Linux Creator Drops F-Bomb on Nvidia, ''Worst Company''
“I know exactly what you're talking about and I'm very happy to say that it's the exception rather than the rule. And I'm also very happy to very publicly point out that Nvidia has been one of the worst trouble spots we have had with hardware manufacturers,” said Linus Torvalds, “And that is really sad because Nvidia tries to sell chips - a LOT of chips - into the Android market. And Nvidia has been the single worst company we have ever dealt with. So, Nvidia, fuck you!”
Unfortunately, Nvidia has found a way to make money from the Android Market with Tegra, but that doesn't mean they are obligated to support Linux any more than that. Perhaps giving them the finger will make them reconsider.
Interestingly, the last audience member to speak had recently joined Nvidia and stated that they are working on more Tegra support to please the Linux community, “Even though you gave me the finger, I still thank you!” to which Torvalds responded:
“I actually like being outrageous at times, it's amusing, I guarantee you if you make that video available on the Internet, there will be thousands of people really upset. I like offending people, because I think people who get offended should be offended.”
The entire Aalto Center Q&A video is available here and is worth watching in its entirety:
If you would like to skip to where the F-Bomb was dropped, click here.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a 2% market share still amount to millions of machines using Linux?
With a 1:45 ratio, increasing cost to make drivers to Linux due to the increasing fragmentation between the different Distros.
What a shocker nVidia isnt polishing its drivers as much any more, if i were Nvidia it would been time to pull the plug competently after this way of saying thanks for your support!
You do realize that most servers use some type of linux? I don't know much about that driver situation but I'm sure Tesla gets a healthy dose of driver optimization for linux.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a 2% market share still amount to millions of machines using Linux?
Linux is way more than the 2% that you stated.
Android is linux based, how many android phones are ??
In the university you use linux.
Almost all servers run on linux
Yeah maybe the gaming market is not using linux so that's the reason why Nvidia doesn't develop drivers for them, but linux is way more than that 2% and is growing
The argument about the server share of Linux installs further the argument that they gain less, not that many servers use powerful discrete gfx cards for instance. Working 2d drivers and the server part is mostly set. As for the Tesla range of cards i can imagine that the Cuda/OpenCL drivers have much more shared code base between the os's than the 3d gfx counterparts and thus are easier to maintain.
Get me right i like Linux but i cant for the world understand Mr.Linux's way of thanking nVidia for their work.
Truth is that nVidia IS making money (or at least trying to) from Linux. Firstly through Android and secondly through Tesla.
They have the full capacity and technical know-how to be very helpful to the linux and android community but they simply can't be arsed.
This whole situation reminds me of my cell phone where nVidia refuses to open-source its Tegra2 drivers. Pretty much the very reason I won't buy another cellphone with Tegra X running inside.
I agree with you about phones, and some servers, but not almost servers are linux. The server market belongs to Windows.
Your linux server are running mostly appliances and some hosting items, But Windows is the top in the server world. Note this just becasue I am stating this dosen't mean I am a big windows fan. I like server 2008R2, It dam good. But my favorit OS is not longer relevent in todays world.
I started out as a admin 15 years ago when Sun Solaris was king. I like Solaris, You want to try something awesome, Look at it.
Speak bad about mr/product/legend/whatever xxx and its the guillotine no matter how valid the statements are and what they are about. People always have different perspectives of things and it would seem the maturity level in the debates always drops when its the underdog vs xxx debates.
Do many servers use Tegra chips?
You're missing the point, Linux/Unix is everywhere, way above and beyond what you may recognize as just Ubuntu. The fact that Nvidia produces products supporting and running from the OS, and then doesn't back it up with good drivers leaves many puzzled - here is the main argument with (desktop) market share aside.