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Comment by gegenschall | Hacker News Reader

> Windows has gotten a lot better [...]

Remember when we used to say the same thing about Linux? Funny how times change.

Regarding gaming - Linux went backwards now that new gadgets like VR headsets and high refresh synced monitors are required for serious gaming. Feels like 2002 all over again without any games.

TBH, the hardware manufacturers could write drivers for their stuff.

Or at least write open documentation so free software can do the work.

So that people can do their work for free.

Is writing proper docs so bad not even getting these fine people working for you for free makes it worth the effort?

They might do, if Linux wasn't so hostile to the concept of proprietary drivers and had a stable driver ABI.

Not that I necessarily disagree with their position on the matter, but you can't escape the consequences.

Well, there would be another kind of consequences. See Android, where there are proprietary drivers and most of them are buggy crap thrown over the wall.

There is also a reason, why Apple won't ship hardware or drivers, that they don't have source for.

I'm not sure "Linux" (by this I believe you mean Linux kernel and distros & open-source software) is hostile to the concept of proprietary drivers. There is only a small subset of users who are hostile to proprietary drivers. And I have no idea why you are suggesting Linux doesn't have a stable ABI.

Because for drivers, it doesn't and never did and never will as long as Linus has anything to say about it. This is in stark contrast to his position on userland ABI, which is so stable you can still run Motif.

Ok, that sounds like a fair criticism.

hangman still works great!

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