Re: [ProgSoc] buying computers

[Nicholas FitzRoy-Dale <wzdd@nospam.lardcave.net>]

On 20 Jan, Telford wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 20, 2001 at 12:44:11PM +0000, WzDD wrote:
>> On Sat, 20 Jan 2001, Telford wrote:
>> >
>> > Also, there are two sets of Nvidia drivers -- one is binary only
>> > and works well but only links with just the right kernels (painful).
>> 
>> I was actually quite surprised he said that, since the driver works
>> perfectly on 2.2.17 and .18
> 
> That is 2.2.17 and 2.2.18 compiled with which CONFIG settings?
> After all, if you compile with SMP turned on then many of the internal
> kernel structures change size. What if you have installed one of the
> many kernel patches such as the low-latency kernel or the real-time
> kernel (this is not a silly question when you think that Quake players
> are going to benefit from both the low-latency and the graphics).

Well, you obviously can't tell, but this is hardly a problem limited to
closed-source drivers. Lots of open-source drivers don't work with the
low-latency patches. Until recently lots of things didn't work under SMP
as well. Nobody guarantees that they will work, either, and since the
vast majority of users (including me) don't hack the kernel, when a
driver doesn't work the best I can do is send a bug report. Whether that
report goes to Linus or Nvidia hardly matters, unless of course Nvidia
decides to abandon development, which is the usual closed-source
bogeyman.

> What if you don't have your kernel compiled for modules and you haven't
> installed any modules-handling infrastructure?

Yes, well, it's pretty clear that if you've compiled your kernel not to
support modules, then you will be unable to load modules. :)

> I'm just pointing out that there are lots of situations where a binary-only
> kernel module is going to be difficult and just because it works for
> some people doesn't prove all that much.

Can't argue with that, but based on my experience and reading (and I did
look at quite a few others' experiences before choosing a card) it seems
the problems of this particular binary-only driver are overstated. I
would also prefer if the driver were open-sourced, obviously, but, well,
it works for me, and it's about the fastest relatively cheap
Linux-supported card out there. ;)

-- 
Nicholas FitzRoy-Dale
http://www.lardcave.net

the more u think ,the better u worth.
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