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Void Linux thread
SiteAdmin:
--- Quote from: q66 on November 28, 2019, 06:57:40 am ---Obviously, as all GPUs require firmware, and specifically anything using amdgpu needs *loadable* firmware (i.e. it's not onboard anymore) in form of signed firmware blobs. The driver may not be proprietary, but the firmware always is.
--- End quote ---
We mark anything requiring kernel/userspace binaries as Proprietary. Card side firmware we don't explicitly call out, since it's IOMMU isolated. If we see any libre GPU options start showing up, we'll start calling out cards that require vendor firmware somehow, but for now there's no real point considering the state of the GPU market.
Jubadub:
--- Quote from: q66 on November 28, 2019, 06:57:40 am ---Obviously, as all GPUs require firmware, and specifically anything using amdgpu needs *loadable* firmware (i.e. it's not onboard anymore) in form of signed firmware blobs. The driver may not be proprietary, but the firmware always is.
--- End quote ---
Actually, what is obvious is that what you said is not obvious (and is technically even wrong in the end when you said "the firmware always is [proprietary]"), for 2 simple, factual reasons:
- Just like drivers, firmware source code exists for various devices, and GPU firmware is no different (whether they are already out there or not is another matter). In fact, even the Talos computers contain firmware you can recompile at will;
- The purchase page marks the NVidia GPUs as "proprietary", which, for people not familiar with the availability or lack thereof of libre GPU firmware, can easily and reasonably be interpreted it refers to the firmware. (The driver situation being proprietary or not is OS-dependant, not Talos-dependant, and the purchase page is for Talos alone).
There's also the fact it has been previously discussed on Raptor's Twitter (not sure if by them or a 3rd party) that ALL firmware has been "liberated" (as in, made libre) for the RaptorCS computers (or something along those lines), except one: HDD / SSD firmware. But whether that is true or not, I don't know. But people checking out Raptor's two Twitter accounts can easily come across the statement.
--- Quote from: SiteAdmin on November 28, 2019, 03:31:05 pm ---We mark anything requiring kernel/userspace binaries as Proprietary. Card side firmware we don't explicitly call out, since it's IOMMU isolated. If we see any libre GPU options start showing up, we'll start calling out cards that require vendor firmware somehow, but for now there's no real point considering the state of the GPU market.
--- End quote ---
Now this clears it up, many thanks.
q66:
--- Quote from: Jubadub on November 29, 2019, 07:54:25 am ---Actually, what is obvious is that what you said is not obvious (and is technically even wrong in the end when you said "the firmware always is [proprietary]"), for 2 simple, factual reasons:
- Just like drivers, firmware source code exists for various devices, and GPU firmware is no different (whether they are already out there or not is another matter). In fact, even the Talos computers contain firmware you can recompile at will;
--- End quote ---
What are you talking about? There is no libre GPU firmware. It literally doesn't exist. Raptor hardware doesn't contain a GPU, so it doesn't need to concern itself with that out of box, but any GPU you add, it will always have proprietary firmware.
MPC7500:
That's why Raptor is unable to build a notebook at the moment.
--- Quote ---...and an open-firmware DRM-free GPU. That's the primary hold-up for us right now, not the CPU.
--- End quote ---
Twitter
nglevin:
q66, thanks for all the work to get Void working on POWER. I really enjoyed your talk on the challenges of porting the distro, along with exactly what pieces work and why.
I'd like to give it a try with WindowMaker and dmenu, after being somewhat convinced of dmenu's seaworthiness with this Void Linux setup guide. With that, it should resemble an old FreeBSD desktop I used to have.
Also, props for having bpftrace on all platforms. That will easily make me miss dtrace less.
Since it's mentioned as a distinguishing factor in this port, are there benchmarks showing the impact of ELFv2 on ppc64be or ppc32?
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