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Date:      Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:21:58 -0500
From:      Zhihao Yuan <lichray@gmail.com>
To:        Michal Varga <varga.michal@gmail.com>
Cc:        freebsd-x11@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Graphic card that works?
Message-ID:  <BANLkTim8Fr5cni9=zzuw_2wwuD%2B-cUfADA@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <1309304880.1743.25.camel@xenon>
References:  <20110623221305.43b74d53@davenulle.org> <1308902182.1748.3.camel@xenon> <20110628201715.1d541eca@davenulle.org> <1309304880.1743.25.camel@xenon>

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On Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 6:48 PM, Michal Varga <varga.michal@gmail.com> wrot=
e:
> On Tue, 2011-06-28 at 20:17 +0200, Patrick Lamaiziere wrote:
>> Le Fri, 24 Jun 2011 09:56:22 +0200,
>> Michal Varga <varga.michal@gmail.com> a =C3=A9crit :
>>
>> > Nvidia GTX 460 works perfectly fine on FreeBSD and same goes for any
>> > modern/supported Nvidia hardware (which is basically all of them, save
>> > for some brain-dead stuff like Nvidia Optimus).
>>
>> Here it does not work. Watching a video is enought to freeze the box
>> (using the Xvideo extension). I've tried all the drivers available from
>> Nvidia with various issues.
>>
>
> Is it possible that your're actually running VDPAU-enabled video
> acceleration under compositor, i.e. metacity WM in compositing mode
> (which is non-default btw)?
>
> That's one (and probably the only one in the wild) known cause that
> produces random, but quite frequent freezes.
>
> This is as far as I know still unresolved by Nvidia, but also probably
> very low on their to-do list, for obvious reasons.
>

So you agree with that Nvidia drivers are not stable. I agree with it
because my roommate has 2 boxes running Nvidia cards and their
official binary drivers. He suffered from the unstable video and the
incomplete Xcomposite supports a lot.

>
>> Anyway, I would not say that NVidia always works, that is my fourth
>> box using a nvidia card and only two cards worked well (since FreeBSD
>> 4.7).
>>
>> So my question is still open:
>>
>> "Could you tell me a graphic card (pci express) that will work fine
>> on FreeBSD? (If i can use a dual screen it will be better)"
>>
>> Thanks, regards.
>
> I can only say it again - aside from the known compositor issue (which
> is pretty specifically narrowed down and thus easy to avoid, if only by
> disabling metacity compositing), there are tons of people running Nvidia
> hardware under FreeBSD without any issues, and even by a magnitude more
> under Linux (it might look that that's unrelated, but with the way
> Nvidia builds their drivers, it actually is).
>
>
> So, to your (repeated) question.
>
>
> There is only one graphics card manufacturer that actually PRODUCES
> drivers for FreeBSD. That is Nvidia.

Yes, and no. Nvidia provides closed source drivers only, and never
helps open source drivers. As what you have agreed with: when their
drivers are not stable, or even their drivers introduce security
problems, you can do nothing. You have no choice but be at their
mercy.

>
> Intel drivers are horrible crap, but someone already stated that
> somewhere in this thread (and too much politely by the way).
>
> AMD, both hardware and software is a joke, even under Linux, where they
> actually have *some* driver support, they're a terrible joke (and nobody
> laughs, especially the owners). Open source drivers for their hardware
> are something... where... well, where you can sometimes display 2D
> graphics. Some of those times even without issues and glitches.

But AMD/ATI supports the development of the open source drivers. Now
xf86-video-ati driver supports full 2D acceleration, xrander,
anti-tears, KMS, basic 3D acceleration... what Nvidia has? Unstable
vdpau? And also, when we meet problems, we can check ATI documents and
modify the source code. Just compare the quality of xf86-video-ati and
xf86-video-nouveau, and you will know which cards are better choice.

>
> What else exactly would you want to use? VIA (absolutely no support
> under Linux, absolutely absolutely completely none support under
> FreeBSD)?
>
> Matrox?
>
> Ahem. Ok, let's stop right there.
>
> You already own Nvidia hardware (which alone is the best choice you have
> anyway), and from what I've seen, at least a few people already told you
> that Nvidia hardware works.
>
> It's your choice and your time of course, so you can spend it either on
> trying to narrow down your Nvidia issue, which must be pretty exotic
> that it bites only you while so many people enjoy working Nvidia
> products, or you can spend (read: waste) it on looking for something
> that doesn't exist. The thing that doesn't exist is *other* graphics
> card manufacturer that actually supports FreeBSD. It's your choice,
> again.
>

No. They are not supporting FreeBSD. They are weakening and destroying
the philosophy of FreeBSD and Open Source communities with their
unstable, buggy, and insecure favors.

> m.
>
> --
> Michal Varga,
> Stonehenge (Gmail account)
>
>
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--=20
Zhihao Yuan, nickname lichray
The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
___________________________________________________
4BSD -- http://4bsd.biz/



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