[Tfug] RMS protest - last week's news

[Shawn Nock]

t takahashi wrote:
> what video cards DO have good, stable foss drivers that can handle an
> lcd screen that uses the digital output of the cards?
>
>   
I use (Read: was forced to buy) a 'nVidia Geforce Go 5650'. To quote the 
boss: "We are a Dell shop choose one of them.... All video options on 
the laptops where nVidia. I use the FOSS 'nv' driver in Xorg (also 
present but less snazzy in XFree) as opposed to the 'nvidia' Xorg driver 
and kernel mod from nVidia. I run at the LCD panel's native 1920x1200x24 
using the dual DVI internal connection. Now that there is xv support in 
'nv' my daily desktop stuff is great (e.g. high-def video is almost 
flawless). The only thing I gave up when I stopped using nVidia's BLOB 
driver was glx (OpenGL).

This is no sweat when the most advanced game I play is xlife... but as 
always YMMV.
> my matrox g550 doesn't have a usable foss driver.  there is an mga
> driver, but it doesn't handle dvi.
>   
I don't know what OS you are using, but the Linux folks used to have a 
FOSS kernel option to support the Matrox g-series. I believe that you 
could then use the 'fb' (or similar) driver in X to get some 
acceleration. (My Linux years have passed, my memory could be quite dated)
> with this card i'm stuck with whatever matrox wants me to run, kind of
> like how windows users are stuck with whatever ms wants them to run.
>   
I like to think that the best solution is the one that you can make work 
and be most happy with. I don't think there are too many folks who would 
look down on you for using a binary driver... Unless, hypothetically, 
you were a pretentious FOSS preacher man.

Of course there is the old argument that the best solution is the one 
that works...

Good luck out there, I'm pulling for you, (Shamelessly stolen from Red 
Green)

Shawn