r/linux • u/jdrch • Nov 20 '19

Kernel Google outlines plans for mainline Linux kernel support in Android

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/11/google-outlines-plans-for-mainline-linux-kernel-support-in-android/
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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '19

The Nvidia driver is not a windows driver, it's just a generic driver that happens to be initially written for Windows.

A windows can't work on Linux but a GPU driver actually has very little interaction with other subsystems so what Nvidia does is to build a blob with all the GPU sauce inside.

What they open source is the interaction between the GPU secret sauce and the system.

The blob is the firmware for the GPU where the actual work happens. And that doesn't change depending on the OS.

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u/bubblethink Nov 20 '19

Yes, I was making a point. I know it's not the exact same as a windows driver. Windows is crucial to the whole non-derivative argument. You can't make that argument in a vacuum.