VIA's DRM Patches Finally Get Some Feedback

[MostAwesomeDude]

To propose a non-conspiracy suggestion here, I would consider it not impossible that VIA are in the same boat as everyone else! They may not really know what their intentions are. Afterall, their gfx side must be tiny compared to Intels, AMD/ATIs, nVidias... They can hardly hope to take anything and try and set the priority, so they are basically muddling through and winging it. Afterall, if we can hardly command much investment from AMD or nVidia, what chance have we with VIA who are a fraction of the size?

AMD and nVidia *are* invested. AMD's provided four engineers, nVidia's provided two, and while only about half of them actually talk to us, all of them are code-writers and are working on X or related libraries.

[Svartalf]

AMD and nVidia *are* invested. AMD's provided four engineers, nVidia's provided two, and while only about half of them actually talk to us, all of them are code-writers and are working on X or related libraries.

Yep. While, on the other hand, I've not seen anything similar from VIA, even though they stand to lose more in the long run by not being somewhat invested as well.

Typical, unfortunately, for them.

[DanL]

To propose a non-conspiracy suggestion here...

If you're referring to my post, please don't confuse paranoid conspiracy with cynicism.

[RobbieAB]

AMD and nVidia *are* invested. AMD's provided four engineers, nVidia's provided two, and while only about half of them actually talk to us, all of them are code-writers and are working on X or related libraries.

I wasn't suggesting AMD and nVidia weren't invested, just referencing the repeated comment from both that Linux forms a tiny part of their business. Now take a smaller company, with less resources available...

@DanL: I was merely referring to the common inclination of people to suggest conspiracy where in fact incompetence or indifference would give the same result. I'm not suggesting conspiracy, nor even that VIA are lying to us, just that they have language barrier issues and that they lack funds to really deliver on what they want.

[Svartalf]

I wasn't suggesting AMD and nVidia weren't invested, just referencing the repeated comment from both that Linux forms a tiny part of their business. Now take a smaller company, with less resources available...

With more to actually lose by not doing something than in the case of the companies you mention. They've got rather good very low-power X86 CPUs and the silly things are hamstrung in numerous rather bad ways that don't help them at all in the Linux space. To be sure, it may not register with them that this is something that they need to fix- but it's cheaper and easier to fix than gaining a better toehold on what they do have in the Windows space. Seriously.

[Adarion]

Yep. While, on the other hand, I've not seen anything similar from VIA, even though they stand to lose more in the long run by not being somewhat invested as well.

Typical, unfortunately, for them.

Exactly.
I mean what position in the GPU market does VIA have? Somewhere below the floor.
So they really need a nice corner and with their quite power efficient x86 stuff they could have that corner. Small servers, silent HTPC and such - but that needs working drivers.
And believe me. I have seen them through the years from Luc's stuff to openchrome and nothing really works. No specs, no support, no code (or if then shoddy useless stuff), no nothing.
And then they would like to play in the OLPC field. That won't happen without good spec/docs.

And I am really pissed of with my VIA hardware, I mean especially the GPU (the rest if more or less fair stuff). Constantly things f*ck up and I can be really happy if at least MPEG2 acceleration works. On a age old CLE266. Don't dare to think of even 3d.
Sometimes a VESA driver works even better. So I bought that stuff back then hoping for the better (CLE266 and CN700) but til today barely something works.
Also graphical VT console either never works or it works but then you can't work with X and things like that. Grrr.

They would lose nothing if they just released some specs. But unless that happens (and if there are then still devs that are not too frustrated) I'll never buy chips from them again and better stick to AMD-ATI or intel. Or maybe even nv since their binary blobs at least work basically.

[ninkshietle]

There clearly seems to be a problem with the NVIDIA module...A way out without too much knowledge is, to install the drivers from NVIDIA. Obviously wed have to look into this too and find out if there is a problem.