Asking for Video Card recommendation

[Rodolfo J. Paiz]

At 10:06 5/20/2004, Reuben D. Budiardja wrote:
>I am building a linux (RHEL 3 based) workstation for scientific 
>visualization.

I am not an expert on this, but at least some comments might help you. I 
suggest you first check the HCL (Hardware Compatibility List) and since you 
are going to be using RHEL you might also want to ask Red Hat. After all, 
if you get a good and supported card they will have a lot less work to do 
supporting you!

It appears to me (based on what little I know) that the three companies 
which most cleanly support Linux are (in an attempt at order):

         1. Nvidia. Binary-only, closed-source, proprietary drivers but 
which work beautifully on nearly all distros. Come with their own 
installer, and generally have kernel modules and XFree drivers for most 
distros. If for some reason they don't have a module for yours, just have 
the kernel source installed (kernel-source RPM) and it will compile its 
own. The installer is also able to check for a newer driver and update 
itself. (Which is nice since you are going to have to recompile the driver 
if your kernel changes.) There is also a Free open driver with less 
functionality since it is a bitch to reverse-engineer video cards.

         2. ATI. Some open-source drivers, some binary closed. Less support 
than Nvidia, but some like them better (especially for older cards) due to 
philosophical reasons since some of their drivers have been open-sourced. 
Careful which features and which cards are supported in Linux.

         3. Matrox. Not open source, and I don't know which cards or which 
features are supported. I *do* know that they are an excellent company, and 
that several people on redhat-list and fedora-list are successfully using 
stuff from a Millennium II through a G450/G550 and up to a Parhelia 512. 
How, or with what ease/difficulty, I do not know.

Do check the websites of all three and see what you like. Let's also see 
what other responses you get. If I'm right, there should be at least one 
wrathful response from Rui loudly condemning the One Great Evil of 
closed-source drivers and telling you to stay the hell away from anyone who 
hasn't pledged his soul to the Open Source Gods. However, hopefully you'll 
also get several other, more useful and reasoned, responses. <grin>

Cheers,


-- 
Rodolfo J. Paiz
rpaiz at simpaticus.com
http://www.simpaticus.com