NVIDIA reveals GPUs for blade servers, Linux desktop support

The corrections button also requires you to email, it's not a form like the comments. So, I point out corrections via the comments section.

Re: Tesla models

Or a Schrodinger version to keep admins on their toes when diagnosing problems.

Re: Open Source?

Problem: NVIDIA uses third-party IP, and the third parties refuse to allow NVIDIA to open-source the driver code that pertains to that IP.

Until the TPs wake up and smell the OSS coffee, there's not much NVIDIA can do to completely open-source their driver code.

Re: Open Source?

Not likely, I suspect that the whole virtualization play works only with the binary driver.

Re: Open Source?

Only the tin-foil hat crowd cares and those are the ones who want everything for free.

So move on and try using the broken open source AMD drivers.

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=amd-fury-opensource&num=6

Quote: I spent $600 on this graphics card, but so far it's been a disappointment and I cannot recommend any Linux user buy an R9 Fury/Nano until either the Catalyst driver is much-improved or until GL4+re-clocking is working and in the mainline code-bases for Fiji. At least by the time that happens, the cards should be cheaper.

Re: Open Source?

Its always bothered me that there isn't some kind of standard instruction set that video cards must support. I figure that the PCIe working group should enforce such a thing before a video card can get a PCI ID, such as requiring that a card support a specific version of OpenGL using a well-known byte-code / mnemonic to execute such instructions. Especially make it so that GPUs could still execute a wide range of 3D operations without needing a driver, but a driver could be used to support advanced features.

This would be similar to the way CPUs work where the OS will run smoothly without a driver, but isn't able to use the accelerated encryption instructions or media streaming bits until a driver is installed.

Would you like to buy a slightly used bridge - we in London have several you could have at bargain-basement prices?

Video cards have a design life of 8 months. By the time you have reverse engineered their stuff and made your own, you will be two generations behind for sure.

The real reasons are:

a) you wont just discover bugs, you will identify major cluster-fucks in the design.

b) you will discover they have lied and lied in the product descriptions.

c) you will find they have violated a ton of patents

d) two or three minor mods will treble the performance - and they are scared you could market their product as yours, out performing theirs.

e) they have used other people's IP with their permission, but not with their permission to disclose (requires additional fee).

Remember: Windows is clearly superior to the BSDs - the BSDs are desperate to steal Windows IP stack!

Disclaimers:

I have had to remove Nvidia cards from machines when installing Ubuntu over Windows, cos the installer wont even run in text mode on some.

Nvidia cards taste terrible, even with Peri-Peri source - even cockroaches won't eat them!