The instant fix is the enemy of the correct fix... [LWN.net]

The instant fix is the enemy of the correct fix...

Posted Jul 11, 2006 1:48 UTC (Tue) by xoddam (subscriber, #2322)
In reply to: Survey: Linux kernel quality by tjc
Parent article: Survey: Linux kernel quality

> As a fully recovered Quake II adict I can understand that people like
> their games, but I and several million other people could get along
> really well with a 2D graphics card and all the 3D stuff ripped out of
> the X server.

Indeed. After installing a 'new' distro one of the first config changes
I make is to change to vesafb, so I don't need to worry or care about 3D
problems.

My most recent one was that the (free) X.org ATI driver installed by the
Ubuntu Breezy CD (just few weeks before the release of Dapper) crashed
and burned because it tried to use instructions that weren't implemented
on my CeleronM CPU. Instant fix: switch to vesa X server.

I googled for other people with the same problem, found none, didn't
bother reporting it because Badger obviously wasn't tested with this
now-common combination of CPU and video chip and the release was
effectively already obsolete. I presume Dapper fixed the problem (google
still doesn't find any bug reports), but I haven't actually checked.

(BTW I did look for a laptop with 'supported' Intel graphics hardware,
but the price was right on this one and I liked the styling. What can I
say?)

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The instant fix is the enemy of the correct fix...

Posted Jul 11, 2006 9:26 UTC (Tue) by nix (subscriber, #2304) [Link]

I used to do that sort of thing too, bu the increased likelihood that desktops will *require* 3D on high-end video cards for efficient drawing has made me stop doing that. (OK, call it a certainty; when video cards drop 2D support, we'll *have* to use the 3D stuff for everything).

(The existence of the rather nice OpenGL Elite variant 'oolite' is entirely unconnected from my decision to get DRI working on my machines. Entirely.)

The instant fix is the enemy of the correct fix...

Posted Jul 11, 2006 14:16 UTC (Tue) by tjc (subscriber, #137) [Link]

Death, taxes, and 3D desktops. Somehow it just doesn't ring.

The instant fix is the enemy of the correct fix...

Posted Jul 11, 2006 17:09 UTC (Tue) by unaiur (subscriber, #3563) [Link]

vesafb has a terrible refresh rate on my mobo/monitor. I only get
1024x768 at 60Hz, just an eye killer. The via drivers isn't a jewel, but
I get 85Hz.