[wellylug] Is SUSE a desktop distro? (AARRGGHH!)

[Centurion Computer Technology Ltd]

On Sat, 2004-09-25 at 09:22, Ian Sterling wrote:
> > Well may you should Nvidia, who don't provide open up their chipset
> > drivers, and make it difficult for them to be included in linux
> *snip*
> > I say boycott them until they open up the source!!!
> 
> The problem with this, Daniel, is that there's a big chunk of nVidia's
> technology that's been licensed to them.  Because of this, it's not
> exactly easy for them to open up their drivers.  Personally, I'm
> intending to keep on using their video cards until I decide otherwise.
> :)
I will continue to use their video cards also, because they do pretty
much provide the best Linux support around at this stage.  Atleast there
is basic 2d support which works for them, and atleast allow you to get a
basic install working even if it hasn't got the nVidia drivers bundled.

This is not the case with their mainboard chipsets.  The boards end up
being so ham strung without their proper drivers, it's too much of a
hassle for me as a system builder to bother with them for a linux box.  
I do hope that they intend to develop future products with an internal
architecture that does allow them to provide opensource drivers because
until they do, it will be too difficult for system builders to cheaply
build machines using their hardware if linux will be the target OS.  I
am not complaining that the drivers don't work, but that the hardware
doesn't work well with many linux distro's out of the box without having
the hassle of third party drivers to get basic functionality like
network going.

> 
> The biggest problem I had that I *did* actually bother to fix was with
> FC2 and their patched kernel that had the 4kstacks patch.  The nVidia
> drivers at the time didn't like that, so one had to rebuild the RH
> kernel without them.  But the very next nVidia driver release fixed
> this.  They're very well aware of the issues surrounding their cards
> in linux - they even have a team working on the problem (I should
> know, I applied for the job in that dept) - and they do their best to
> make sure they work.  So, like I said... until I see fit to change
> makes, I'm going to continue buying nVidia's products. :-D
-- 
	Daniel Reurich
	Centurion Computer Technolgy Limited
	
	Ph: (04) 565 1832
	    (021) 797 722
	    
	email: centurion at paradise.net.nz