Fedora Core 6 HUGE problem

[Frank Cox]

On Mon, 28 May 2007 17:32:41 -0500
Les Mikesell <lesmikesell at gmail.com> wrote:

> > The main problem is support for a "black box", as you have been told many times
> > before.
> 
> Yes, people keep repeating that, yet they never produce any evidence to 
> show how much better and more reliable Linux 3-D video is on the 
> corresponding hardware than Windows or OSX with their binary-only 
> drivers. I've never experienced any problems with those myself.

Sure you have.  Out-of-the-box support for video cards on Fedora is not as good
for Nvidia and ATI.

> For some definition of working and some of their chips...  Intel has 
> made a bunch of stuff that shares motherboard RAM and produces output 
> that isn't great.  I haven't kept up with which is which.

I don't want to sound too harsh, but now may be a good time to start keeping up
if you intend to continue to use Fedora Linux?  If you intend to move off onto
another Linux distribution (or a BSD or Solaris or MS Windows or what-have-you)
then you may wish to investigate their hardware and driver requirements.

> Nvidia and ATI's drivers aren't included in the box.  They could be.

Not under the current licensing conditions, they can't be and won't be.  Windows
Vista could also be included with every Fedora download; somehow I don't think
that will be done either.

Note that Fedora isn't the one who's imposing unacceptable conditions -- Nvidia
and ATI are the ones who are making the decisions in this regard.  Fedora is
simply accepting them and everyone (including you and me and Nvidia and ATI)
deal with the consequences of Nvidia's and ATI's decisions.  Personally, I
choose to deal with it by avoiding their products.  You may choose to deal with
it by purchasing their products and jumping through hoops to make them work.

My way is easier and may eventually have an impact on their sales if it catches
on.

> Or run an OS that respects its users enough to include the vendor's 
> drivers - which is what the majority do.

That is a valid choice for anyone to make.  The wisdom of that choice depends
on the aims of the one making the decision.

As far as I know, the latest drivers for the latest video cards don't come
stock with Windows XP or Vista either.  (I've never installed MS Windows on
anything so I could be wrong here, but it has always been my understanding that
they require a separate download.)


-- 
MELVILLE THEATRE ~ Melville Sask ~ http://www.melvilletheatre.com