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AMD's New Card Supports Linux From the Get-Go
Michael writes "Back in September AMD had announced a new ATI Linux driver as well as opening up their GPU specifications, and today they have taken an additional step to better support the Linux OS. With the just-announced Radeon HD 4850 RV770 they have provided same-day Linux support, and the Linux driver is now shipping alongside the Windows driver on their product CDs. In addition, they are encouraging their AIB partners to showcase Tux on the product packaging as a sign of Linux support. Last but certainly not least, AMD is committed from top-to-bottom product support on Linux and they will be introducing high-end features in their Linux driver such as MultiGPU CrossFire technology. Phoronix has a run-down on AMD's evolutionary leap in Linux support along with information on the open-source support for the RV770 GPU."
I wasn't even aware they supported windows? At least that has been my experience with their horrible drivers.
Most of us dual-boot, especially for games. For everything else, there's Linux and it's good to know that driver support isn't half arsed for once (barring the fact that it's probably the binary only driver on the CD).
Why does my post history abruptly stop? I want to laugh at the stupid things I posted as a kid.
But there are a lot more then games in Linux that needs good 3-D drivers, compiz-fusion to name one. Granted it might be nearly useless when it comes to productivity, but it is one major thing to convince people to use Linux rather then Windows and if you can demonstrate it easier with a Ubuntu live-CD rather then an install, more people will use Linux.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
People debugging their Linux rivers will often also be helping to debug their Windows drivers too!
Hw vendors should really use OSS more to help them get more eyeballs on the code.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
For me, compiz fusion has become really useful. My widescreen notebook has limited vertical screen real estate, so the ability to get rid of the bottom bar and use window scaling to find running apps is great. The ability to fade windows and look underneath them is also great. Up until recently, I have bought nVidia, because while the drivers are non free blobs, they have tended to just work. Now that's changing and this additional step in promoting Linux support means that the next graphics I buy will ATI.
I don't really play games except occasionally and the games that are available for Linux are more than enough. It's the advertised support for desktop effects and apps like blender that has me sold, but maybe the fact that they are pushing for Tux to be included on the box means that the mindshare has increased to the point where more games will follow.
I don't therefore I'm not.
Quake 4, Doom 3, Quakewars:ET, just to name a few. In recent years (particularly from id), we've seen huge increases in developers supporting Linux natively, or at least with a WINE wrapper, the way EA does it. Now with more than half of the video card market supporting Linux, developers won't be so hesitant to make a native Linux client for their games. Plus there's those Linux users who need a decent video card to use Blender. Now they're not restricted to nVidia cards.
Admit it. You post strawman arguments as AC so you get modded Insightful for refuting them, rather than Troll
Phoronix already got the Radeon HD 4850 working with the open-source "Radeon" driver too: http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=12503
Hauppauge cards are supported to some extent but getting their remote controls to work is a pain in the butt, even on MythTV based distros!
In fact, getting the remote control to work is more of an exercise in frustration than anything else.
So the meaning of life is to play games on Linux. Now it all makes sense.
Tux Racer is going to kick so much ass on the new AMD/ATI 4870 card with these new drivers!
After AMD bought ATI and make claims that they were going to go full bore and fully support Linux I said. "When I see it, I will believe it."
Well, today I make the shift from Nvidia to ATI. I stuck with Nvidia because I had didn't have much trouble getting OpenGL apps to work in Linux and I hear horror stories about ATI and Linux.
Now I have to eat my hat.
I disagree that Compiz is nearly useless. It's very easy to switch desktops and find other windows while developing. It's almost as useful as a 2nd monitor.
In fact, Linux support is my #1 deciding factor in deciding on a laptop or video card. Like a lot of others I dual-boot, XP for gaming, Ubuntu for all else. Since nvidia & ATI are nearly equal, dollar for dollar, for gaming then Compiz support becomes the default deciding factor.
ATI supporting Linux opens up a whole world of, for instance, new laptop choices. The cheap embedded GPUs in the laptops will run Compiz without sweating.
Dude, the card already works with the open-source xf86-driver-ati thanks to the code-sharing and documentation provided by ATI. Pretty soon the R6xx series (The generation I've got) will have 3D hardware acceleration as the R5xx series has now. It's not perfect and complete support, but it's getting there and progress has been excellent. If you really want to support a company that's supporting Linux, you would buy an ATI (Or Intel?) card. NVidia sure as hell isn't talking about any F/OSS drivers.
"We invented personal computing." - Bill Gates
AMD wants in on that stuff.
...are we scared yet?
You need to support it with your buying decisions.
AMD is without equal in the x86 space right now in terms of openness. They release specs, and they write and release code. All the Family 10 support in coreboot (a.k.a. Linuxbios) was written by AMD employees. We saw this open approach earlier with the K8, then Hypertransport, then the Geode CPUs used in the One Laptop Per Child, now we see the same trend in graphics. AMD is on a roll right now with openness.
I just, yesterday, downloaded the "BIOS programmers guide" for the AMD FAM10. This is the kind of information that few vendors release.
If you care about having this kind of access to hardware specs, you need to vote -- with your purchasing $$$. AMD has taken a huge gamble on openness. Keep that in mind next time you need a machine.
Ron Minnich (who forgot his password)
Anandtech
Tech Report
Bork bork bork!
Don't forget Savage, worth a mention as they've been supporting Linux for years. They're Indy too, no DRM bullshit, just good games.
Steam runs quite nicely once you figure out the browser and font issues. Everyone talk about games on Linux like there aren't any but i consider myself a gamer and there is only one OS on my computer
Nexuiz is better than quite a few FPS's I've played and i didn't even have to pay for it.
I also have Prey, Guild Wars, Starcraft, Grand Theft Auto 2, Diablo 2, Age of Wonders and all the games on my steam account installed.
Some of them might be older but they are still damn fun. Besides the only way to get games on Linux is to have a demand for them. As someone with a single OS I'm helping to creating that demand.