[Mesa-dev] Fwd: S2TC - yet another attempt to solve the "S3TC issue"

[Egon Ashrafinia]

2011/8/8 Jose Fonseca <jfonseca at vmware.com>

> ----- Original Message -----
> > On Mon, Aug 08, 2011 at 01:01:14AM -0700, Corbin Simpson wrote:
> > > On Mon, Aug 8, 2011 at 12:58 AM, Egon Ashrafinia
> > > <egon.mageia at googlemail.com> wrote:
> > > > As I said in IRC ~ 2 Weeks ago, it is very Important that we
> > > > support S3TC!
> > > >
> > > > I mean, the main problem is that this is a Software Patent,
> > > > correct? Always
> > > > as I know, only in the United States of America, correct?
> > > >
> > > > If so, in my opinoin the solution is simple. Let's do it the same
> > > > as we did
> > > > with --texture-float! Dont build it by default but ad a option to
> > > > build it.
> > > > And then every Distribution can decide them self.
> > > > An American Distribution will disable it and an european
> > > > distribution will
> > > > disable it.
> > > > Why dont we do it like this? I mean this is not a global patent.
> > > > Even if so,
> > > > France wont accept it cause they dont have software patents. (
> > > > What a great
> > > > State!!! :D )
> > > >
> > > > Also, please keep in mind! Without this support, Linux/Gnu will
> > > > _never_ and
> > > > I realy mean _never_ a gaming Plattform. Not now and not in the
> > > > future!
> > > >
> > > > Let's do some may critical risks to improve the 3D Power of
> > > > Gnu/Linux :D
> > >
> > > *You* do it then. We already support an external S3TC lib which can
> > > be
> > > built separately; go convince distros to pick it up.
> >
> > This then is what S2TC is for. Distros could ALREADY take S2TC and
> > include
> > that, while most gamers wouldn't see a difference, while feeling
> > "safer" from
> > those patents (whether it is actually a successful evasion, only a
> > judge can
> > decide).
>
> Please stop this "just because people can something it mean it is OK"
> fallacy. That's what's ridiculous. Anybody can punch another in the face
> anytime, doesn't mean that a) he should; b) we should condemn or induce such
> practice.
>
> Without analogies, yes, people can do all sort of things with our software,
> but we developers should not condone, nor induce wrong/dubious practices.
>
> I wouldn't oppose bundling S2TC for software renderers, but enabling S3TC
> decompression on hardware is an orthogonal matter, which depends on the
> licensing terms between the IHV and S3.
>
> If you wanna fix this, convince IHVs to fully license the S3TC use in their
> hardware for Linux.  So far the only IHV that _seems_ to have such wide
> cross-OS license is NVIDIA.
>
> I think it would be good to add a FAQ about this in the docs.  But I'm done
> with this stupid thread.  I'll enjoy my vacation and stop wasting time with
> this nonsense.
>
> Jose
>

Calm down! No need to get insane becuase the thing I wrote! This was just an
idea/opinion of my self. Not a command!

Also the comment ( not by you ), which says I should do it my self is a bit
... wrong! I can create a patch. Yeah I could. But this will be wasted work
when we dont discuss it here. I wont get promissions to add it without the
ok of the whole mesa-dev list.

As far as I can say. When we dont enable ST3C by default, there should be no
restrictions with it. Every Distribution can decide them self if the like or
dont like to enable it.
I mean our whole work will be trash when this wont be included. I tested
some games/applications/benchmarks without ST3C ... its unuseable.
Everything is black and only the corners of Textures are visable. This cant
be!

I dont want to command someone in here! Also please keep in mind that this
is just a idea/opinion by me personaly. You really dont have to do this that
way. =)

Greetings

Egon Ashrafinia
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