Maybe they'll listen......

[leech]

Just got my reply back from Matrox concerning linux support. Here's my email:

Dear Matrox,

I saw this article awhile ago on linuxjournal.com
http://www.linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=6011 and was wondering why Matrox
has not tried to jump at the chance to create some professional level linux
drivers and to try and make a deal with ILM and other Video Graphics industry
companies. Notice in one of the pictures on the link that they are indeed
using a dual-head setup. The Parhelia with it's triple head configuration
would simply be indisposable for these professionals. Not to mention a
company like ILM could buy these by the truck load to create fantastic images
for their movies.
This is a great opportunity for Matrox to show the linux community as
well, that they mean some serious business. If I ever end up going with a
different video card, it'll be do to the lack of any decent linux drivers. So
here's hoping that you'll listen to some of my ideas.


Then here is their reply:

Hello,
First of all let me take this opportunity to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, we value input from our clients and your request will be taken seriously. I will forward this email to the Hardware & the drivers development team in hopes that they might include these feature in future driver versions.



Leech

[WyWyWyWy]

Okay time for me to send one too!
I'll emphasise the importance to fix bugs...

[Ribbit]

My next video card will almost certainly be an ATi...

[leech]

Indeed, fixing bugs and getting OpenGL and XV support would be great for them to do! In fact when we email them, let's emphasize that ATI's linux drivers are already certified for Maya, Softimage, Medical Insight, Side Effects, VirCinity.

Come on Matrox, get your "professional" card to the Professionals who use linux!

Leech

[DedicatedFan3D]

Looks like they are making a nice turn around.

I think it'll come within a month or so.

[K6-III]

Sure hope so.

[Indiana]

Originally posted by Ribbit
My next video card will almost certainly be an ATi...

Unfortunately ATIs Linux drivers are still far from the quality the nVidia seems to deliver (not speaking of personal experience here but waht I heard from two collegues which have both).

Hmm, everyone has to have a strong point I guess.....

[leech]

This is just a guess, and I could be blowing smoke out my arse, but if you think about it.... this latest windows driver release for the Parhelia was mostly OpenGL improvements, so perhaps they are getting ready to do the same thing that nVidia does and create them cross-platform. Since Matrox doesn't have to worry about DX9 compatibility with linux, they just need to figure out how nVidia is doing it, and port the GL stuff over to linux. Wouldn't it be sweet to have the same performance as the windows drivers, right off the bat?

Leech

[DedicatedFan3D]

On the nVidia drivers.

nVidia's drivers are the best drivers for Linux period, for any type of device at that.

nVidia's drivers are unrivaled, unparalleled, unequalled, and incomparable to all other Linux drivers for all devices by the shear quality and performance nVidia wanted to get out of their parts in Linux. You will find no better driver for any device no matter where you look, nVidia's is da'bomb and that's just all there is to it without any arguement whatsoever.

ATI's drivers are kinda gobshites, but a damn sight better than Matrox's drivers in Linux.

@Leech
I think you're onto something, something hopefully very soon.

[Marshmallowman]

The ATI ones are getting a LOT better.

There is a german ATI site that is releaseing updates regularly, finally winex works. However apparently a big official release will be comming soon, which I believe is going to get it right up their with nvidia's, maybe even surpass it.

Also with nvidia, try getting a none nvidia agp video card working in a nforce2 board(3D/AGP Accel) it does not work!.

NV's stufff is almost totally closed source, whereas ATI has released a bucket load of info to the XFree86 developers recently...but it is taking along time for them to integrate the changes in.

so for ATI have you have at least 2 sources for an accelerated xserver . another 2 if you count gatos and the commerical mob sci...something?

nv you have one source...

[leech]

I think you're referring to SciTech. Supposedly they're even working with Matrox on some drivers. Though I think they are only going to be accelerated 2D drivers.

I'm going to email Matrox sales and tell them to get on the ball, since ATI is just totally creaming them. ATI.... I mean come on, they used to have the crappiest drivers of all, and now they're beating Matrox? Let's see if I can rub it in their faces enough

Leech

[DedicatedFan3D]

@marsh

I forgot about nForce. Kernel releases are the only real way to bring those up to speed.

Which is another thing. They dumped a boatload of source into OpenSource. On the 2.5 kernels they have put the controller code for the nForce right into the kernel. TONS of info on how the nForce/2 works by looking at that.

As for drivers, I see your point. See at this particular moment they have awesome linux support. That is only pushed by nVidia's current focus on it. Once they lose that focus, all the Linux users lose out because of the closed source.

For now, it is extremely profitable for nVidia to focus on Linux. For one their professional lines of chips depend on damn good Linux support to sell anywhere Linux is used to do rendering. For another, they do not lose out on users who migrate their desktops to Linux. In fact they win, because of the lack of certification processes to get running on Linux vs Windows.

[Ribbit]

My point about ATi was that they are making specs available for their cards (though they're not complete for the R3xx). That means you're not dependent on them for support. I've mentioned before the nVidia Xv bugs which they refused to even acknowledge (haven't heard much about that recently, maybe they're fixed now).

Take the state of OSS Parhelia support right now. It's only for current XFree86/Linux/x86. You want it to use your Parhelia with DirectFB? Or on a PPC or Alpha or SPARC? Or with FreeBSD? Or some really fringe OS like Syllable? You're SOL (except maybe with FreeBSD). We're still a bit worried about Matrox Graphics' continued existence (well I am anyway) - what if they disappear in 6 months? Where does that leave Parhelia support with future XFree86 versions? (I've found that the G400 HAL module doesn't work properly with XFree86 4.3) With a card with available hardware specs, all of the above becomes at the very least possible. That's why I'll probably be going to ATi.

Edit: Just reread the thread a bit closer and saw that most of the above has already been said. Oh well...

[WyWyWyWy]

I'm SOL with FreeBSD too!

[DedicatedFan3D]

3dfx was very smart to OSS their Glide stuff.

Voodoo2 lives on mainly due to that.

Matrox should do us a favor in that respect, mainly because they will be unable to keep their prior comittment, it is their duty to OSS their stuff for the benefit of the customer.

If we had some kind of security associated with the purchase on the hopes that OSS would preserve it, it would be a purchasing decision. It's a good incentive for Matrox to OSS the whole thing based on that.