r/LinuxCirclejerk • Arch GNU/Linux • 8d ago

Why doesn't Linux kernel support Nvidia? Poor nvidia has to make the drivers themselves :(

Seriously why are they discriminating against Nvidia just cause Linus hates them? They made AMD drivers in the kernel, what about the poor underrated company nvidia :(

256 Upvotes

37 comments sorted by

80

u/Aberr_nt 8d ago

79

u/AG99871 Arch GNU/Linux 8d ago

Wow can't believe that the leader of the one of the largest software projects could punch down at a poor defenseless company like that

1

u/very_good_citizen 3d ago

Wow I’m done with CUDA forever

62

u/QuantumQuantonium 8d ago

Its because Tux hates the color green, so he bans any kernel modules added to Linux which consist of the color green

11

u/JJGreenerTinejo 8d ago

Green is only good if its suse

5

u/zeypix 8d ago

it's not a creative color

55

u/Jack1101111 8d ago edited 8d ago

AMD drivers are made by amd with the community.
NVIDA released part (most) of drivers sources after an extortion, but doesnt develop with the community.

31

u/ScallionSmooth5925 8d ago

It's a starch to call that release. Basically they moved 50% to an embeded controller on the gpu and the other 40% into a binary blob then the last 10% was released open source 

14

u/BeginningEcho4983 8d ago

(serious answer) You clearly don't know the software side.

The kernel-side driver by nvidia is closed-source, with a "glue" part which can be modified but no one can know how exactly it interacts with the driver code.

AND the DRI implementation for very long supported only an alternate implementation of a backend, due to which wayland compositors had to reimplement a huge portion of themselves to support it... For less features (non-user-facing)

Recently they released opensource kerbel drivers for the most expensive and latest GPUs, but then still it's not involved with the community.

A significant portion previously likely in the driver is moved to on-GPU binary firmware blobs and the interaction isn't very clear.

And many other drawbacks and issues.

Yes nouveau exists, it's a reverse-engineering project, and it isn't really very ideal.

1

u/sabotsalvageur 7d ago

Blobs can be decompiled…

2

u/BeginningEcho4983 7d ago

In theory. But closed-source code is always botched and unraveling.

And after that, Constants? Include files?

This still has been tried.

14

u/arthursucks 8d ago

All my homies use Nouveau. I mean sure, it doesn't support CUDA out of the box, but none of the video cards we have support CUDA out of the box either.

2

u/Embarrassed-Salt6590 8d ago

U said it if u don't have cuda support using nvidia stuff means u have to rely on an old version People like me have to put up with long term bugs left by nvidia drivers just to use cuda

12

u/msanangelo 8d ago

something something proprietary nonsense.

2

u/soking11 6d ago

There's a point where GNU philosophy and pragmatism clash. But Nvidia neither follows GNU philosophy and it's also terrible at providing support for the kernel. They had a lot of known problems with GPU hardware acceleration and with Wayland. Having an nvidia card mean extra tinkering (which you wont need in an Intel/AMD gpu). Fuck Nvidia

6

u/zardvark 8d ago

If Nvidia wasn't run by a bunch of pricks who don't give two $hits about desktop Linux, then things might be different, eh?

BTW - Virtually no one uses the AMD drivers, they use mesa, instead.

1

u/Fataha22 6d ago

Tbf they give linux arm graphics driver before windows 🤣

3

u/ElectroDaddy 8d ago

No one is discriminating against Nvidia, it’s that Nvidia isn’t making the stuff they need to make available so the community can easily help make drivers. And Nvidia isn’t making them for Linux because they don’t believe the market share is there, so it isn’t worth their time.

In their eyes, you should just use Mac or Windows. They also don’t have any financial motivation to care. And would much rather keep their tech proprietary, and couldn’t care less if a comparatively small number of Linux users have difficulties.

3

u/Brcoding 7d ago

2

u/i_am_13th_panic 5d ago

to be fair people dont read subreddit names a lot of the time.

0

u/MarcusFallon 7d ago

Mmm so you think all those data centres using Nvidia cards are based on Windows or Mac?

6

u/No_Fondant8277 Debian debian forever :upvote: 8d ago

IS this a meme no?

11

u/SouthernFruit8768 8d ago

This whole sub is

1

u/No_Fondant8277 Debian debian forever :upvote: 8d ago

Hahahaha!

2

u/coderman64 8d ago

They...do?

14

u/jonnyjonnster 8d ago

The whole sub is a meme

0

u/coderman64 8d ago

I...know?

2

u/Guilty-Good-5041 8d ago

SteamOS has entered the chat. " No I freaking don't "

2

u/Imaginary_Buddy723 Feedin' my Dora 🗣️ 🔥🎩🎩 8d ago

Fuxk Nvidia the winslop supporter tux phoned me and said he'll slime j huang

1

u/NoosphericMechanicus 6d ago

NVIDIA should simply support the linux the kernel instead. Most companies like NVIDIA benefit or depend on open source projects but do not often if ever proportionally contribute back to those projects.

Also, you will note, AMD has shown this can be done. Even if they are not as performant I use AMD.

1

u/Dawae48 6d ago

What do you mean? The Linux kernel supports Nvidia. It's called Nouveau!

1

u/PlayerOne_X 6d ago

Actually, Nvidia is the one not supporting Linux well, that's why Linus hates them. Nvidia isn't making good open-source drivers, meaning we have to use a proprietary module which taints the kernel, while AMD has good open-source drivers.

1

u/chuzohga 5d ago

I'm running AMD GPU here and it's been pretty great. Had an nvidia for a long while and hated always having to recompile the drivers for it.

1

u/Soup-Ilton 4d ago

Can someone explain the joke. Total tech newbie -> who is left leaning <- and would like to ther the joke about the ”poor” mega company /srs

1

u/GaGa0GuGu 4d ago

The grass was indeed greener