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

[jumbophut]

On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 01:43:20 +1200, Sam Cannell wrote:
> The kernel module portion of the nVidia (and also ATI) 3d drivers is,
> and always has been open source.  The only parts of both of them that
> are closed are the X11 drivers, which contain licensed OpenGL code
> that they *legally aren't allowed to publish*.
> 
kernel or X11, same problem.  They stop supporting with closed-source
drivers; you are forced to upgrade.

My ATI driver is _100%_ open source.  It comes not from ATI, but the
x.org people.  (My card isn't 3D).

It is true that many open-source drivers do not support 3D with
OpenGL, but the DRI project _does_ for some cards.  Please see here:
<http://dri.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/moin.cgi/>.

I suspect the NDA agreement the vendors have signed relates not to the
technology per se, but rather to copyrighted code written by a third
party which implements that tech.

Now if you choose to use a card which only has closed-source drivers,
or even if you prefer the closed drivers over open ones which are
available, that's your choice.  But if you pick the right card, you
can get 3D (OpenGL) support without closed-source drivers.  And then
you aren't held hostage when they bring out a new line and discontinue
support for the old one.

-- 
Tony (echo 'spend!,pocket awide' | sed 'y/acdeikospntw!, /l at omcgtjuba.phi/')