Graphics Hardware And FOSS
Free and open source software (FOSS) can be used with a variety of graphics hardware, largely via the X.Org project. There are varying levels of support, ranging from completely working drivers to unsupported hardware. Some manufacturers do not provide open source drivers or technical documentation suitable for independent developers to write accelerated 3D device drivers; support for products from these companies can be limited: they may provide only binary drivers (known as binary blobs) or lack of documentation may leave developers of open source drivers to reverse engineer their products or not support them at all. In the case of binary drivers there are also objections due to free software philosophy, software quality and security concerns. There are also concerns that the redistribution of closed source Linux kernel modules may be illegal.
A widely known source for performance information is the free3d.org site, which collects 3D performance information—specifically glxgears frame rates—submitted by users. On the basis of what it concedes is an inadequate benchmark, the site currently lists ATI's Radeon HD 4670 as recommended for "best 3D performance." Additionally, Phoronix routinely runs benchmarks comparing free driver performance.
Read more about Graphics Hardware And FOSS: Free Software Support, Problems With Binary Drivers, Open Hardware Projects
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