Re: [gNewSense-users] ATI blobs (was: runlevel 3 don't work)

[Jason Self]

> > Moreover, there's no 2D acceleration also for the newer ATI chips  
> > (without
> > firmwares), Xorg works slow as hell :-(

In reviewing the radeonhd changelog for version 1.3 they say that 2D  
acceleration (EXA) is enabled by default now, except on RV740.

> > I believe it is a community pressure
> > (http://www.fsf.org/photos/rms-sign.jpg) which is lead ATI to  
> > releasing
> > their specs. However that was not enough: required firmwares remains
> > non-free.
>
> That might be it, but ATI actually never released any specs until  
> AMD bought
> it.

And IIRC, people started predicting the release of documentation and  
code on the same day that the buyout was announced.

AMD pays some of their developers to work on the free software  
radeonhd driver, and they also contribute to CoreBoot. This exceeds  
Nvidia's level of cooperation as I understand it.

I think that AMD's level of involvement with the free software  
community is enough to give them my money when I buy video cards.