[Xorg] DRI merging

[Daniel Stone]

On Mon, Jun 14, 2004 at 08:00:59AM +0100, Dave Airlie wrote:
> > > So? My sister still uses a P120, and is happy with it. Why should she be
> > > forced to upgrade?
> 
> I think that is a bit petty really, please try and keep this
> discussion some way in the bounds of logic, at some point you have to
> throw away older systems, X works on these systems now, we want to build a
> new version of X that works on top of newer cards using features of these
> cards, the older systems can still use X as they do now however
> development will slow on XAA drivers and newer applications will use newer
> features stopping them from working on the older systems...
> 
> Just because we develop a new graphics sub-system, it doesn't mean you
> have to run it, I belive there is space (if we merge fbdev functionality
> into the drm) to build an XAA Xserver on top of it using the drm to do the
> mode setting card resetting, pci access and any locking, it just won't run
> 3D apps, it can still run X/GNOME etc..

I just do not see the world that Jon envisions, in which old hardware
has simply vanished. I know it hasn't, because there are many machines
around me - and my friends, and family, and everyone I know - which are
simply incapable of running it.

Just because 'the competition'[0] is locking older hardware out, doesn't
mean we should, too. I'm all for this new infrastructure which allows us
to harness the full power of cards which still cost a reasonable amount
in $au (I still own a rv250), but surely there must be some sort of
fallback for those of us who are still to get with the program, realise
that hardware is cheap, and throw a month's rent at a new computer[1].

:) d, stuck in the technology stone-age[2]

[0]: While we're at it, 'us' vs. 'them/you' is petty and unconstructive.
[1]: You'd be lucky to include a r3xx in a $au800-$au1k machine.
[2]: Communicating with you by the graces of a 56k modem.

-- 
Daniel Stone                                            <daniel at freedesktop.org>
freedesktop.org: powering your desktop                http://www.freedesktop.org
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
URL: <http://lists.x.org/archives/xorg/attachments/20040614/ad44f66c/attachment.pgp>