Re:Reasons to prefer Linux over Windows (2014)
by 3np on Monday November 16, 2020 @11:32AM
(#25113619)
I assume the nVidia experience is not recent? They’ve ramped up Linux efforts significantly. Even if despite officially embracing nouveau they’re still a bit toxic, in practice it should be expected to work fine (though see below, and apparently there were some issues with 5.9 specifically).
As for Kickstarter projects with proprietary drivers targeting only Windows and/or OS X, well, yeah...
You’re right that with proprietary closed-sourced drivers one has to be prepared to be a bit cautious or conservative when upgrading the kernel. Though unlike Windows there’s no real reason to always be on the most recent version (critical kernel security issues are rare).
Running a 4.x kernel is still considered bueno.
E.g. I remember nVidia drivers always being crap. Even the blob ones.
Latest example for me is Swiftpoint Z mouse. Doesn't work on Linux.
From what I understand, either drivers are in the Kernel and thus open source. Or the drivers are outside of Kernel and thus break on every kernel update.