Nvidia, Intel, and clout

[James Wilkinson]

Bill Gradwohl wrote:
> I've been on this list since early FC1, and Nvidia issues appear to be a 
> major problem area. I have no need for high end graphics as all the 
> Linux boxes we do are servers, so I've simply avoided the Nvidia 
> problems by not purchasing their products. I doubt Nvidia has notices 
> any decrease in sales on my account.

For what it's worth, most Nvidia products work perfectly well in 2D with
the nv driver. And that one is *not* a major problem area.

I've simply avoided the Nvidia problems by not running any 3D graphics.
Although I am considering buying a cheap PCI Radeon 92x0 graphics card
while you can still get them...

But no decent server OS should require graphics. No server OS should
require 3D.

> As a community, can't we influence Nvidia to cooperate in driver 
> development to resolve these issues for the unfortunates that have 
> innocently encountered this stumbling block on the road to Linux 
> deployment? There was a time when Linux in general wasn't a major 
> player, but that time is long gone. Linux now has clout, and 
> straightening out the Nvidia problems may be the venue to exercise it. 
> It might also send a signal to other problem vendors that not 
> cooperating will have $$$ consequences.

We're getting there. We've *got* there in server products: there are
plenty of companies that take your attitude for "mission-critical
servers" (if not because they themselves Believe in Free Software, then
because they know Red Hat and other vendors believe, and they want
support).

So the vendors (who want standardised components for their own sake)
know that they need components with good Open Source drivers if they
want to sell to those accounts. So their suppliers receive orders to
choose the right components, and the manufacturers know they need the
drivers to survive.

We're not there on the desktop yet. And I'm not sure how we're going to
get there. Not for the 3D side of things.

It could yet come from handheld devices, running MIPS and ARM and SuperH
and other non-PC CPUs. And handheld graphics suppliers will be expected
to provide drivers for all sorts of weird combinations of hardware,
fast.

It could come from the mass business desktop, with pressure for
eye-candy from users and standard, simple installs from IT. (Red Hat is
doing a lot in this area, and I suspect Nvidia's approach is going to
leave them out in the cold).

> Trade papers like Computer Reseller News, Infoweek, E-Week, etc. 
> regularly report on Linux, so why not give them an article that 
> factually portrays Nvidia issues in an attempt to "influence" Nvidia's 
> sales. If the Fedora Project were to put out a press release stating 
> their concerns the major publications would likely print it, and 
> purchasers could be better informed leading to fewer problems on this 
> list, happier end users, and lowered sales for Nvidia.

I'm not convinced what the right answer is yet.

I suspect an ongoing theme that Nvidia and ATi are Second Class Citizens
in the open source world would help. But there aren't enough first class
citizens yet.

James.
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