On Dec 26, 2007 12:48 PM, Bit <bit2300@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Why is it that in Windows I can install ATI drivers once and never worry
> about it again, while in Linux I may have to *reinstall* the drivers at
> a later date after a system update to get my card working with them
> again? Experience has proven to me that in Windows I can install the
> ATI drivers once, leave those same drivers on there for eternity, update
> the system over and over with Automatic Updates, and never worry about
> it breaking my video card. In Linux, every time I see a kernel update,
> I've learned to be braced for impact and just be ready with my ATI
> drivers to reinstall to get my card working again. I've never
> understood this. I'd like a technical explanation for why this is so.
In windows, you're not swapping out the kernel tree with somewhat
regular frequency. You're patching it, or applying patches to other
bits that it calls. The proprietary driver vendors (ATI/Nvidia) have
spent more time and more development resource into ensuring that the
transitions here work fine with no need to re-install. Such is not the
case with linux, which is only now gaining enough market share to
force them to notice.
In some instances, things like dkms can be used which remove the
irritation you're seeing, as the kernel module is updated/rebuilt for
each newer kernel if it's detected to not already be present. ATI and
Nvidia however do not use this packaging method. Dag and other 3rd
party packagers have taken the charge on some of this, however it's
still mostly up to the community to improve what the vendors dole out.
--
During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.
George Orwell
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