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Linux might have better device driver support than Windows 10.

by bgorman 7y ago

Hydraulix989 7y ago
That's definitely not true if you're using an NVIDIA GPU.
- SXX 7y ago
  I'm not a big fan of proprietary software in general, but to be honest Nvidia proprietary driver is decent software as long as it's not laptop and you're running stable distribution.
  - noodlesUK 7y ago
    Annoyingly this is relatively true. Nvidia’s driver works very well for servers and desktops, but the moment you’re on a laptop or you want to use Wayland you’re totally fucked. I have a dell precision with a quadro p2000 that I’ve owned for two years, and only last month has it become properly supported by Nvidia’s driver. Secure boot is also a massive problem (which can be sorta solved with MOKutil, but it’s messy)
- HansHamster 7y ago
  I'm really curious why so many people complain about Nvidia GPUs under linux. I've been running several Nvidia cards under linux over the last 10+ years without any serious issues. Back in the day Nvidia was really the only option and Fglrx was a total mess (So it's really nice to see how AMD cards under linux are now coming along...). And I don't have the impression that the quality has gone down over the years. But is it because many distros don't ship with the Nvidia drivers and then people run into issues with Nouveau, or break something by installing the closed source driver manually or from a 3rd party repository and then get incompatible/broken libraries, wrong kernel versions and stuff like that? Or is there really something wrong with the drivers themselves? (let's ignore optimus...)
  - SahAssar 7y ago
    The Nvidia drivers are closed source, the AMD drivers are open source. The open source alternative to Nvidia drivers is not up to date or feature complete as it is not built by the company building the cards. If you want open software you need FOSS. Nvidia is not even close to FOSS. AMD is closer to FOSS.
    - HansHamster 7y ago
      Sure, but closed vs FOSS was not really my point. Just because it's closed doesn't mean the driver is bad from a purely technical/functional point of view and for many people that might be enough. The parent sounded like Nvidia GPUs just don't work well under Linux, and from my experience that's just not the case. And the open AMD drivers took many years to get to the level they are now. Technical issues with Nvidia I can think of are the EGLStreams with Wayland and Optimus.
    - greenhatman 7y ago
      Nvidia on Linux. Nothing to do with FOSS. I'm running the closed source Nvidia drivers and everything runs 100%. I can run most games as well.
  - Hydraulix989 7y ago
    Why ignore Optimus for no sane reason except for the very reason that it is convenient for your argument? That's the real elephant in the room and it affects nearly every single laptop with an NVIDIA GPU in it! Btw, have you tried using Wayland? """ Only the first two [standard graphics APIs] are implemented by the Nvidia proprietary driver. In order to support Nvidia, Wayland compositors need to add code resembling this: if (nvidia proprietary driver) { /* several thousand lines of code / } else { / several thousand lines of code */ } """ From: https://drewdevault.com/2019/02/10/Wayland-misconceptions-debunked.html https://drewdevault.com/2019/02/10/Wayland-misconceptions-de...
- bgorman 7y ago
  I am talking about "old" hardware that is no longer supported on Windows. The Linux kernel does not intentionally remove support for working hardware. Do you think you could get a Geforce 2 working on Windows 10? You could get it working on the latest version of Linux thanks to open source drivers (albeit reverse engineered).
  - Hydraulix989 7y ago
    I remember floppy drive drivers and 386 processor support going away recently. https://itsfoss.com/end-of-floppy-disk-in-linux/ https://itsfoss.com/end-of-floppy-disk-in-linux/

Linux might have better device driver support than Windows 10.

Hydraulix989 7y ago

That's definitely not true if you're using an NVIDIA GPU.

SXX 7y ago
I'm not a big fan of proprietary software in general, but to be honest Nvidia proprietary driver is decent software as long as it's not laptop and you're running stable distribution.
- noodlesUK 7y ago
  Annoyingly this is relatively true. Nvidia’s driver works very well for servers and desktops, but the moment you’re on a laptop or you want to use Wayland you’re totally fucked. I have a dell precision with a quadro p2000 that I’ve owned for two years, and only last month has it become properly supported by Nvidia’s driver. Secure boot is also a massive problem (which can be sorta solved with MOKutil, but it’s messy)
HansHamster 7y ago
I'm really curious why so many people complain about Nvidia GPUs under linux. I've been running several Nvidia cards under linux over the last 10+ years without any serious issues. Back in the day Nvidia was really the only option and Fglrx was a total mess (So it's really nice to see how AMD cards under linux are now coming along...). And I don't have the impression that the quality has gone down over the years. But is it because many distros don't ship with the Nvidia drivers and then people run into issues with Nouveau, or break something by installing the closed source driver manually or from a 3rd party repository and then get incompatible/broken libraries, wrong kernel versions and stuff like that? Or is there really something wrong with the drivers themselves? (let's ignore optimus...)
- SahAssar 7y ago
  The Nvidia drivers are closed source, the AMD drivers are open source. The open source alternative to Nvidia drivers is not up to date or feature complete as it is not built by the company building the cards. If you want open software you need FOSS. Nvidia is not even close to FOSS. AMD is closer to FOSS.
  - HansHamster 7y ago
    Sure, but closed vs FOSS was not really my point. Just because it's closed doesn't mean the driver is bad from a purely technical/functional point of view and for many people that might be enough. The parent sounded like Nvidia GPUs just don't work well under Linux, and from my experience that's just not the case. And the open AMD drivers took many years to get to the level they are now. Technical issues with Nvidia I can think of are the EGLStreams with Wayland and Optimus.
  - greenhatman 7y ago
    Nvidia on Linux. Nothing to do with FOSS. I'm running the closed source Nvidia drivers and everything runs 100%. I can run most games as well.
- Hydraulix989 7y ago
  Why ignore Optimus for no sane reason except for the very reason that it is convenient for your argument? That's the real elephant in the room and it affects nearly every single laptop with an NVIDIA GPU in it! Btw, have you tried using Wayland? """ Only the first two [standard graphics APIs] are implemented by the Nvidia proprietary driver. In order to support Nvidia, Wayland compositors need to add code resembling this: if (nvidia proprietary driver) { /* several thousand lines of code / } else { / several thousand lines of code */ } """ From: https://drewdevault.com/2019/02/10/Wayland-misconceptions-debunked.html https://drewdevault.com/2019/02/10/Wayland-misconceptions-de...
bgorman 7y ago
I am talking about "old" hardware that is no longer supported on Windows. The Linux kernel does not intentionally remove support for working hardware. Do you think you could get a Geforce 2 working on Windows 10? You could get it working on the latest version of Linux thanks to open source drivers (albeit reverse engineered).
- Hydraulix989 7y ago
  I remember floppy drive drivers and 386 processor support going away recently. https://itsfoss.com/end-of-floppy-disk-in-linux/ https://itsfoss.com/end-of-floppy-disk-in-linux/