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Nvidia Removed Linux Driver Feature For Feature Parity With Windows

Posted by timothy on from the leveling-the-playing-the-field dept.

RemyBR writes "Softpedia points to a Nvidia Developer Zone forum post revealing that the company has removed a specific Linux feature as of the v310 drivers due to the Windows platform. A BaseMosaic user on Ubuntu 12.04 noticed a change in the number of displays that can be used simultaneously after upgrading from the v295 drivers to v310. Another user, apparently working for Nvidia, gave a very troubling answer: 'For feature parity between Windows and Linux we set BaseMosaic to 3 screens.'"

11 of 237 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Thus: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

    And people thought Nvidia focusing on Linux drivers because of Steam Box was only going to be beneficial. Be careful what you wish for...

  2. SteamOS by BenJeremy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I wonder how this will affect SteamOS, since the Steam Machines are nvidia based. Maybe Valve will start throwing their weight around to get nvidia to offer better Linux support?

    1. Re: SteamOS by jeff.d.woods · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Valve stated that SteamOS will be open source. Even their prototype beta hardware will be open and hackable.

  3. Removing feature for parity with another platform? by DJ+Rubbie · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Anyway, if i'm right, optimus support under linux is not on par with windows.
    Are you nvidia going to fix optimus on linux, or "for feature parity" are you going to make the optimus support worse on windows too?

    Directly quoting someone from that thread because this was exactly what I was thinking of.

    --
    Please direct all bug reports to /dev/null
  4. not the first time they remove features. by DragonTHC · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They removed basic customizable anaglyph support from both after I detailed how you could hack 3D support into Left 4 Dead and other games.

    And I'm still an Nvidia fanboy.

    --
    They're using their grammar skills there.
  5. They still dont get it by lapm · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Nvidia still dosent get it.. Reminds me of now famous Torvalds quote from video where he send hes regards to Nvidia..

  6. A new law by mattr · · Score: 4, Interesting

    For any people with free time, how about starting a PAC to get a new law passed that would require hardware manufacturers to provide full specifications of their products to consumers in a standardized format? It could be used not only for open source developers (rights of the consumer to use purchased gear as he or she sees fit) but also could be used to guarantee and verify all provided functions and that there aren't any additional spyware functions included. Conceivably it could be used in a software / firmware binary verification program too.

  7. My AMD cards work fine. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

    Just throwing it out there.

    I've watched nvidia screw over linux users and treat them like second class citizens one too many times, only to have AMD step up and offer support and features nvidia said they had 'no plans to offer' which are then countered by nvidia in order to compete with AMD.

    I know there was a period of time where ATI had a buggy product, but from my pov concerning my 3 nvidia cards, those days are gone, everything works fine for me.

    Stop the madness, dump nvidia, buy AMD, problem solved. Fuck you nvidia.

  8. There is a Fix for This by stoicio · · Score: 4, Interesting

    1.) Go to the Nvidia site and search for 'Linux' and then surf all the linux related
    pages on thier site.

    2.) Send an email to technical support and ask why you can no longer use all the monitors on your desktop.

    3.) Buy an AMD/ATI card , send them an email to let them know why. Let AMD know you are using Linux and why.

    4.) Send your old Nvidia card to Nvidia head office for RMA in protest by mail. (Write it off)

  9. Re:Thus: by mysidia · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This is not a quote. It is an implication; that behind closed doors, between vendors, there is an "arrangement" MS requires, and if they refuse to comply --- MS has the stick of refusing logo certification to their product ---- if nVidia doesn't get the Windows Logo; then neither do any of the hardware builders or OEMs using nVidia components; therefore, they are likely to ship someone else's hardware instead, so they can get the logo.

    Some of the Logo certification requirements

    As for multiple monitors with SLI Mosaic.... remember what that is?

    Multiple real GPUs responsible for all the various monitors, presented to the operating system as one Logical GPU; so, the OS interacts with one GPU, but the responsibility for the display changes between GPUs.....

    What do the WHQL requirements say? Well, nVidia needs an exception. How likely is MS to grant the exception to their requirements to their business partner, if/when they learn nVidia has provided better Linux support than Windows support, when the feature is used?

    Target Feature: System.Fundamentals.Graphics
    Title: If a Windows 8 system has Multiple GPU's, the graphics and system test must pass in every "Operating Mode"

    3. Not-allowed Features. These are features that create unavoidable scenarios that do not meet Windows experience expectations,
    do not meet certification requirements, and prevent the system from getting certification.

    Switchable Graphics Not Allowed Not Allowed

    Switchable Graphics: Two or more GPUs from either the same vendor or different vendors where the responsibility for display output to any monitor changes from one processor to the other, typically through a MUX. Starting with Windows 8 systems, this feature is not allowed.

  10. Re:Good to know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    For non-Quadro cards, there is little pyramid shaped box that connects to a USB port. The communications protocol has been reverse-engineered for Linux compatibiity by many projects (libnvstusb and http://users.csc.calpoly.edu/~zwood/teaching/csc572/final11/rsomers/)