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https://linuxiac.com/fedora-and-opensuse-are-dropping-support-for-some-video-codecs/ https://linuxiac.com/fedora-and-opensuse-are-dropping-suppor... It is only
by ho_schi 4y ago
https://linuxiac.com/fedora-and-opensuse-are-dropping-support-for-some-video-codecs/ https://linuxiac.com/fedora-and-opensuse-are-dropping-suppor...
It is only affecting Fedora and openSuse. Not affected are Arch, Gentoo, Ubuntu and Debian.
* The hardware-acceleration is within the hardware and not in software - that is why it is named *hardware acceleration*. Fedoras decision doesn't make sense.
* In Europe you cannot patent software - because you cannot patent logic. Sometimes software-patents are granted because the patent system is dysfunctional but these patents get revoked when challenged.
* I doubt you can even defend a "software-patent" in America if challenged.
* RedHat is weakening its position of Fedora (and of Linux) historically by similar decisions. Fedora is working well on desktops and laptops. But it is not acceptable for end-users to add extra repositories from RPMFUSION to get basic features working. The success of Canonicals Ubuntu is building up on this.
* They're not removing it for Fedora <= 36. Removing features is evil. Ff Fedora is certain about their point-of-view they had to remove it, too?
Bonus - Qualcomm tries to attack AV1:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33638975 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33638975
I think someone within the AOM needs to tell Qualcomm in polite words that another decade of missing hardware-acceleration and patent-trolling is not acceptable.
If you're worried about software-patents. I recommend moving the legal domicile and hosting servers to Europe. I'm sorry America but your mistake. The original intent of the patent system is proper documentation for the public. Instead it is used for hindering other upon improving existing ideas for decades. And lawsuits.
PS: Fedora is working excellent on laptops on desktops. While I prefer Arch personally, I do install Fedora on every computer of a "normal" person which is not within IT. It just works. Fedora is doing a good. But only if I add RPMFUSION first.
- ladyanita22 4y agoCanonical is weakening their position in the Linux world with snaps. Fedora's foundations and technology are the best. I hate the RPMFusion situation, don't get me wrong, but it's the cleanest, most solid and best distro out there.
- ho_schi 4y agoCanonical? * Unity - Failed against GNOME and Gtk * Mir - Failed against Wayland * Upstart - Failed against Systemd * Snap - Currently in fight against Flatpak Canonical's help and cooperation is appreciated. Since they returned to GNOME a lot of things got improved for all! I've the impression Canonical is trying to push a always an own solution which is either inferior, not backed by community or follows a dark-pattern (Snap server is closed-source). I'm afraid Ubuntu-Phone could've been a success if they searched cooperation with Red Hat, Purism or Jolla. Again...no :(
- Mikeb85 4y agoRemoving support for those particular codecs isn't the end of the world. YouTube, Disney, Netflix, Prime Video (ie. the largest video streaming sites) all use open codecs and thus are unaffected by Fedora/Suse's decision.
- ho_schi 4y agoI'm afraid all of them use H264 or H265 as baseline, AV1 only when advertised. AV1 is only available hardware-accelerated on the newest devices (AMD >= RNDA2, Intel >= Xe, Nvidia >= Ampere) from 2020. Googles Pixel 6 is one of the first phones with AV1. Software support requires the CPU to do the work and drains the battery.
- tpush 4y agoDon't know about the others, but at least YouTube also uses VP9, which is open and capable of being hardware decoded by most devices.
- ho_schi 4y agoI afraid this is optimistic. Hardware support for VP9 is only available from AMD Polaris or Intel KabyLake. I think Apple started supporting VP9 only in 2020, likely excluding holder hardware. Youtube ships here VP9 and my Linux is able to accelerate it luckily on a T14. Not on my X220 ;) Keep in mind implementing ASICs need a way more time and a way more till broad support has reached customers. Systems with Sandy Bridge or even earlier (like ThinkPad X201) are working fine and being used. Long working reliable hardware is a good thing. Streaming (select best codec) can adapt quicker than video-chat (common codec). And so called "Smart TVs" will not receive updates at all?
- Mikeb85 4y agoYouTube and Netflix use VP9...
- ChuckNorris89 4y ago
- hedora 4y agoThe hardware codec support removal is a bone headed decision. The first sale doctrine (among other things) says that if you sell a patented device, you are implicitly selling a transferrable patent license that allows use of that one physical device. So, there are two possibilities for patent infringement: 1) AMD licensed a patent that allows them to write software that accesses hardware capabilities using software drivers. This is already ludicrous, but the US patent system is in play. Furthermore, the third party patent holder is asserting that AMD's license only applies to Windows drivers. 2) AMD's hardware violates a third party patent. In both cases, this is AMD's problem, not the Linux distribution's. Also, no one is claiming either of the above things have happened. (Not a lawyer, but this is basic IP law.)
- moloch-hai 4y agoIt would be AMD's problem, but US patient law lets them sue anybody downstream too. Another failing.
- ladyanita22 4y agoMaybe the issue doesn't have to do with winning or losing the case, but with being sued at all (which implies some defense costs, of course)
- LinAGKar 4y agoWhy is it legal to ship it in intel-media-driver and not in Mesa?
- c0balt 4y agoJust a side note that at least openSUSE has community-backed solutions for distributing the codecs anyway (long live OBS). This is not optimal long term solution but it works(tm) for at least AMD. (Background: I'm daily driving openSUSE tumbleweed and had to deal with it fairly recently)