Intel open-sources Linux drivers for gen 4 graphics

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Aug. 10, 2006

Intel has just made it a lot easier for Linux users to get the most from its new, fourth-generation graphics architecture. The company's Open Source Technology Center has announced immediate availability of free, open-source software drivers that support the 2D/3D graphics features of the 965 Express Chipset, the first chipset supporting the new architecture.

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Among other top-of-the-line features, the 965 chipset family is designed to support advanced rendering features in modern graphics APIs (application programming interfaces).

The 965 family includes support for programmable vertex, geometry, and fragment shaders. By open-sourcing the drivers, Intel will enable the open source community to experiment, develop, and contribute to the continuing advancement of open-source 3D graphics programs such as the 3D Linux desktop programs Xgl and compiz.

Intel has designed multiple versions of the 965 chipset, which supports its Core 2 Duo processor as well as its Pentium D. The G965 and Q965, designed for consumer-oriented and business-oriented PCs, each offer built-in graphics.

The 965 graphics engine, dubbed Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3000, offers several additional features versus Intel's current 945G integrated graphics chipset.

One such GMA X3000 feature is Clear Video Technology, which Intel says offers clearer pictures and color control and adjustment to users via the ProcAmp API.

The two graphics-enabled 965 chipsets have not come out in PCs, as of yet. However, the chipsets have been shipping for several weeks, Intel officials said.

A non-graphical version of the chipset, dubbed P965 has been available since the July 27 Core 2 Duo launch.

This open-source driver release represents the start of a long-term effort by Intel to work with the X.org and Mesa communities to continuously improve and enhance the drivers.

As the first release of this code, Intel admits that the drivers are still in need of significant testing, tuning, and bug fixing before they'll be ready for production use. Nevertheless, Intel, with its open-source graphics software partner Tungsten Graphics, is releasing the drivers now to demonstrate the company's ongoing commitment to providing open-source drivers.

Future work on the driver will continue in the X.org and Mesa, an open-source implementation of OpenGL, project source code repositories. The 965 free software website, Linux Graphic Drivers from Intel, will serve as the central site for Linux and other open-source operating system 965 users.

-- Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

Additional reporting by John Spooner

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