AMD's 2016 Linux Driver Plans & GPU Open Source

31 respostas [Última entrada]
tonlee
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Joined: 09/08/2014
Calinou
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Joined: 03/08/2014

They might as well support (financially or otherwise) libre games too…

Henpei
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Joined: 08/11/2015

I think its great, but AMD still wont release the microcodes under a free license. Its a lot of talk about GPUOpen when its still forces the user into a non-free OS. :(

SuperTramp83

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Joined: 10/31/2014

Exactly that! All this is useless and brings no benefit at all as long as the firmware stays proprietary.

Embracer245
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Joined: 08/24/2015

That's a good sign! Typically GNU/Linux & AMD drivers go together like when pigs fly! This is better for free software!

mangeur de nuage
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Joined: 09/27/2015

like it says gpu OPEN SOURCE not free/libre

I don't understand what would happen for a big company like AMD if they freed all there firmwares or drivers.

Maybe on the long term it could have a negative selling output due to drivers that could be updated.

Another view is the patent in software maybe AMD and others use without authorization some patented algorithm or maybe I don't know anything because there are some people in charge of looking into these kind of problem.

What's do you think ?

JadedCtrl
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Joined: 08/11/2014

I've heard that it could allow their competition to harm them-- wouldn't want those nasty competitors to know how to use your secret-graphics-mojo, would you?

mangeur de nuage
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Joined: 09/27/2015

Looking at the state of AMD (they don't have there own production line anymore) I think that they should reconsider a lot of things.

mangeur de nuage
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Joined: 09/27/2015

Looking at the state of AMD (they don't have there own production line
anymore) I think that they should reconsider a lot of things.

a_slacker_here
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Joined: 06/29/2013

That today's society is rotten, that is what I think.

Henpei
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Joined: 08/11/2015

Well the part of the GPUs that are not free are the microcodes. These are code for the hardware, such as for how the GDDR5 will work and things like that. In other words, technically its more about a hardware issue than a software issue. But we still have a license to deal with.
Im guessing they dont want it released only so that nVidia and other makers wont be able to "steal" ideas from the hardware by looking at the code.

Had a short "discussion" with someone from AMD and their view was that they are doing "open source" not "open source hardware".

a_slacker_here
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Joined: 06/29/2013

That today's society is rotten, that is what I think.

JadedCtrl
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Joined: 08/11/2014

I've heard that it could allow their competition to harm them-- wouldn't want
those nasty competitors to know how to use your secret-mojo-graphics-magic,
would you?

Henpei
Desconectado
Joined: 08/11/2015

Well the part of the GPUs that are not free are the microcodes. These are
code for the hardware, such as for how the GDDR5 will work and things like
that. In other words, technically its more about a hardware issue than a
software issue. But we still have a license to deal with.
Im guessing they dont want it released only so that nVidia and other makers
wont be able to "steal" ideas from the hardware by looking at the code.

Had a short "discussion" with someone from AMD and their view was that they
are doing "open source" not "open source hardware".

tonlee
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Joined: 09/08/2014

This will not give free software amd gpu 3d?
Often I read that there is no free software 3d. Can I get explained what 3d is?

Magic Banana

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I am a translator!

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Joined: 07/24/2010

It refers to 3D acceleration, one of the features those video card provides. You can get 3D acceleration with Intel graphical chipset or with the older nVidia cards (although they are more expensive, more energy consuming and, more importantly, the support is worse than Intel's). Contrary to nVidia's cards, nobody reversed-engineered AMD/ATI's firmware (a titanic work) that provides essential pieces for 3D acceleration. That is why that feature is not available.

tonlee
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Joined: 09/08/2014

When does the computer do 3d? Videos, games, when graphical demanding? Is it known why manufactorers do not make all software source code, when a cpu is no more for sale?

Calinou
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Joined: 03/08/2014

Today, mere rendering of a desktop requires 3D (using compositing, which has many advantages), unless you are using software rendering like LLVMpipe.

Even 2D games will benefit a lot from 3D support.

onpon4
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Joined: 05/30/2012

> Even 2D games will benefit a lot from 3D support.

I don't think this works as a general statement. It depends on the game. Some can't benefit at all; Project: Starfighter is one example. And some can theoretically benefit, but in practice are bottlenecked by something else more than the graphics.

Honestly, for 2-D games, I think these cases are much more common than "a lot" of benefit. Some 2-D games really do benefit a lot from proper hardware acceleration (though strictly speaking this usually isn't 3-D), and I think Naev and Hedgewars are examples, but usually it's a minor point.

onpon4
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Joined: 05/30/2012

> Even 2D games will benefit a lot from 3D support.

I don't think this works as a general statement. It depends on the game. Some
can't benefit at all; Project: Starfighter is one example. And some can
theoretically benefit, but in practice are bottlenecked by something else
more than the graphics.

Honestly, for 2-D games, I think these cases are much more common than "a
lot" of benefit. Some 2-D games really do benefit a lot from proper hardware
acceleration (though strictly speaking this usually isn't 3-D), and I think
Naev and Hedgewars are examples, but usually it's a minor point.

tonlee
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Joined: 09/08/2014
Calinou
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Joined: 03/08/2014

Today, mere rendering of a desktop requires 3D (using compositing, which has
many advantages), unless you are using software rendering like LLVMpipe.

tonlee
Desconectado
Joined: 09/08/2014

When does the computer do 3d? Videos, games, when graphical demanding? Is it
known why manufactorers do not make all software source code, when a cpu is
no more for sale?

Magic Banana

I am a member!

I am a translator!

Desconectado
Joined: 07/24/2010

It refers to 3D acceleration, one of the features those video card provides.
You can get 3D acceleration with Intel graphical chipset or with the older
nVidia cards (although they are more expensive, more energy consuming and,
more importantly, the support is worse than Intel's). Contrary to nVidia's
cards, nobody reversed-engineered AMD/ATI's firmware (a titanic work) that
provides essential pieces for 3D acceleration. That is why that feature is
not available.

davidnotcoulthard (non verificado)
davidnotcoulthard

CPU looks interesting though....paired with Kepler.

Hopefully.

Calinou
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Joined: 03/08/2014

They might as well support libre games too…

Henpei
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Joined: 08/11/2015

I think its great, but AMD still wont release the microcodes under a free
license. Its a lot of talk about OpenGPU when its still forces the user into
a non-free OS. :(

SuperTramp83

I am a translator!

Desconectado
Joined: 10/31/2014

Exactly that! All this is useless and brings no benefit at all as long as the
firmware stays proprietary.

mangeur de nuage
Desconectado
Joined: 09/27/2015

like it says gpu OPEN SOURCE not free/libre

I don't understand what would happen for a big company like AMD if they freed
all there firmwares or drivers.

Maybe on the long term it could have a negative selling output due to drivers
that could be updated.

Another view is the patent in software maybe AMD and others use without
authorization some patented algorithm or maybe I don't know anything because
there are some people in charge of looking into these kind of problem.

What's do you think ?

Embracer245
Desconectado
Joined: 08/24/2015

That's a good sign! Typically GNU/Linux & AMD drivers go together like when
pigs fly! This is better for free software!

tonlee
Desconectado
Joined: 09/08/2014

This will not give free software amd gpu 3d?
Often I read that there is no free software 3d. Can I get explained what 3d
is?

davidnotcoulthard (non verificado)
davidnotcoulthard

CPU looks interesting though....paired with Kepler.

Hopefully.