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http://www.beyond3d.com

AMD just announced that its upcoming Catalyst 7.9 drivers for Linux will not only finally provide support to HD 2000 series on the OS, but it is also claimed to host the most significant series of enhancements ever for Linux users. As far as AMD graphics drivers are concerned, that is. AMD decided to please Open Source supporters today as well, as one of their representatives publicly discussed releasing an Open Source version of their graphics drivers.

With the September release of Catalyst 7.9 drivers (fglrx 8.41), Linux users will be able to harness the 3D acceleration capabilities of their latest Radeon HD 2000 series card. Phoronix was given the chance to preview this new and promising display driver, and judging from their primarily game benchmarks, it seems that AMD delivered nicely on that front. The driver still does not support Accelerated Indirect GLX (AIGLX), which is used to deliver 3D accelerated desktop, but AMD expects to include support for it during Q4 2007.

The good news from AMD for Open Source proponents out there is not stopping with an announcement of a stonger commitment from the company to release better drivers for the Linux platform. Indeed, LWN.net reports that AMD’s spokesperson at the Linux kernel summit 07 said the company planned to release specifications and source code for a basic driver for all its graphics processors from the R500 (X1000 series) and forward. A 2D Open Source driver is expected as soon as the end of the year. This news will make the lives of the developers who work on unsupported Open Source drivers for AMD graphics chips much easier. With the specifications and a basic skeleton of a driver to work with, they will not have to rely only on reverse engineering anymore to write their code.

ATI graphics cards have never been famous for the great quality of their Linux/GNU drivers, to say the least. But with the recent buyout of the company by CPU giant AMD, it seems that Open Source became a more important factor for the company’s graphics activities, as today’s announcements can attest.

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waleed.saud's picture
Created by waleed.saud 14 years 39 weeks ago – Made popular 14 years 39 weeks ago
Category: Business   Tags:
kiba's picture

kiba

14 years 39 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago

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Let hope Free ATI graphic drivers

Let hope Free ATI graphic drivers are really coming to GNU/linux!

themacmeister's picture

themacmeister

14 years 38 weeks 4 days 17 hours ago

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I have a 9800 series card, so this

I have a 9800 series card, so this is very disappointing news :-(

boottux's picture

boottux

14 years 37 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago

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This is the beginning of the end

This is the beginning of the end for Microsoft's control over hardware. Microsoft's OS is really no different than what any other operating system is except that they have a driver database filled with drivers written to work with their OS. It is their most important ace in the hole after file format lock-in. Take away their file format and take away their driver monopoly and what is left ? Who would use Windows if they faced the same issues that the Linux community has faced with formats and drivers ? The IT community has always been notoriously stupid about what goes on outside their own limited development issues. They are smart but only in a very limited domain. One merely has to look at the history of computing to see that whether it's hardware, software or content delivery, the business side has always been interested in only one thing - lock in and protection. Does anybody remember the copy protection issues with software in the 70's and 80's ? The Unix wars ? IT gets what it deserves. One should never forget that IT is a support function in business and they operate like any bureaucracy - concerned with their own budgets. And they are probably the most risk averse people in the Enterprise.
No matter what you might say about him, if it wasn't for Richard Stallman changing the entire paradigm for technology we would still be plugging dongles in the back of our PC's to prove we were allowed to run software.

Jimbob's picture

Jimbob

14 years 37 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago

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I can't wait. Because then I can

I can't wait. Because then I can run Compiz Fusion without needing proprietary drivers... which I won't do.

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