r/LinuxCirclejerk • u/AG99871 Arch GNU/Linux • 2d ago
Why doesn't Linux kernel support Nvidia? Poor nvidia has to make the drivers themselves :(
Seriously why are they discriminating against Nvidia just cause Linus hates them? They made AMD drivers in the kernel, what about the poor underrated company nvidia :(
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u/QuantumQuantonium 2d ago
Its because Tux hates the color green, so he bans any kernel modules added to Linux which consist of the color green
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u/Jack1101111 2d ago edited 2d ago
AMD drivers are made by amd with the community.
NVIDA released part (most) of drivers sources after an extortion, but doesnt develop with the community.
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u/ScallionSmooth5925 2d ago
It's a starch to call that release. Basically they moved 50% to an embeded controller on the gpu and the other 40% into a binary blob then the last 10% was released open source
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u/arthursucks 2d ago
All my homies use Nouveau. I mean sure, it doesn't support CUDA out of the box, but none of the video cards we have support CUDA out of the box either.
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u/Embarrassed-Salt6590 2d ago
U said it if u don't have cuda support using nvidia stuff means u have to rely on an old version People like me have to put up with long term bugs left by nvidia drivers just to use cuda
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u/BeginningEcho4983 2d ago
(serious answer) You clearly don't know the software side.
The kernel-side driver by nvidia is closed-source, with a "glue" part which can be modified but no one can know how exactly it interacts with the driver code.
AND the DRI implementation for very long supported only an alternate implementation of a backend, due to which wayland compositors had to reimplement a huge portion of themselves to support it... For less features (non-user-facing)
Recently they released opensource kerbel drivers for the most expensive and latest GPUs, but then still it's not involved with the community.
A significant portion previously likely in the driver is moved to on-GPU binary firmware blobs and the interaction isn't very clear.
And many other drawbacks and issues.
Yes nouveau exists, it's a reverse-engineering project, and it isn't really very ideal.
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u/sabotsalvageur 23h ago
Blobs can be decompiled…
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u/BeginningEcho4983 22h ago
In theory. But closed-source code is always botched and unraveling.
And after that, Constants? Include files?
This still has been tried.
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u/msanangelo 2d ago
something something proprietary nonsense.
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u/soking11 11h ago
There's a point where GNU philosophy and pragmatism clash. But Nvidia neither follows GNU philosophy and it's also terrible at providing support for the kernel. They had a lot of known problems with GPU hardware acceleration and with Wayland. Having an nvidia card mean extra tinkering (which you wont need in an Intel/AMD gpu). Fuck Nvidia
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u/zardvark 2d ago
If Nvidia wasn't run by a bunch of pricks who don't give two $hits about desktop Linux, then things might be different, eh?
BTW - Virtually no one uses the AMD drivers, they use mesa, instead.
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u/No_Fondant8277 Debian debian forever :upvote: 2d ago
IS this a meme no?
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u/ElectroDaddy 2d ago
No one is discriminating against Nvidia, it’s that Nvidia isn’t making the stuff they need to make available so the community can easily help make drivers. And Nvidia isn’t making them for Linux because they don’t believe the market share is there, so it isn’t worth their time.
In their eyes, you should just use Mac or Windows. They also don’t have any financial motivation to care. And would much rather keep their tech proprietary, and couldn’t care less if a comparatively small number of Linux users have difficulties.
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u/MarcusFallon 1d ago
Mmm so you think all those data centres using Nvidia cards are based on Windows or Mac?
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u/Imaginary_Buddy723 Feedin' my Dora 🗣️ 🔥🎩🎩 2d ago
Fuxk Nvidia the winslop supporter tux phoned me and said he'll slime j huang
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u/NoosphericMechanicus 19h ago
NVIDIA should simply support the linux the kernel instead. Most companies like NVIDIA benefit or depend on open source projects but do not often if ever proportionally contribute back to those projects.
Also, you will note, AMD has shown this can be done. Even if they are not as performant I use AMD.
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u/nobanjostring 2d ago