[SoothingSorbet]

> Windows exists to enable the user to do whatever he wants

It's very bad at that, then, considering it insists on getting in my way any time I want to do something (_especially_ something off of the beaten path).

> If the user wants to play a game or watch a video, Direct3D is there to let him do that. If he doesn't, Direct3D doesn't get in the way.

I don't see what the point you are trying to make is, this is no different on Linux. What does D3D being in the kernel have to do with _anything_? You can have a software rasterizer on Linux too. You can play games and watch videos. Your message is incoherent.

[Dalewyn]

>I don't see what the point you are trying to make is

Parent commenter said Linux shouldn't have <X> if it's not useful for everyone, though more likely he means for himself. Either way, he is arguing Linux shouldn't have a feature for dogmatic reasons. Violating the Unix ethos of doing only one thing, or something.

Meanwhile, Windows (and Android) have features so people can actually get some bloody work done rather than proselytize about their glorious beardcode.

[movedx]

> Parent commenter said Linux shouldn't have <X>

I said no such thing! You've completely missed the point.

[Dalewyn]

You said "why must Linux have" a feature that can be useful to some and not useful to others. Taking that to its strongest conclusion[1], you're saying Linux shouldn't have something if it's not useful to "everyone" and asking for counter arguments; this is not unlike the "Do one thing and do it well." Unix ethos.

Clearly, as demonstrated by history, most people prefer that their computers can and will do the many things they need or want with minimal finagling. That is what having DirectX inside Windows means, and why Linux which makes that a finagling option at best and flat out refuses as heresy at worst flounders.

[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

[movedx]

> ... you're saying Linux shouldn't have something...

I said no such thing. You're taking a question and converting it into a statement in your own head.

Why must any operating system be designed with a 3D rendering engine compiled into it? It's just a question. I'm trying to learn. I've never once said it should or should not have the thing, I'm asking why would it need it? Why should it have an equivalent to Windows' implementation of such a thing? What do I gain? Is that always a good design choice? Is that true of Windows Server, and if so, why do I need 3D rendering baked into my Windows Server? What about Windows Server Core... does the NT kernel have it baked in there?

[Dalewyn]

Here's what you said again for reference:

>It _can be_ useful. It can also _not_ be useful to others. It sounds like it's not a choice in this case, but a forced feature, and that's fine for some and not for others.

>So again, why _must_ Linux have an equivalent?

That is very different from simply asking why Linux should have a "Direct3D" built in like Windows does Direct3D.

>What do I gain?

To answer this again and more in-depth this time: A central, powerful subsystem that can be assumed to exist. We can assume Direct3D is and always will be available in Windows.

One of Linux's biggest problems is you can't safely assume anything will exist, in particular cases not even the kernel. This is the reason containers were invented, because you need to bring your own entire operating environment on account of being impossible to assume anything. The cost for this workaround is performance and complexity, the latter of which most users abhor.

>Is that always a good design choice?

Yes, it enables users thereof.

> Is that true of Windows Server, and if so, why do I need 3D rendering baked into my Windows Server? What about Windows Server Core... does the NT kernel have it baked in there?

If the server is a media server, say, having DirectX means the server can do encoding and decoding itself and that's something many people want.

Windows itself also needs Direct3D for rendering the desktop, which Server also obviously has.

There is next to no practical cost for the user.