[werpon]

Option 3 has no basis since Intel doesn't need to write a single line of code to get their new chip supported under Linux, they just need to release the specs. Which brings us to:

4) Just like many graphics chips, this processor does some black magic to boost performance and Intel doesn't want to give any clues to competitors by releasing specs and/or open drivers.

[Zigurd]

Regarding "Just like many graphics chips, this processor does some black magic to boost performance and Intel doesn't want to give any clues to competitors..."

One reason it's common for GPU makers to be secretive is that there is a very big risk that GPUs and their drivers violate patents, and the makers of these products want to make it as difficult as possible to ascertain whether patents are being violated. They won't even broach the topic because that would draw them in to willful infringement.

So a proprietary OS maker like Microsoft can conclude a deal with IMGTek and give them all the secrecy they want, and Linux is left out.

Apparently even Intel can't get IMGTek to open up. Intel probably doesn't want to complicate their negotiating position with IMGTek by saying anything about whether Intel's GPUs might be sufficiently power-efficient to go into mobile parts. There is a lot of money, and a lot of product viability at stake. Intel GPUs have open source drivers.

[luriel]

> One reason it's common for GPU makers to be secretive is that there is a very big risk that GPUs and their drivers violate patents, and the makers of these products want to make it as difficult as possible to ascertain whether patents are being violated. They won't even broach the topic because that would draw them in to willful infringement.

This is another example of how patents are directly counterproductive to their originally intended goal of encouraging open innovation. Patents are not just creating a minefield, but are encouraging everyone to be more secretive at the same time.

[jrabone]

Most likely not performance as in rendering performance, but as in power saving; wasn't this also NVIDIA's reason for not releasing specs to Linux developers?

I actually have some sympathy with a hardware company in this position; if all your competitive advantage is in actually in software, open source is a tricky proposition. Nobody cares about the driver interface to the rendering pipeline any more - I imagine it's heavily dictated by the need to make open standards fast (eg. OpenGL). Power saving? That's a whole different ballgame.

It's a real pain that there are no useful standards for power saving - I've had to disable almost all of the cool processor features on my DAW (C-states, core parking, EIST) because they completely wreck real-time audio latencies, and cause clicks and glitches in DAW software (using external FireWire audio hardware). I notice that Cubase on Windows 7 dynamically installs a different power saving profile on startup, but presumably that means running it as Administrator, and we're back to the bad old days of running as root everywhere.

[rjsw]

Intel don't own the design of the GPU, they can't release the specs.

This is a non-story, Atom versions following this one will be able to run Linux fine.

[Iv]

Intel had the power to ask for that in the negotiations and did not. Deciding to still ship the product in these conditions is therefore purely an Intel decision.

[jeltz]

Interesting, do you know who the owner of the specs is?

[gvb]

Likely Imagination Technologies (PowerVR http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerVR)

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom_%28system_on_chip%29

See also http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTA1N... which talks about Intel's plans to drop PowerVR and go back to an internal (Intel) design:

The future SoC that's expected to introduce the new graphics is "Silvermont" and expected availability by early 2013. Before the exciting Silvermont there is expected to be the "Clover Trail" Atoms released this calendar year, but it doesn't sound like that SoC will bear new graphics capabilities. I hope to have some more details soon and am very excited to see Intel do away with the PowerVR graphics and its horrific driver support.

[rjsw]

Imagination Technologies, the GPU is a PowerVR one.