Proprietary or open source NVidia drivers?

[Valent]

I would like to ask any NVidia Fedora users do you use open source or proprietary NVidia drivers?

Why do you use driver that you use? Have you tried the other one? What are the benefits and disadvantages to both of them?

If you use proprietary drivers how do you install them? Which package or packages need to be installed? Which repository has best proprietary NVidia drivers?

I’m asking because Fusion Linux [1] ships only with default open source drivers but if NVidia users wish I can also include proprietary driver and have it pre-installed by default. I don’t have any NVidia hardware running Fedora so any donations are also welcome

Pick your poison.

[1] http://fusionlinux.org/

[HMSS013]

open source... unless you're using an cutting edge card...and especially with ati

[AloneInTheDark]

Open!
Here my reasons:
1- I don't really need "true 3D", I need "soft 3D": I don't play videogames, but I really need a fast desktop, and, IMHO, 2D is more responsive without closed source.
2- If my system hangs ( I mean "frozen") I know who blame to!
3- Help the community with feedback (to have in return a better driver!)


Here:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation G96 [GeForce 9600M GT] (rev a1)

[DBelton]

I use the proprietary NVidia drivers on one of my systems and the nouveau drivers on another.

The NVidia drivers are better for running the 3D games on so on my gaming machine I have them installed.

And the best source for the NVidia drivers in Fedora has to be the ones in the rpmfusion repo. I install them using the akmod package so when the kernel gets updated, it will update my nvidia kernel module for me even if the module for the kernel hasn't hit the rpmfusion repo yet.

I don't see how you can really include the drivers, though. It depends on which NVidia card you have as to what driver you need to install. And the drivers use a kernel module that must be rebuilt with every kernel update. It's best to install them using the rpmfusion akmod package so it will automatically update the kernel module when you update the kernel.

[bodhi.zazen]

nouveau FTW !!!

It generally works well and does what I need.

A better question, what does the nouveau lack that makes you want to install the nvidia driver ?

[Valent]

Originally Posted by bodhi.zazen

nouveau FTW !!!

It generally works well and does what I need.

A better question, what does the nouveau lack that makes you want to install the nvidia driver ?

Most people seam to say it lacks 3D performance and VDPAU video decoding.

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...item&px=ODY3Mw

---------- Post added at 06:06 PM GMT ---------- Previous post was at 06:05 PM GMT ----------

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...item&px=ODY2Nw

[Valent]

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag..._results&num=1

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...u_mesa79&num=1

---------- Post added at 11:06 AM GMT ---------- Previous post was at 09:09 AM GMT ----------

This post has raised some heat in blog comments and also in Fedora mailing list discussion so please lets all calm down and give your vote here: http://fusionlinux.org/2010/10/13/pr...vidia-drivers/ or directly http://poll.fm/2c1q3

[marriedto51]

Originally Posted by Valent

This post has raised some heat in blog comments and also in Fedora mailing list discussion [snip]

No doubt. This is one of those things that raises people's passions!

For the record, I use the proprietary Nvidia drivers. That is partly from habit: I've been using Fedora in combination with Nvidia GPUs for quite a while, and Nouveau is, as the name suggests, not that old.

I did try Nouveau when I installed Fedora 12, but found it ran the desktop effects (let alone any 3D games) quite slowly on my hardware. (I make no claims about how typical that is.)

In general, though, I do want to support open software, so I will try Nouveau again when I get round to Fedora 13 or 14.

[bodhi.zazen]

Originally Posted by Valent

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag..._results&num=1

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...u_mesa79&num=1

---------- Post added at 11:06 AM GMT ---------- Previous post was at 09:09 AM GMT ----------

This post has raised some heat in blog comments and also in Fedora mailing list discussion so please lets all calm down and give your vote here: http://fusionlinux.org/2010/10/13/pr...vidia-drivers/ or directly http://poll.fm/2c1q3

Nice links, and if you have a specific reason to install the nvidia driver go for it.

BUT, I would suggest you try the nouveau driver from time to time. The nouveau drier on F13 meets my needs. I have been using it since F12 was released and am happy to :

1. No longer need to compile the nvidia driver with kernel upgrades (been there done that, akmod, etc).

2. If I do have a problem, the open source dev care more for nouveau then the nvidia dev care for Linux (been there, done that with bug reports with nvidia as well).

With all that, neither driver is perfect yet, but the nouveau driver "works for me" and I have been happy with it.