[Ambassadors] Intel GMA500 Video Card - Poulsbo

[Scott Dowdle]

Greetings,

----- Original Message -----
> Hi, I've found only packages for fedora 11.
> But I think that Abdel is looking for packages for Fedora 12 or 13.
> 
> 
> El mié, 16-06-2010 a las 00:43 +0000, Carlos Manjarrez escribió:
> > Hi all
> >
> > One fedora contributor make a rpm package for this driver, you have
> > to look for at fedoraproject.org wiki portal.
> >
> > Greetings
> >
> > Carlos Manjarrez
> > charlymanja at fedoraproject.org
> > ID: A86964ED
> > Finger Print: F7F5 EB32 D657 8F0C 995C 84CD 0D52 BF8C A869 64ED
> > Mensaje enviado desde mi BlackBerry de Nextel weeeee!!!!!
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: "Abdel G. Martínez L."
> > 	<abdel.g.martinez.l at gmail.com>
> > Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:50:27
> > To: <ambassadors at lists.fedoraproject.org>
> > Subject: [Ambassadors] Intel GMA500 Video Card - Poulsbo
> >
> > Hello to everyone. I got a question.
> >
> > What happened to Intel GMA500 "Poulsbo" video card and Fedora? It
> > doesn't work for me. Have anyone tried to solve this problem?
> >
> > Expecting the solution from someone. Please I need your help.
> >
> > Thank you.
> > -- ambassadors mailing list
> > ambassadors at lists.fedoraproject.org
> > https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/ambassadors
> > -- ambassadors mailing list
> > ambassadors at lists.fedoraproject.org
> > https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/ambassadors
> -- Gabriel Acosta
> xigatec at fedoraproject.org
> http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/User:Xigatec
> http://fedora-uy.org
> IRC: FreeNode #fedora-uy
> 
> -- ambassadors mailing list
> ambassadors at lists.fedoraproject.org
> https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/ambassadors

I've seen a few updated articles on this... most of them were from Adam W. I think.  Unfortunately I don't have the links handy at the moment.  My understanding is that with the current devel kernel, Intel has introduced two different driver implementations and that neither of them will end up in the kernel because they both use a closed binary blob that is unacceptable.  I don't know exactly how that relates to any work the x.org folks might be doing.

My guess is though that until an acceptable free software driver is made available that the situation isn't going to improve much.

I happen to own a Fit PC 2 that has the GMA500 in it.  Oddly they offer their machines with Windows of Linux pre-installed.  I bought one with Linux (Ubuntu) pre-installed thinking that if Ubuntu works on it, that Fedora would too.  Turns out that Fedora won't even boot on it.  The kernel just dies.  It also turns out that the Fit PC 2 folks aren't even using an Ubuntu kernel but have their own repository.  It appears they have build a kernel that works with the GMA500 and have a working X setup.  I don't think they are keeping it updated like a top tier distro would and for most purposes the hardware is abandoned and stick with the current configuration.

I keep hoping this situation will resolve nicely in the not too distant future but so far I haven't seen an evidence that it will. :(

TYL,
-- 
Scott Dowdle
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