AMD unleashes open-source 3D code
Big bang in the GPUniverse
Posted in Developer, 31st December 2008 01:42 GMT
AMD has released “the fundamental Linux code” needed to develop open-source 3D-acceleration drivers for its R600 and R700 ATI graphic-processors series.
This is good news not only for those wishing to create drivers for those potent GPU series - known to non-AMD watchers by their marketing names of ATI Radeon HD 2×00, HD 3×00 (both R600), and Radeon HD 4×00 (R700) - but also for the legions of non-coding Linux-lovers who are lusting for access to the R600/700’s 3D powers.
According to a Phoronix, the bulk of the credit goes to AMD engineers John Bridgman and Alex Deucher, who “sanitized” the code of all proprietary non-essentials, then shepherded its approval through the AMD honcho-gauntlet so that it could be released “without any NDAs or other string [sic] attached.”
Coupled with AMD’s announcement that it would support the recently released open-source OpenCL 1.0 spec, which enables GPUs to be used for general-purpose computing (GPGPU), it appears that the GPUniverse is moving slowly but steadily towards an Open Source Software (OSS) model - although Nvidia, from all reports, is dragging its feet when it comes to open-sourcing its drivers.
The OSS future looks bright for GPUs: Intel is open with its drivers and AMD is catching - has caught? - up. Apple introduced OpenCL, and Intel, Nvidia, and AMD/ATI have announced their support. OSS development should proceed apace, both in 3D acceleration and GPGPU.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/31/amd_open_source_3d_code/
