VIA's Linux Dreams Are Not Materializing

[phoronix]

Phoronix: VIA's Linux Dreams Are Not Materializing

Back in 2008 there was the announcement from the Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit in Texas that VIA had joined the open-source driver bandwagon after having abandoned previous open-source attempts. However, for the past two years, this has largely been a media bluff. VIA Technologies did things like appoint an open-source liaison (Harald Welte, who is actually no longer contracted by VIA and didn't even do much for their efforts), launch a VIA Linux web-site (that is ill-maintained and two years later there are still portions of the site "under construction"), but they have done some things like put out some code and republishing old documentation. We're almost half-way through 2010 and it doesn't look like VIA will be doing much this year for their open-source graphics drivers...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=ODI3OA

[SkyHiRider]

I really wish/hope VIA will go forward with their foss initiative, as they provide really good hardware. But alas, it is all just a brick/paper weight if the software for it is not good/non existent.

Was hoping I could get that neat Via netbook this year, oh well...

[PsynoKhi0]

Well there is always openchrome, using it on a HP2133 (PCLinuxOS 2010 KDE, no less) and it works OK, albeit without 3D.

There was some discussion going on over at the openchrome mailing list almost a year ago, maybe another lead to follow?

Anyway their Linux portal page is indeed pretty sad IMO. And beside the lack of timely releases, communication/documentation hasn't been VIA's forte from what I've seen.

[not.sure]

Nothing but cheap talk from VIA?
duh!

[d4ddi0]

This is really a tragedy, because the space where they really might stand a chance (sff, embedded, thinclient, etc), is the one market segment where linux really matters.

If they can't figure out how to play in this space, I don't see much of a future for their products.

Here's hoping I'm wrong...

[Svartalf]

Phoronix: VIA's Linux Dreams Are Not Materializing

This would require them discarding several notions they've been apparently holding dear to them. They need to jettison the blob thinking for starters and give data dumps of the 3D support like AMD has done to be in the game proper.

The big shame isn't just that they're letting the market segment they are actually playing in slip through their fingers, they've been doing it for YEARS now.

[whizse]

Not only have their own efforts failed and failed, but when not even Harald Welte can beat things into shape there doesn't seem to be any hope at all...

[curaga]

It's just sad, if they had great Linux support it would definitely make a difference in their market areas.

[FunkyRider]

they simply don't have the skill and intelligence to participate in any kind of OSS development. All their devs know are INT WndProc(HWND, DWORD, WPARAM, LPARAM) and shit. They just can't get their head around the fact that there is any other OS rather than Windows

[Michael]

VIA has responded to Phoronix... Stay tuned for an article tomorrow. The situation is even more interesting now with another twist to the story.