this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2024
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Is there a reason to reinvent the wheel?
Usually this is done for licensing reasons. They probably don't want the old code caught up in the open license they're shipping the new driver under.
My understanding is that the new open driver separates proprietary code into a black box binary blob that isn't distributed under an open source license. I'm guessing that they've been very careful not to include anything they want to keep closed into the new open driver, whereas the old driver wasn't written with this separation in mind.
I was wondering about what they were doing with their "secret sauce", thanks for explaining.
Control, precedent, bean counter analysis etc. Pick your poison.
Some of it probably comes from other companies that are unable or unwilling to relicense it even if Nvidia wanted to