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0 pointsQuixoticQuibit5y ago0 comments

NVIDIA’s hardware works on x86, PowerPC, and ARM platforms.

Many of their AI libraries/tools are in fact open source.

They stand to be a force that could propel ARM’s strength in data center and desktop computing. For some reason you’re okay with the current x86 duopoly held by AMD and Intel, both who have their own destiny over CPUs and GPUs.

The HN crowd is incredibly biased against certain companies. Why not look at some of the potential bright sides to this for a more nuanced and balanced opinion?

0 comments

LanternLight835y ago

There are good points on both sides; as a Linux user, I feel the effects of their proprietary drivers and uncooperative approach, while I can also appreciate that they've managed to work with the Gnome and KDE project to have some support under Wayland, and the contributions they've made to the machine learning communities. Ad a whole, I do think that the former outweighs the latter, and loath the acquisition, but do think that the resources they're packing will bring ARM to new heights for the majority users.

endgame5y ago

https://drewdevault.com/2017/10/26/Fuck-you-nvidia.html

You mean this Weyland "support"?

selectodude5y ago

"October 26, 2017"

I'm not coming out and saying it's gotten significantly better, but that is a three year old article and Nvidia-wayland does work on KDE and Gnome.

2 more replies

CountSessine5y ago

The funny thing about GBM vs EGLStreams, though, based on everything I’ve read online, is that there’s broad agreement that EGLStreams is the technically superior approach - and that the reason it’s been rejected by the Linux graphics devs is GBM, while inferior, has broad hardware vendor support. Apparently very few GPU vendors outside the big 3 had decent EGl implementations.

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arp2425y ago

I don't really have an opinion on nVidia, as I haven't dealt with any of their products for over a decade; my own problem with this is somewhat more abstract: I'm not a big fan of this constant drive towards merging all these tech companies (or indeed, any company really). Perhaps there are some short-term advantages for the ARM platform, but on the long term it means a few small tech companies will have all the power, which doesn't strike me as a good thing.

QuixoticQuibitOP5y ago

I don’t disagree with you, but I see it two ways:

1. The continued conglomeratization in the tech sector is a worrying trend as we see fewer and fewer small players.

2. Only a large-ish company could provide effective competition in the CPU/ISA/architecture space against the current x86 duopoly.

arp2425y ago

I'm not so sure about that second point; I don't see why an independent ARM couldn't provide an effective competition? Server ARMs have been a thing for a while, and Apple has been working on ARM macbooks for a while. I believe the goal is even to completely displace Intel macBooks in favour of the ARM ones eventually.

The big practical issue is probably software compatibility and the like, and it seems to me that the Apple/macOS adoption will do more for that than nVidia ownership.

dis-sys5y ago

> Why not look at some of the potential bright sides to this for a more nuanced and balanced opinion?

because as a NVIDIA user of the last 20 years, I never saw such bright side when it comes to open source.

ianai5y ago

Yes I wonder the same thing about the sentiment against nvidia. It’s be helpful if there were some wiki about things they’ve killed or instances they’ve acted against foss systems.

mixmastamyk5y ago

Linus famously gave them the middle-finger.

paulmd5y ago

"linus went on a hyperbolic rant" isn't sufficient evidence for anything.

linus is a hyperbolic jerk (as he admitted himself for a few months before resuming his hyperbolic ways) who is increasingly out of touch with anything outside the direct sphere of his projects. Like his misguided and completely unnecessary rants about ZFS or AVX.

if there are technical merits to discuss you can post those instead of just appealing to linus' hyperbole.

(I won't even say "appeal to authority" because that's not what you're appealing to. You're literally appealing to his middle finger.)

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WrtCdEvrydy5y ago

Nvidia does not publish drivers, only binary blobs.

You generally have to wrap those and use them while not being foss-compatible.

throwaway20485y ago

The OP said nothing about being ok with the x86 duopoly.

Its possible to dislike two things at once, its also possible to be wary of new developments that give much more market power to a notoriously uncooperative and closed company.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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LanternLight835y ago

endgame5y ago

https://drewdevault.com/2017/10/26/Fuck-you-nvidia.html

You mean this Weyland "support"?

selectodude5y ago

"October 26, 2017"

I'm not coming out and saying it's gotten significantly better, but that is a three year old article and Nvidia-wayland does work on KDE and Gnome.

2 more replies

CountSessine5y ago

1 more reply

arp2425y ago

QuixoticQuibitOP5y ago

I don’t disagree with you, but I see it two ways:

1. The continued conglomeratization in the tech sector is a worrying trend as we see fewer and fewer small players.

2. Only a large-ish company could provide effective competition in the CPU/ISA/architecture space against the current x86 duopoly.

arp2425y ago

The big practical issue is probably software compatibility and the like, and it seems to me that the Apple/macOS adoption will do more for that than nVidia ownership.

dis-sys5y ago

> Why not look at some of the potential bright sides to this for a more nuanced and balanced opinion?

because as a NVIDIA user of the last 20 years, I never saw such bright side when it comes to open source.

ianai5y ago

Yes I wonder the same thing about the sentiment against nvidia. It’s be helpful if there were some wiki about things they’ve killed or instances they’ve acted against foss systems.

mixmastamyk5y ago

Linus famously gave them the middle-finger.

paulmd5y ago

"linus went on a hyperbolic rant" isn't sufficient evidence for anything.

if there are technical merits to discuss you can post those instead of just appealing to linus' hyperbole.

(I won't even say "appeal to authority" because that's not what you're appealing to. You're literally appealing to his middle finger.)

3 more replies

WrtCdEvrydy5y ago

Nvidia does not publish drivers, only binary blobs.

You generally have to wrap those and use them while not being foss-compatible.

throwaway20485y ago

The OP said nothing about being ok with the x86 duopoly.

Its possible to dislike two things at once, its also possible to be wary of new developments that give much more market power to a notoriously uncooperative and closed company.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse