Intel Open-Sources Linux Drivers for Gen 4 Graphics

A new generation of Intel graphic chips will come with a new generation of open-source drivers. (DesktopLinux.com)

Intel has just made it a lot easier for Linux users to get the most from its new, fourth-generation graphics architecture. The companys Open Source Technology Center has announced the immediate availability of free, open-source software drivers that support the 2-D/3-D graphics features of the 965 Express Chipset, the first chip set supporting the new architecture. Among other top-of-the-line features, the 965 chip-set family is designed to support advanced rendering features in modern graphics APIs. The 965 family includes support for programmable vertex, geometry and fragment shaders. Intel and its allies are looking to Linux to boost growth of the Itanium platform. Click here to read more. By open-sourcing the drivers, Intel will enable the open-source community to experiment, develop and contribute to the continuing advancement of open-source 3-D graphics programs such as the 3-D Linux desktop programs Xgl and Compiz. Intel has designed multiple versions of the 965 chip set, which supports its Core 2 Duo processor as well as its Pentium D. The G965 and Q965, designed for consumer-oriented and business-oriented PCs, each offer built-in graphics. The 965 graphics engine, dubbed Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3000, offers several additional features versus Intels current 945G integrated graphics chip set. Read the full story on DesktopLinux.com: Intel Open-Sources Linux Drivers for Gen 4 Graphics Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest open-source news, reviews and analysis.