… because I have a NVIDIA card (8600GTS) and NVIDIA binary drivers for Linux are way behind their Windows drivers. No RandR 1.2 support three years after it was first promised, leaving video capabilities under Linux YEARS behind Windows. Dual monitors, one rotated, single desktop and 3D acceleration? Easypeasy in Windows, IMPOSSIBLE under Linux!
pfft! Change to ATI, you will start to love Nvidia! 
gminnerup wrote:
> … because I have a NVIDIA card (8600GTS) and NVIDIA binary drivers for
> Linux are way behind their Windows drivers. No RandR 1.2 support three
> years after it was first promised, leaving video capabilities under
> Linux YEARS behind Windows. Dual monitors, one rotated, single desktop
> and 3D acceleration? Easypeasy in Windows, IMPOSSIBLE under Linux!
Ah… the wonders of CLOSED SOURCE!!
In all fairness, Nvidia is not required to release ANYTHING for anyone… even Windows if they so choose. The fact that there is a small group at
Nvidia releasing drivers for Linux is fortunate, but lack of open source means it can never be ideal.
I do agree… Nvidia doesn’t take Linux seriously. It’s just a hobby for them. If (and it’s a BIG if) the AMD FOSS drivers start doing something
wonderful, it might force Nvidia to take a stronger stance with regards to Linux drivers and FOSS. The reason I say “if” is that AMD has a horrible
habit of making sure every release of their GPUs is strangely different from the last… resulting in incompatibility (thus, AMD is not exactly a
“friend” either, they’re just stupid?).
If you don’t need the high-end 3d acceleration, Intel might be better in some cases… and they at least care somewhat about Linux and FOSS.
leaving video capabilities under Linux YEARS behind Windows
I don’t see this at all. In fact I was just playing Tomb Raider Anniversary under ‘Wine’ on my F10 Box. Guess what - It actually runs better in than in Windblows!
I am using an Nvidia 8500GS and I am not sure what you mean. There is 3D acceleration. I can and have set up duel monitors, not hard at all to do with nvidia-settings (Running as root and saved as root.) I do not see it as years behind at all. I am running World of Warcraft (under wine.) and Enemy Territory Quake Wars (Linux version) and many other 3D games without any video issues at all.
I’m also playing WoW under wine about 2 years without any problem, and after experimenting with both cards (ATI/nvidia) I had no problems at all with nvidia cards - in gaming. Setting up any game with ATI cards was a nightmare (and for WoW it was totally impossible).
I haven’t had any luck with WotLK 3.0.9 (or above) with Nvidia or ATI cards in Crossover or Wine. Actually… I haven’t had any luck with WotLK 3.0.9 after I had to start running dual monitors. Other Linux games don’t seem to have issues. I can run WOW classic without issues.
I think I’ve messed up my audio drives some how. I don’t know if that would seriously effect the performance of wine, crossover, or winex. Regardless I’d like to blame Blizzard first and then myself and then I’ll blame ATI and Nvidia.
Nvidia still bite monkey buttocks. I just threw away a dead ASUS Nvidia video card; a 7600 series. OH Well… surprise surprise! Hopefully Nvidia will just die and Intel will buy up it’s useful technology.
I’m moving slowly to ATI even if I have to play musical drivers to find the one that works with the hardware mix I’m using.
- cjcox wrote, On 08/04/2009 05:27 PM:
> In all fairness, Nvidia is not required to release ANYTHING for anyone… even Windows if they so choose. The fact that there is a small group at
> Nvidia releasing drivers for Linux is fortunate, but lack of open source means it can never be ideal.
In my experience, the opener the soure, the crappier the driver. I never managed to get Google Earth to work with my Intel video chipset, ATI drivers are a complete mess, NVidia works.
Just my 2ct
Uwe
Well what should happen is ; You plug in the DVI and that’s it, the external device should be auto-configured with optimal resolution and refresh rate without you having to do a **** thing.
Also Win7 introduced non-reboot-non-restart display adapter loading so you can effectively switch display adapter drivers on the fly without rebooting at all.
Its pretty hectic sometimes when there is no formidable competitor to keep you on toes and that’s the case for nVidia on Linux platform. If you try ATI cards then you will flash them down the drain even on Windows platform. It seems the more open ended the drivers are a times the worser they perform. 
My only hope is for Intel and AMD to pull up there socks which cannot be guaranteed in the near future:\
To all those who say “NVIDIA blob works fine for me”: so it does for me, in most ways. Except for the specific, and very annoying, case I mentioned in my original message of dual monitors, one rotated, with the desktop across both, and desktop effects (Compiz or Kwin).
And yes, NVIDIA are under no obligation to support RandR 1.2. But they promised it three years ago, and still haven’t delivered. Hence my soapbox outburst…
May I suggest ranting and asking questions in NVforums? No NV developer will hear your complains on this forum
I haven’t myself but the NV forum is full of complaints about this issue. Just went there the other day to see if there’s been any movement and saw loads of RandR rants…
You shouldn’t have to switch from Nvidia to ATI. Yet another reason Linux will remain a hobby OS on the desktop. Cite all the reasons you want, there is no reason to press your workers to concentrate on compatibility with an OS that barely makes a blip on the radar. You can spend your precious time farting with this and that all you like.
Nonsense, besides linux is slowly but surely becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Personally I think Nvidia has been doing a great job for linux and even though its not perfect its better then most other efforts coughATIhack
Uwe Buckesfeld wrote:
> * cjcox wrote, On 08/04/2009 05:27 PM:
>> In all fairness, Nvidia is not required to release ANYTHING for anyone… even Windows if they so choose. The fact that there is a small group at
>> Nvidia releasing drivers for Linux is fortunate, but lack of open source means it can never be ideal.
>
> In my experience, the opener the soure, the crappier the driver. I never managed to get Google Earth to work with my Intel video chipset, ATI drivers are a complete mess, NVidia works.
> Just my 2ct
I also, sadly, agree…
(yes… I use Nvidia… but I play 3d games on Linux… a rare thing)
Its not that much of a rare thing. I do it too, and have a largish group of friends that I go to LAN parties with, all using Linux. There are also a couple of gaming distributions out there, which are evidence that its more common than one would think.
I will say, NVIDIA is a saint with their drivers in comparison to VIA. I have a laptop with VIA’s chrome9 HC3 graphics chip, and I can’t get it to work respectably on Linux at all. Via has proprietary drivers that haven’t been updated in a year that won’t work on recent kernels, and openchrome (an OSS driver) development is so slow, I won’t have Linux running on that system for at least another year.
In comparison to this, I’ll take NVIDIA any day…(but yes, I do not like their lack of support for Linux). Intel FTW!*
*Not counting the mess of changing their driver’s memory interface and causing huge problems for the past 2-3 kernel/xorg releases.
srschifano wrote:
…
> *Not counting the mess of changing their driver’s memory interface and
> causing huge problems for the past 2-3 kernel/xorg releases.
>
>
There are some conspiracy theorists that believe that Intel is doing quite a bit to lock themselves in as THE architecture for Linux.
I am not a fan of Intel. I would like to think that Intel would be great for Linux, and maybe it would be, but they are locking themselves in with Windows, Macs and now they want Linux. This could be good if AMD decided to challenge them over Linux (or other areas) We would see more competition and more focus on Linux, maybe some lower prices to boot.
Now as far as Nvidia goes. They are the only 3D cards I have ever used. I have not and will never buy an ATI. Nvidia may not be perfect but they where around for Linux long before ATI jumped aboard.
You look at Nvidia cards and ATI equivalents. ATI runs a lot hotter then Nvidia in almost all of the tests. You also need to keep in mind what type of Nvidia card you are getting. Just because it has an Nvidia chip in it doesn’t mean it is a good card. PNY and BFG are pretty good but you still have these **** cards using Nvidia chips that are crap cards. Not Nvidia’s fault, its the card manufacturer at fault.
I have no issue with Nvidia in Windows, Linux or BSD.
On a side note it is strange that I love AMD CPU’s but hate ATI cards, lol. But at the same time I love Nvidia cards but I hate their sound cards.
Nvidia is the only way to go IMO.
There was a nightmare suggestion that Nvidia and Via were working together on a netbook project and possibly a low-end notebook.
Robin:
“Melting motherboards Batman they are only 199.99 at Walmart with a 30 day limited manufacturer’s warranty! Who is behind it and how can we stop them?”
Batman:
“It’s the Joker… he’s out to scuttle the Penguin’s plan for world domination using cheap computers Robin. We have to stop this madness or houses all over Gotham will burst into flames!”
Robin:
“How is the Joker going to scuttle the Penguin’s plan Batman?”
Batman:
“The Joker is going to put Windows 7 on those non-flame retardant computers along with a free copy of World of Warcraft.”
Robin:
“Flaming desktops Batman!!! How can we stop the Joker?”
Batman:
“I don’t know Robin… I don’t know. We have to stop him!”
For entertaiment only… I don’t know if Nvidia and Via are working together on anything. I hope they are not.