Decent Linux Drivers: Seriously, what is going on?

Effenberg0x0 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-01-08, 09:58 PM

I don't wanna sound stupid or demanding. This is my first post at this forums and I am just looking for an answer.

I really would like to understand why VIA cannot release a decent set of drivers for Linux or help the community developers do their job, by helping with specs and etc.
Right now, people that want to use Linux (any distro) on PCs with VIA Graphics Chip simply can't do it decently.

Sure, you can definitely go VESA if you wanna waste more than half your CPU cicles browing pages that have at least one flash banner... Or you can try OpenChrome or Unichrome and not have 3D, MPEG and get yourself a very unstable and slow system. Ok, there's this new official driver releasd by VIA after years of pain and waiting... However, although it sort of is a cool driver, performance is still inferior to the community opensource solutions and it won't allow you to run *any* 3D app reasonably. I am not saying I can't run AIGLX+Compiz or GoogleEarth. You can trick the system into believing you actually have something similar to a video card and run this stuff. The problem is you won't have a reasonably decent performance, you won't get any stability in your system, you won't use the hardware up to 50% of what it delivers using windows drivers. This driver is clearly cr*pware.

So I just to understand this... What is going on? VIA ain't got some bucks to pay one or two guys to develop this driver for Linux?? VIA does not want their hardware to be used with Linux?? VIA is getting paid by Microsoft to piss Linux users?? People that buy desktops and notebooks based on hardware by VIA shouldn't know this stuff before paying for it? Shouldn't they know VIA simply does not care about Linux users, so they can choose hardware with video by other competitors, like nvidia, ATI, etc?

I, for example, feel tricked into buying my current notebook, as I for sure know that I will never be able to use software that demands more from video, like watching movies in a non choppy way, acessing youtube, using Google Earth, hell... playing *any* game...

Now the question is, is VIA willing to give me my money back?? Bah... Sure they're not...

This really, REALLY sux...

Effenberg

Edit John Gatt: moveing this here to the first post.

That's it, we're up and running at DECENT VIA GRAPHICS DRIVERS FOR LINUX Petition

Effenberg0x0 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-01-08, 10:07 PM

Also, what the hell is wrong with the guys that write documentation?? The PDF you send with this latest driver is simply childish... I mean, come on "Activating Compiz will produce some Black Borders around Windows...". Yeah, no kidding... Sure it will since this driver does not support transparencies!! And this is the smallest problem, considering Xorg usage will go about 100% after some minutes, moving the mouse leaves hundreds of artifacts on screen, etc...

Effenberg0x0 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-01-08, 10:30 AM

When I boot this Laptop on Windows XP I can use just about any 3D app decently, watch movies, use YouTube, Second Life, etc.

Now see the performance of the Official VIA Drivers for Linux running on Gutsy, on the same hardware:

effenberg@effenberg-mobile:~$ glxgears
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x22
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x23
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x24
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x25
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x26
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x27
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x28
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x29
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x2a
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x2b
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x2c
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x2d
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x2e
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x2f
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x30
libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x31
3909 frames in 5.0 seconds = 781.740 FPS

How uncool is that eh? VIA does not allows me to be a Linux user. Nothing is supported and the performance is 4x worse than on XP.

VIA: I honestly did not know you would not support other OSs than XP when I bought this Laptop. Seriously, how could I?

The Laptop vendor says it's not their fault but yours: They also are waiting for some move from you in terms of drivers. If you are not gonna support your own video chipset on Linux, can you refund me so I can get a Laptop with a chipset that actually works on Linux??

gruntz · #4 (**permalink**) 10-01-08, 03:12 PM

Effenberg0x0, I thing exactly like you. There is no support, no drivers, and the worst, there is no respons from VIA staff.

Please, VIA staff, give statement... are we going to get eany support?

Effenberg0x0 · #5 (**permalink**) 12-01-08, 11:20 PM

The question is how long will it take before someone actually starts doing something to bring this situation to common knowledge?

How long before www.IHateVia.com or www.DontBuyVIA.com and such stuff starts to happen? I, for example, would join and help any of such actions in order to get VIA to respect Linux Users (and consumers in general, by consequence).

Effenberg

Effenberg0x0 · #6 (**permalink**) 12-01-08, 11:22 PM

Thinking again about it, how about a website that lists Desktops and Laptops "powered" by VIA hardware, in order to warn people not to buy it if they plan on using Linux?

I guess this would make PC vendors (seeing their revenue threatened) put some pressure on VIA, which would be much more effective.

Effenberg

boyblue · #7 (**permalink**) 13-01-08, 06:41 AM

Effenberg0x0

I am not VIA staff so can't answer your question to them, but I thought the whole point of Linux is that it is free, open source and for people that like to play around with an computing operating system. There are now so many Linux versions out there which one should VIA or any other company support so you can have your laptop working.

Your computer was sold to you with XP on it, did you asked the sale person if it would run Linux any version, did you research the net about it. No I see you did not.

If XP runs everything you want why use linux at all, I don't get it.

gruntz · #8 (**permalink**) 13-01-08, 09:00 AM

boyblue, My computer was sold with Knoppix GNU/Linux, and yet, ther is no driver. (Computer is Fujitsu-Siemens AMILO Pro 3515)

The number of GNU/Linux distributions does not matter, the driver is only a modul to load into the kernel. As far as the Linux is common kernel, you should have no problem.

For exaple, one of the world`s liders, NVidia, is making perfect drivers for GNU/Linux based operation systems. Why VIA is not following the exaple from the 'big' companies, line NVidia and ATI?

And in the end, why you are trying to do? To make me to buy Windows XP from Microsoft? Because that is what is happening?

antoniocaputo · #9 (**permalink**) 13-01-08, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boyblue

There are now so many Linux versions out there which one should VIA or any other company support so you can have your laptop working.

You don't know how linux works, do you? Via has to make a working driver for Xorg, that is the graphic server common to all linux distributions, and a driver for the Linux kernel, which has to be the same since they are all called "linux distributions".
A distribution is only a way to put the software together, the software itself is the same.
Anyway this argument is pointless. Via claims that it's supporting Linux, which is not true. Via graphic drivers are crappy on all linux distributions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by boyblue

Your computer was sold to you with XP on it, did you asked the sale person if it would run Linux any version, did you research the net about it. No I see you did not.

I brought a via Epia mainboard, that claims to support linux. In many countries this kinds of lying is illegal, it is called "false advertising" or something like that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by boyblue

If XP runs everything you want why use linux at all, I don't get it.

The fact is that Xp runs nothing of what I want, but still this is a pointless argument since what I want concerns only me.

Linux users are many, Via doesn't seem to bother about them and prefers to release crappy drivers only to make a false claim to "support linux". Many Linux users, deceived by those false claims, will buy Via hardware and understand their mistake only when they try to install those "drivers". It's like selling cars without an important component inside, none shall see it from outside, only when you try to start the engine.

P.S. Via isn't forced to make a decent driver if it don't want or maybe can't. There is another choice: Via can release the hardware specs to the opensource community that has some pretty good programmers who whould put up a decent driver in no time.

boyblue · #10 (**permalink**) 13-01-08, 05:30 PM

You don't know how linux works, do you? ... I know its based on UNix or made from it but true I don''t how Linux works.

One thing I do know instead of slagging people or companies off when one wants something from them is to ask politely if something can be done.

I worked for a company where people (customers) demand without a please or a thank you and wonder why service is bad to them.

Anyhow lets hope VIA can help you people out and remember ask nicely.

I know personally I always respond better to politeness.