Power Color
HIS Tech
Sapphire
The suggested letter is:
Subject: Product Feedback
To whom it may concern,
I recently purchased one of your [graphics cards || notebooks || desktops] that had contained an ATI GPU. While I realize your products are catered toward Microsoft Windows users as they are your largest consumer base, I wish to use this product with Linux. I had used the [your model number for their product] with the ATI Linux drivers, and while they have improved a great deal recently, I still feel there is much room for improvement. The drivers in their current form run much slower under Linux than Windows, lack support for AIGLX (a visual desktop feature), and other features found within the Windows Catalyst drivers but not Linux.
I do realize you may not officially support Linux and that you have limited control over the development of these drivers, but I would kindly ask that you forward this comment to AMD and that you ask them to channel additional resources to the development of these drivers. In good time you should make Linux support from AMD a requirement. Another step that I would hope to see is including the ATI Linux display drivers on your support/driver CD. As the adoption of Linux on desktops continues to increase, I hope you are able to jointly improve your Linux presence with ATI/AMD.
[your name]
How about requesting ATI/AMD to take care of the already existing free X11 drivers, by giving informations about newer cards and manpower to develop all features, so that we have something readable (and working), and fixable by the community ?
I also agree, but there are open source 2D drivers for nvidia... True, they aren't nearly as complete, but for basic stuff they work fine.
I really don't want DRIVERS from ATI or NVidia though, I want DOCS. We hear all sorts of whining about proprietary secret data, blah blah blah, but I DON'T CARE. If you want to sell me a fucking device, release the damn docs already. This goes for all the winmodems, winprinters, winscanners, wincameras, winwifi cards, winethernet, winsound cards, winkeyboards, winmice, winharddrive controllers too!!! I'm not buying WINDOWS hardware, I'm buying COMPUTER hardware. I want to be able to use it with ANY operating system. There is nothing so damn secret about how to program your device that would put you at a competitive disadvantage if everyone is releasing information. And if there really is? Tough shit. That is the price of being in the business.