NV Linux support, history, timeline

[WSmart]

How long has Nvidia provided Linux driver support?

I know that AMD's grapics line did not provide a Linux driver before AMD picked them up, but I don't know how long Nvidia had been supporting Linux.

Thanks!

Be real, be sober.

[Deanjo]

Oldest driver is:

Linux Display Driver
Version: 1.0-1251
Release Date: May 17, 2001

http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_display_archive.html

[artem]

The first driver for NVIDIA GPUs was released on 2000-04-25;

The first drivers for NVIDIA MCP were presumably released circa 2001-2.

[mooninite]

Originally Posted by WSmart

I know that AMD's grapics line did not provide a Linux driver before AMD picked them up

That is not true. Radeon cards have been supported under Linux since at least 2004 or so. The "fglrx" driver was released by ATI when it was still ATI and is still being released under AMD.

[Thunderbird]

The first Xfree86 4.0.0 drivers (version 0.9) were from early 2001. Before that time Nvidia provided open source 3d drivers for Xfree86 3.3.x but those were very slow as they didn't take advantage of DMA and other mechanisms. I remember quake3 running at about 15fps at 640x480 (fastest settings) while it ran at 60fps or so on my voodoo2 and on Windows it was fast too. The old drivers were first released in 1999 or so.

[WSmart]

Thanks all! Very interesting. I learned some stuff. Holy smokes; I got a response from Russia. and Netherlands!

Thanks mooninite. I did not not know that. Linux support pre-dated AMD. It's a bit of a technicality, for me. I give Nvidia huge credit for giving some Linux support when they could have just left it.. I actually love both of these companies right now. I think they both has a relatively good focus. I'm hoping to see some cooperation and the kind of competition that involves mutual respect. I know, it's not very common today, but our computer industry was born in that spirit and I think both these companies show signs of that. It's a lot like the spirit that drives open source, which to me is the heart of what business should be about, people. I love this industry because it's been about people. It's our industry. It's been our enthusiasm that's been the steam. We put a man on the moon but it didn't really involve people the way OUR achievements here have. There's always those who want to try and bring everyone down, but you just have to remember on thing, it's not about winning.

Don't hold your stick too tight, and keep your head up.

[WSmart]

Collusion! That's the term I was trying to recall here. Not that kind of cooperation. Good grief. That's been another big issue that's had an affect on the industry recently, by the by, the DOJ's so called investigation which you can be sure those clowns were up to no good. We fight over some kid in the inner city getting an extra book of food stamps while the government takes all the regulations off the banking industry and there goes how many Trillions, but make sure those graphic chips manufacturers that are actually providing some value to the people, make sure those guys are not cheating. More likely they were trying to put the fix in; “Here's the deal. You guy ride the consumers hard and then we'll come in a slap your hand, take a fat cut, and then you go back to giving it to them hard, see?”. To me, that's the real reason for the war in the Middle East, because those guys over there are the type that they can't even conceive of what you're trying to say. Sudam(Oh Sudam!) was pressured, if you ask me, with the idea that he would understand and they could put the fix in, but he just pumped more oil the harder they pushed, “....which I though that's what you wanted?”,says Sudam, completely sincere. But here in our alcohol loving culture where men have stopped being men, “If you can't beat em', join em'.”, men say one thing and they do another. Native Americans called it a fork tongue. Anyway, that's not the type of cooperation I was talking about, turning the industry into a ponzi's scheme.

Thanks!

[artem]

This is "Linux Support Forums > NVIDIA Linux" forum.

For free talks and discussions please go to the Open Forum.

2Moderators: I suggest moving this topic over there.

[AaronP]

artem is right. WSmart, please keep the discussion on topic and at least somewhat sane.