On Friday, 28 July 2006 at 22:36, Peter Gordon wrote:
Jeremy Sanders wrote:
> What I don't understand is why Nvidia feel the need to use a 8MB (!!!!)
> kernel module in the first place. Is there a reason why it needs to be
> there, and not in X.org like all the other graphics drivers? They could
> supply a non free driver legally then (not that I'd like them to supply a
> non free driver). They could shift any necessary kernel bits into a GPL
> kernel module.
>
It does contain both a kernel module and a loadable X.org module. As I
understand it, all 3-D X.org drivers work in this fashion.
The X.org module does the actual drawing to the hardware; and the kernel
module takes care of things like handling DMA and intterupts, GPU
command buffering and basic security validation, etc.
Actually, IIRC, ATI driver can function without the kernel module,
although you lose DRI if it's missing.
Regards,
R.
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