which distribution of Linux do you use?

I don't think this was ever answered properly. Running from a live CD (like Knoppix) is pretty risk-free. If you install it on your hard drive and want to keep Windows, you'll have to repartition, moving data around to make room. There's always some chance of screwing up when doing this--you NEED to make backups first. I hope all install guides have this instruction...

No one's yet mentioned the biggest reason I use Linux: I really like the freedom of having all the source code to everything running on my computer available. If something's broken, I can go out, figure out what's going wrong, and fix it, at least in principle and if the hardware vendors aren't hiding their information. BTW, this is why your ATI card does not have good support under Linux--ATI doesn't release the information necessary for the X.org developers to write a driver. nVidia does the same thing, though reputedly they do a somewhat better job writing their own driver. Both drivers still cause unfixable bugs.

 

Actually your mistaken.

ATI hasnt released its driver under GPL for developers/linux community to use. Nvidia on the other hand did release their driver to open-source. That is why their drivers are years ahead of ATIs. Its because they have linux developers helping the nvidia linux software programmers.

Moral of the story. Avoid ATI video cards in linux.

 

You're not thinking of the nv driver, are you? IIRC, that was developed independently of nVidia. In regards to the newer drivers, nVidia has released the source to the kernel interface (required to build against new kernels), their installer and configuration apps. Last time I checked, the actual driver is still closed source.

Of course, I'm more than happy to be corrected on this one... just provide me a link to the current nVidia GLX source code.

 

Actually I am thinking of the "nvidia" driver. The drivers are still released by nvidia, but they are released to the developers of Xorg.

Thus, unlike ATI who keeps their own drivers to themselves, Nvidia gives the Xorg devs change/suggest certain aspects of the code.

Even that little bit of outside input has made the nvidia drivers evolve into drivers almost as good as their windows counterparts.

Cant say the same of ATI.

 

Yes, but working with the x.org developers doesn't make the driver itself any more open. You could also argue that the majority of x.org developers aren't seeing the code, just Aaron Plattner and Mark Vojkovich, who are both employees of nVidia and probably covered by an NDA. This is a real benefit, as it means that nVidia knows where x.org is heading and can adapt their drivers to suit.

The x.org wiki refers to the 'nvidia' driver as being proprietry, and in their schedule for FOSDEM2006 from last February, there was a talk on "Towards open source 3D acceleration for nVidia cards," by Stephane Marchesin from the DRI project. This suggests an open source version may be forthcoming, but it's not here yet.

I would also point you towards sections 2.1.2 and 2.1.3 of the nVidia software license, in particular the prohibition on reverse engineering and binary modifications.

I will be the first to agree that nVidia has been more cooperative with the free/oss community than ATI, but their drivers for the moment remain their own.

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, it's not the politics of it that really concerns me anyway... nVidia's linux drivers just work better.

 

Upon further research into the matter, I will say that you are right my friend. My apologies.

 

No problem, DJ... it's not like I'm a babbling, bearded zealot like RMS. "Free" and "Open" are words I've learned you need to use very carefully in the linux world, they carry a lot of baggage. I'm genuinely a real fan of big green, they've shown quite an enlightened attitude towards the free/oss community.

I vaguely remember an interview with one of the guys at nVidia a while back regarding their linux drivers. From what I understand, they'd like to open source their drivers, but are constrained by licensing issues with some 3rd party code.

I'd like to thank you again for the other advice you've given me since I joined this forum, and officially annouce that this thread is back "on topic."