Intel releases graphics programming manuals [LWN.net]

Intel releases graphics programming manuals

Posted Feb 1, 2008 22:20 UTC (Fri) by daniels (subscriber, #16193)
In reply to: Intel releases graphics programming manuals by rahvin
Parent article: Intel releases graphics programming manuals

Er, you do remember that the r200 3D driver was developed by Red Hat/The Weather Channel with
ATI's contribution and support, yes?

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Intel releases graphics programming manuals

Posted Feb 1, 2008 23:44 UTC (Fri) by drag (subscriber, #31333) [Link]

R200 was a _long_ _long_ time ago. And it was obsolete before the drivers actually got stable
enough to use for desktop work.

I don't think Redhat had anything to do with it either, but I don't remember. The Weather
Channel sponsored it and Tungsten Graphics were the ones to originally develop the driver.

ATI only released documentation to a very select group of people under NDAs. They also did not
release full documentation on the 3D hardware.. what they did release was stripped down and
lacked information about many 3D interfaces and the card's debugging facilities. For the R200
to end up being stable a great deal ended up having to be reverse engineered.

Intel took the same path with their driver development also. They originalled released
documentation to Tungsten Graphics under NDA and had them develop the original driver for the
915 series chipsets before they moved driver development in-house.

(Nothing against Tungsten Graphics; they are responsible for a hell of a lot good things for
Linux in terms of 3D graphics and deserve a lot more credit then they get)

Intel started off doing more then ATI ever did in terms of providing documentation with the
first GMA stuff.

What we have now is better then what ATI has promised and much much much better then anything
they ever delivered. There is realy no comparision. This is fantastic.

I do realy realy realy hope that ATI/AMD follow Intel's lead in supporting Linux in a truly
open manner. And, hell, if Intel comes through with it's discrete GPU plans it may make a big
of enough impact on to crack Nvidia's tight lips.

Intel releases graphics programming manuals

Posted Feb 2, 2008 0:13 UTC (Sat) by daniels (subscriber, #16193) [Link]

Sorry, Tungsten Graphics, not Red Hat.

The main problem I have is just with presenting AMD's work as done.  Intel got everything done
silently inhouse and dumped it all in one big load.  AMD presented documents as soon as they
were ready (John Bridgman started burning the CD around thirty seconds after his Blackberry
beeped to tell him that final signoff occurred), and it's still a work in progress -- the
easiest and most crucial part (modesetting) first, and then moving through the rest.  By
contrast, Intel just surprised people one day.