It’s too bad that there’s still a proprietary binary layer that this driver will talk to. (I’m assuming right/wrong that it’s not open source, since it’s binary.)
I must’ve missed that from in the post. Do you have more information on that?
The article mentions the following …
the NOVA driver is intentionally limited to the RTX 20 “Turing” GPUs and newer where there is the NVIDIA GPU System Processor (GSP) with the firmware support to leverage for an easier driver-writing experience.
Also in the same article, there’s a link to another article that mentions it a little bit more …
“… serving as a hard- and firmware abstraction layer for GSP-based NVIDIA GPUs.”
I’ve also read something about it from other places, other articles as well …
The GSP is binary-only firmware loaded at run-time. The open-source kernel driver explicitly depends upon the GSP-supported graphics processors.
Basically, some/allot of the Nvidia “magic” is in their hardware/firmware, and that they are not open source.
Feel free to double check me on this though, that’s just my interpretation based on quickly reading some articles over the last six months or so.
Thanks for the links. I’m not versed in drivers, but I expect most to talk to a proprietary firmware at some point. Most computers have a proprietary BIOS they have to talk to, though they do follow open standards. NVIDIA’s GSP probably doesn’t have open standards. Whether the API is documented might also be an area of concern.
Most computers have a proprietary BIOS they have to talk to, though they do follow open standards.
I can’t find the link to show you, but I had thought I read before where some of the Nvidia ‘Secret Sauce’ code that would normally be in the driver software was in the firmware, and that the firmware was not open sourced.
So it would mean extra effort for the open source driver coders to try to get the same kind of performance. Basically Nvidia not open sourcing their proprietary code that gives them the/partial advantage in speed.
I think I remember reading about it in a web article, but like as I mentioned, I can’t remember which, or else I’d link it for you.
More than willing to admit I’m wrong about that interpretation too, but I remember it’s sticking out in my mind at the time of reading, as a “Sneaky Nvidia!” type of thought.
Them being NVIDIA, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they pulled such shenanigans. Doubtful anybody wouldn’t put it past them. (What a weird expression BTW, eh?)
The article mentions the following …
Also in the same article, there’s a link to another article that mentions it a little bit more …
I’ve also read something about it from other places, other articles as well …
Basically, some/allot of the Nvidia “magic” is in their hardware/firmware, and that they are not open source.
Feel free to double check me on this though, that’s just my interpretation based on quickly reading some articles over the last six months or so.
This comment is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Thanks for the links. I’m not versed in drivers, but I expect most to talk to a proprietary firmware at some point. Most computers have a proprietary BIOS they have to talk to, though they do follow open standards. NVIDIA’s GSP probably doesn’t have open standards. Whether the API is documented might also be an area of concern.
At least this is a step forward. Good read 👍
Anti Commercial-AI license
I can’t find the link to show you, but I had thought I read before where some of the Nvidia ‘Secret Sauce’ code that would normally be in the driver software was in the firmware, and that the firmware was not open sourced.
So it would mean extra effort for the open source driver coders to try to get the same kind of performance. Basically Nvidia not open sourcing their proprietary code that gives them the/partial advantage in speed.
I think I remember reading about it in a web article, but like as I mentioned, I can’t remember which, or else I’d link it for you.
More than willing to admit I’m wrong about that interpretation too, but I remember it’s sticking out in my mind at the time of reading, as a “Sneaky Nvidia!” type of thought.
This comment is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Them being NVIDIA, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they pulled such shenanigans. Doubtful anybody wouldn’t put it past them. (What a weird expression BTW, eh?)
Anti Commercial-AI license