FreeBSD OpenCL/CUDA nVidia

[Valeri Galtsev]

On 9/1/18 10:34 AM, Steve O'Hara-Smith wrote:
> On Sat, 1 Sep 2018 14:54:26 +0000
> Carmel NY <carmel_ny at outlook.com> wrote:
> 
>> I don't believe that is a correct interpretation of the problem. Several
>> years ago, FreeBSD was unable to support nVidia's 64 bit drivers.
> 
> 	You have it backwards - nVidia's drivers come from nVidia they
> choose what platforms to write drivers for, how often to update them and
> what features to support on each platform. They naturally prioritise the
> platforms that lead to the most sales - which would be Windows (several
> versions for different versions of Windows) then Linux then FreeBSD.
> 
> 	If memory serves correctly FreeBSD originally supported running
> nVidia's 32 bit Linux drivers with the aid of the linux emulation layer. It
> was some time before FreeBSD had a 64 bit Linux emulation layer. Nothing to
> do with supporting nVidia products, everything to do with supporting Linux
> ABIs. Now nVidia provide FreeBSD drivers so there's little incentive to
> consider running the Linux drivers under emulation.
> 
>> A far more easily implemented plan would be for the FreeBSD developers to
>> pin point exactly what FreeBSD needs to do to become fully compatible
>> with nVidia products.
> 
> 	nVidia make products for several versions of Windows, Linux and
> FreeBSD these drivers are all different and tailored to their targets by
> nVidia with the help of the OS makers in each case. There's no such thing
> as "fully compatible with nVidia products", it's not as though Windows and
> Linux run the same drivers.
> 

Thanks, Steve, I second that. I didn't see your reply when few seconds 
ago I replied with somewhat similar (though much angrier, as wrong 
things really set me off) post.

Valeri

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Valeri Galtsev
Sr System Administrator
Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics
University of Chicago
Phone: 773-702-4247
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