X Devs Drop NVIDIA Auto-Config Support

[phoronix]

Phoronix: X Devs Drop NVIDIA Auto-Config Support

Sparking a heated Sunday afternoon debate, NVIDIA's Aaron Plattner had commited a trivial change to the X Server that resulted in several key open-source X developers becoming disgruntled. Ultimately, this NVIDIA-spawned patch ended up being recalled just hours later. This aim of this patch was quite simple...

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

[deanjo]

It'd work out nice for a new user who wishes to use the binary NVIDIA driver to play games or use Compiz, but does it teach them anything about free software?

Ya it does teach something, it teaches that some FOSS developers don't give a crap about end users and can be petty to the point one wonders if they are adults.

[StringCheesian]

A more general solution is needed: They should just make a place in some config file where you can specify driver priority. That way distros can decide whether to make it prefer nvidia over nv or not.

[hubick]

I'm behind the X devs on this one. It seems they agree with the attitude of the Kernel developers and the community at large. If you value convenience over Freedom, use Windows or Mac OS X. On the other hand, if you value Freedom and control over your own computer, use GNU/Linux. If you are willing to sacrifice your Freedom and accept distro's shipping binary drivers enabled by default, then you don't even deserve the privilege of being a GNU/Linux user.

[Melcar]

I have been getting more and more aware about the system wide instabilities these binary drivers can cause, particularly on an up-to-date environment, so I can now further understand why the aversion to such drivers. However, I do not think the kernel and X developer's "strong-arm" tactics are of much help either.

[deanjo]

Originally Posted by hubick

I'm behind the X devs on this one. It seems they agree with the attitude of the Kernel developers and the community at large. If you value convenience over Freedom, use Windows or Mac OS X. On the other hand, if you value Freedom and control over your own computer, use GNU/Linux. If you are willing to sacrifice your Freedom and accept distro's shipping binary drivers enabled by default, then you don't even deserve the privilege of being a GNU/Linux user.

Freedom? What happened to freedom of choice? The freedom of flexibility? The freedom of options? Freedom is absence of interference from an individual by the use of coercion or aggression, what the Xorg devs are practicing there is totalitarian rule. It's no longer "free as in speech".

[hubick]

Originally Posted by deanjo

Freedom? What happened to freedom of choice? The freedom of flexibility? The freedom of options?

Choice? Flexibility? Options? Fine, make the fglrx binary driver work with my Fedora 9 kernel and X.org! Oh wait, you can't, because it's proprietary unfree crap, and we are beholden on our corporate overlords to bestow a new binary blob down upon us from the heavens.

You are so short sighted you are willing to pay for lift tickets so you can ski down the slippery slope of proprietary unfree crap right back in to the arms of the vendors controlling what you can and can't do. The rest of us can see where this path leads.

[StringCheesian]

Originally Posted by hubick

Choice? Flexibility? Options? Fine, make the fglrx binary driver work with my Fedora 9 kernel and X.org! Oh wait, you can't, because it's proprietary unfree crap, and we are beholden on our corporate overlords to bestow a new binary blob down upon us from the heavens.

You are so short sighted you are willing to pay for lift tickets so you can ski down the slippery slope of proprietary unfree crap right back in to the arms of the vendors controlling what you can and can't do. The rest of us can see where this path leads.

Wouldn't it be nice if everybody could have it their own way? Both proprietary driver lovers and haters, neither forcing their way on the other...

Sure, the nVidia guy was wrong to try to force a preference for the binary driver on everyone. But doing the reverse is just as bad. I don't want a preference against the binary driver forced on me.

So why not just make it configurable? Let each distro/user decide for themselves.

[nukem]

I agree with the developers. When a user uses X he or she probably will assume that any graphical related issue is caused by the X server. When filing a bug report or just trying to blame someone it will always be the X guys. If a distro by default installs binary blobs which have problems with newer version of X the x.org guys take all the heat for nvidia or ATI problems.

The other issue is with the recent advances in FOSS drivers both on the Intel and ATI front NVIDIA is the only one not officially supporting a FOSS driver. Why allow them to have a special exception?

Personally I think the best solution would be that when X detects multiple drivers for something it asks the user which one to use and gives the pros and cons of each.

[deanjo]

Originally Posted by hubick

Choice? Flexibility? Options? Fine, make the fglrx binary driver work with my Fedora 9 kernel and X.org! Oh wait, you can't, because it's proprietary unfree crap, and we are beholden on our corporate overlords to bestow a new binary blob down upon us from the heavens.

Oh wait, it has NOTHING to do with X system because of their unwillingness to help accommodate anybody that does not see 100% their way even though they are given the solutions in a open manner to make such accommodations. Thank you for proving my point. It's a good thing you bought ATI, I mean hey you can always run RadeonHD without issues can't you?

You are so short sighted you are willing to pay for lift tickets so you can ski down the slippery slope of proprietary unfree crap right back in to the arms of the vendors controlling what you can and can't do. The rest of us can see where this path leads.

I can see both sides of the equation, unfortunately the blinders are firmly upon you.