__/ [ Rex Ballard ] on Tuesday 10 April 2007 23:52 \__
> On Apr 10, 5:54 pm, Roy Schestowitz <newsgro...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>> 737-26907: Unsupported Features with ATI Linux Drivers
>>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>> | The information in this article applies to the following=
>> | configuration(s):
>> |
>> | * AIGLX
>> | * Beryl
>> | * Compiz
>> | * MythTV
>> | * TV TIME
>> | * Linux 8.19 Driver and higher
>> | * openSUSE
>> | * SUSE LINUX Enterprise Desktop (SLED)
>> | * SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server (SLES)
>> | * Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (RHEL-WS)
>> | * Red Hat Enterprise Linux Advanced Server (RHEL-AS)
>> | * Red Hat Enterprise Linux Enterprise Server (RHEL-ES)
>> `----
>>
>> http://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowle...
>
>
> ATI offers a downloadable driver, as well as locations in SUSE and Red
> Hat repositories, where you can install their binary driver.
>
> The default driver is a simple frame-buffer driver, which is available
> in source code form. This is intended to be compatible with the
> "pure" X11 server model.
>
> The Binary driver includes a patch to the kernel which tells the
> kernel how to map ATI Chipset ports so that the X.org server can
> access these ports. The X.org server calls the binary shared library
> which converts XGL, OpenGL, and X11 commands into ATI chip commands
> which are handled by the chip.
>
> The ATI binary driver works beautifully. I have it on the machine I'm
> using to post this message. Very fast 3D graphics, very fast standard
> X11 graphis. The machine is very responsive and very relaiable when
> using the ATI Binary driver.
>
> I've had no problem with AIGLX, Beryl, openSUSE 10.2 (32 and 64 bit),
> SLED 32 bit, and RHEL Workstation.
>
> I'm a big fan of OSS, but I'm pragmatic enough to say that if a chip
> vendor wants to give me a binary driver that works really well, I'll
> be happy to use that too.
>
> On my other machine, I have the Nvidia binary chip driver. That
> machine is using a 1.8 Ghz AMD Athelon-64 chipset, and it's really
> really fast. The nvidia seems faster, but that's probably because the
> version of RHEL Workstation I'm using on this Intel Core2 DUO laptop
> is running in 32 bit SMP mode instead of 64 bit SMP mode.
>
> The headline is completely absurd. AMD has made a fortune off of
> Linux, and has considered Linux to be a very key strategic element of
> their entire marketing strategy. When AMD introduced the AMD-64
> Windows couldn't use it in 64 bit Mode, but LInux could. When AMD
> introduced dual-core 64 bit, Windows couldn't use it, but Linux
> could. Pretty much when a machine is loaded with an AMD-64 chip, it's
> almost synonymous with "This machine is Linux Ready".
>
> Intel chip based machines are still a bit of a crap shoot.
>
> OpenSUSE 10.2 can run an Intel Core2 Duo in 64 bit SMP mode. It lets
> the Intel chip really WAIL.
> But RHEL and SLED still haven't upgraded to that version of the kernel
> yet. If you try to boot the 64 bit installation media, you get a
> black screen and it hangs there until you reboot the machine.
>
> Clearly, based on Suse 10.2, Linus and his team have fixed the
> problem, because that boots up and
> installs fine. It's just that gap from when the research versions
> (openSUSE and Fedora) migrate the upgrades to the commercially
> supported versions (SLED and RHEL).
The subject line mirrors the message from the forum where I found it. I agree
that AMD is no Linux foe, but ATI is very notorious. I was going to put ATI
in the subject line, but the forums targetted AMD, which is broader.
As for ATI's Linux support, it is consider abysmal. Visit any forum whose
focus is Linux/GPU and you'll see it. Recently, Michael Larabel (Phoronix),
whom I'm in touch with, created some initiatives to pressure ATI. They just
don't improve their Linux drivers, not in terms of performance. Also, a
source close to Canonical said that Ubuntu 7.04 will not do eye candy out of
the box because of ATI, at least in part. Recently, ATI gave Linux a Control
Centre (Catalyst), so maybe it's a good start. The drivers are still seeing
development that's stale.
--
~~ With kind regards
Roy S. Schestowitz | #ff0000 Hot Chilli Peppers
http://Schestowitz.com | RHAT GNU/Linux ¦ PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
run-level 5 Mar 11 15:57 last=S
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