Decent Linux Drivers: Seriously, what is going on?

[Mr. Chris]

Sergei, link to VIA Arena drivers page below my Signature. Chris.

[wateenellende]

Hi Chris,
The problem is not that we can't find drivers. The problem is that they don't work.

See:
DECENT VIA GRAPHICS DRIVERS FOR LINUX Petition
http://cui.unige.ch/~beekhof/via.pdf

[antoniocaputo]

Did something new happened? I'm still waiting to see a reply from VIA...

[SergeiFranco]

Originally Posted by Mr. Chris

Sergei, link to VIA Arena drivers page below my Signature. Chris.

Unfortunately I cannot install them on my kUbuntu machine....
there is not even normal "configure, make, make install" process for those drivers to work with my kernel/distro.
I have managed to extract "alien" rpm package that contains source for viadiocombo, and here is the list of the files:
ac97_codec.c
ac97_codec.h
ac97_codec.o
Makefile
soundcard.h
viasound
viaudiocombo2.ko
viaudiocombo3.ko
viaudiocombo4.ko
viaudiocombo.ko
viaudiocombo.mod.c
viaudiocombo.mod.o
viaudiocombo.o
viaudio_interface.c
viaudio_interface.o
viaudio_regop.h
viaudio_regop.obj

How the hell I am supposed to install that? There is no configure file, there is only Makefile, and some script (that does not work)...and most importantly there is no README file.
The best way for VIA to fully support Linux is to release specs necessary for community to come up with working drivers, this way VIA does not need to spend any money to write drivers, it is a win-win situation. Fedora Core is the worst distribution to pick to write non-standard drivers for (well anyway there is no excuse for writing non-standard drivers at all).

[FredDie3785]

I found the topic on the ubuntuforums.org. I have translated it into polish, and already posted on 5-6 polish linux forums.
Here's the link to my blog:
man-of-the-north

I've posted the polish translation in the topic on the ubuntuforums.org

FredDie3785

[takitam]

[Phoronix] Intel Releases Open 965/G35 IGP Programming Documentation

Do I have to say anything more...

[wateenellende]

By now I'm really a bit disappointed...
After all this effort, we still have no news whatsoever from either VIA or the organizers of the petition.

What's going on ?

[antoniocaputo]

I'm really curious too

[Effenberg0x0]

Hi everybody,

I am sorry for not being able to post here or answer all the e-mails lately. Actually I lost track of the some of the e-mails regarding this issue (more than 100 e-mails a day).

Let me tell you what happened since my last post here.

It actually was a little hard setting up a call with VIA executives because we're in opposite parts of the world, very different time zones and they seem to be just as busy as I am, which is normal. A good part of this delay was my fault as I have traveled abroad twice in this last two weeks for business reasons. So there is no reason to blame VIA on this delay at all.

But, once that was resolved, the call happened and I can tell you that some VIA executives have actually read our petition and presented our concerns internally in meetings. There seems to be interest in the whole situation. I can tell you that some people from VIA top management are handling this issue.

I am now waiting for some feedback from VIA, which will happen within one month approximately. I have a very good feeling about the way things are happening and I will post news for you here as soon as I receive it. I cannot say much, but there definitely is no reason to be pessimistic at all: We have gathered their attention and they are open to talks.

So I ask you all to keep an eye on this thread in the next 30 days when I hopefully will be able to post some good news to all of us.

Regards,
Effenberg

[T@2]

I played few months with Simply Mepis distroes and with Mandriva and i can say that this distroes are excellent.I runned them on a VIA mobo(KT 333+VT 8235)and they worked excellent in conjunction with an Nvidia card.
I find somehow strange that VIA video chips are not able to rander properlly in an Open GL accelerated environment.
If VIA cant manage to do some proper drivers than they shoould release some info towards the Linux comunity.
VIA is no more a vendor that is in the position to dictate what customers should use because latelly they relly on low end profits that relly on people with lower revenues.This means that support for free operating systems like LINUX distroes should be necessary and a must.
Loosing another market slice like they did in mobo chipsets bussiness will render them dead.
Anyway if you really want to use Linux accelerated interface use Nvidia.
Lets hope VIA will manage to release proper drivers because on Windows platforms they are able to make good ,stable drivers.
I agree with the fact that if on a box is written "works with Linux" should work,if it doesnt sue them.