Is xfree86-video-nv driver really still needed ?

[metux]

Hi folks,

based on discussion in this PR X11Libre/xf86-video-nv#4, I'm wondering whether we really still need the xfree86-video-nv driver.

Since it never had been ported to EXA, we don't have any actual acceleration except for using HW cursors.
It seems that most cards should also work with plain framebuffer (/dev/fb*), thus could be used via xfree86-video-fbdev driver.
Maybe some also working with modesetting or nouveau (don't have any actual information about this)

Does anybody know any card or setup which really requires this driver ?

--mtx

[metux]

@stefan11111 @dec05eba @mikedld @callmetango

[dec05eba]

Old nvidia gpus dont support modesetting, so the question would be if they work with nouveau and that I dont know. I dont have any nvidia gpu that is several decades old.

[lorn10]

And for the sake of completeness it should be added here that even EXA drivers will be no longer of any practical use in Mesa 25.2 and newer because the DRI2 support was recently entirely removed. So this means that only GLES2 capable hardware which is compliant to DRI3 and Glamor will work with future Mesa versions. Yes, there exist a theoretically possibility to make EXA drivers compliant to DRI3 but this idea makes most likely no longer any sense in 2025.

[reaperx7]

Mesa-legacy-dri2 (pre-25.2) builds can still be used for exa/dri2. I see no problem with leaving availability intact.

[callmetango]

@AmerXz @felipe19930 @HaplessIdiot @hendrack @Renkoto @SuperDuperDeou I've seen you commenting on the Nvidia Issues · X11Libre/xserver and one or the other may have an Nvidia card too or some experience. What do you think?

[metux]

anybody here who does have that old HW ?

[stefan11111]

anybody here who does have that old HW ?

Even if there isn't anyone using this driver right now, one of the appeals of X is the fact that it works anywhere.
I think we should still keep this driver.

[HaplessIdiot]

I've enjoyed using both an Rx Vega 64 along side with a GTX 1080. Things have been smooth sailing with skip abi and 580 prop driver so far

[stefan11111]

I've enjoyed using both an Rx Vega 64 along side with a GTX 1080. Things have been smooth sailing with skip abi and 580 prop driver so far

If you're using master, you can also use modesetting with Nvidia, and still have good performance, if you want to.

[callmetango]

anybody here who does have that old HW ?

Even if there isn't anyone using this driver right now, one of the appeals of X is the fact that it works anywhere. I think we should still keep this driver.

+1 I think we should keep it for a while. At least until we are clear about how to deal with Drop crusty old drivers for ancient display adapters and 3D decelerators · Issue #193 · X11Libre/xserver in general.

[hendrack]

The oldest nvidia card I have is the GT710 and that worked with both nouveau (glx with mesa) and nvidia-470 (with Felipe's one-liner patch). Though I tested no more than startx, glxinfo and mpv.

Same with the Quadro K1000m (Kepler).

[stefan11111]

The oldest nvidia card I have is the GT710 and that worked with both nouveau (glx with mesa) and nvidia-470 (with Felipe's one-liner patch). Though I tested no more than startx, glxinfo and mpv.

Same with the Quadro K1000m (Kepler).

What is Felipe's patch?

[hendrack]

X11Libre/xserver#310 (comment)

[stefan11111]

@felipe19930 should open a pr for it.

[callmetango]

I featured this discussion in Compatibility of XLibre · X11Libre/xserver Wiki and maybe will feature it in Add mission statement and other good things to the README · Issue #148 · X11Libre/misc too. So we should keep this open for a while and hopefully get some feedback.

[reaperx7]

The old nv driver was mainly for Riva, TNT, and early Geforce cards. The vesa driver pretty much duplicates it's functionality anyway. It offered no 3D acceleration anyway, and was just a VESA, FBdev, and EDID handler if anything.

It can probably be safely dropped or just relegated to maintenance only for the curious.

[metux]

Can you confirm that these cards are running on vesa or modesetting ?

[reaperx7]

Can you confirm that these cards are running on vesa or modesetting ?

Unfortunately, I can't. I no longer have any hardware that old.