AMD to update ATI Linux drivers--with open source?
ATI, the graphics chip business Advanced Micro Devices acquired, is planning to release new graphics drivers for Linux, and the move should provide a much-needed performance boost and a new open-source approach, one expert said Wednesday.
"The performance overall for the past sixteen months has been stagnant," said Michael Larabel, who runs the Phoronix site to monitor Linux graphics performance. He tested the driver and said the new 8.41 version will be available within the next week. "The new driver delivers massive performance improvements."
That's handy for the graphics wonks who want fancy 3D-graphics desktop effects through software such as AIGLX, Beryl and Compiz. Drivers let operating systems communicate with hardware, but with ATI's proprietary drivers, open-source programmers have been beholden to ATI.
Perhaps more significantly, AMD could be following Intel's open-source graphics driver. "In the near future, AMD will be making an announcement about accelerating efforts within the open-source community," Larabel said. Depending on how far AMD goes, that could make Nvidia the odd man out when it comes to staying proprietary.
AMD plans to make an announcement Thursday regarding "open-source drivers for their graphics cards," according to press invitation Wednesday, but the invitation offered no further details.
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank. 
Having said that there is appears to be some very good news - ATI have stated they are going to release the specs for all their cards which are R500 or above (see http://lwn.net/Articles/248227/ ). I just hope they extend this back to R200/R300 and later chipsets too as currently they haven't released the specs for those cards.
Further, AIGLX support is not going to be in the drivers that are about to be released. It will apparently be the following 8.42 release currently scheduled for next month (source: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=821&num=2 )
9xxx series are still in circulation so they better not, I have a 9550 and I would really want it to run AIXGL.
Linux is about come around in a big way
{I'm repeating it again and hope it happens}
All it is missing is GAMES
{the ones you have to pay for, and are worth it; without having to run WINE}
I really wish there was a thin gaming OS, that wouldn't chew through system resources, kinda like a console.
- hell ya, finally!
- by RompStar_420 September 6, 2007 9:27 AM PDT
- Finally a large Vendor that recognizes the Linux opportunity. I can't wait.... I hope there will be improved drivers for the PCI Express slot cards as well.
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(3 Comments)I am so sick of the crappy MS windows, I dumped that 2 years ago already, Vista is a freaking joke! I can't also wait for 10.5 Mac OS X, ya baby.