Even though I prefer my web servers to run Linux, I just can’t seem to switch my personal computer to Linux just yet. From an end-user standpoint, Linux is still very rough around the edges, here’s my personal checklist (in no particular order) that I’d like to see fulfilled.
- The ability to install a piece of software without having to invoke a CLI.
- A full-featured development environment (that’s not Eclipse) that rivals Visual Studio in C++ development.
- A non-Unix-like file system.
- Better manual when you buy a distribution (SUSE manual: case and point).
- Better IHV driver support.
- Better native ISV software support without having to run Wine.
- And the coup de grâce: An OpenGL specification that can compete with Direct3D.
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Linux itself, in fact much of my development time goes into LAMP related work. But for the desktop it just seems like a CLI-ridden nightmare at the moment.
Artistic License?
Once upon a time there was a little old API, struggling for its life amongst the giants of software. Little old OpenGL knew that in order to survive it had to adapt to a strange, bewildering and new environment; it was a strange new world indeed. For two years, rumors of old OpenGL’s struggles reached the user-groups and there was much rejoicing indeed. But on one faithful day, August the 11th of 2008, OpenGL perished. Its age and idleness had (as with all things good and bad) caught up with him and slayed little old OpenGL in its path.
After reading the spec and looking desperately for the promised object model, I felt quite like a (self-censored) taking the newsletters seriously and writing about them so explicitly.
For those who haven’t read the specification yet, it’s OpenGL 2.1 plus and minus some stuff, hardly the fruition of two years labor. The anticipation that followed the initial announcement of OpenGL 3.0′s Object Model was tremendous. For the first time in a long time, people started noticing OpenGL again and maybe a place for it in modern multimedia applications such as PC games besides id Software‘s titles.
Alas, it was not to be. Woe is me for my old API is truly dead. D3D, hello.
It’s here, (Edit: It’s official) haven’t read it yet but here it is:
The OpenGL ® Graphics System: A Specification (Version 3.0 – August 11, 2008)
Link to the registry containing the link
Let me know what you think of it, thanks nosmileface!
It’s been a while since I posted but this one will make up for it. A messy screenshot of NVIDIA’s 2008 timeline has emerged on Chilehardware (CHW) and reveals that OpenGL 3.0 drivers/implementation will be due in September of this year in a collection called Big Bang II (Big Bang I was SLI).
CHW member KaiserGerhardI has provided a deciphering of the screenshot which provides more information on the contents of the screenshot:
- First: Quad ?????? Release February
- Hybrid Shipped Spring
- Spring Notebook Cycle
- GT200 + ????
- Big Bang II-Fall Will Focus on
- Now/WWW features
- SLI connectivity features
- Display connectivity
- Quality improvements
- Performance improvements
- OpenGL 3.0
The words which could not be deciphered are marked with question marks. What this means for OpenGL enthusiasts and developers is that we won’t have to attend SIGGRAPH, NVISION or any other meeting for that matter, since this is basically a confirmation on its own.
Now, let’s hope that ATI will also provide an implementation this soon.
Some questions have come up in regards to my last post, The Ghost of OpenGL 3.0, and one of them keeps popping out on top: Why do we need OpenGL 3.0 and What’s wrong with OpenGL 2.1? This post will attempt to take you through the pre-published materials on the OpenGL API, version 3.0 and show you the major changes and differences. Or you could simple jump to the answer and conclusion without reading the features provided by OpenGL 3.0, if you don’t feel like getting informed.
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And we have some sort of news — dare I say finally? OpenGL 3.0 updates will be presented at the OpenGL BOF at SIGGRAPH 2008, although neither a room nor a time have been announced. Keep your eyes on this page for updates.
SIGGRAPH 2008 runs from August 11th till August 15th 2008 in Los Angeles, California; let’s keep our fingers crossed for some good news from the Khronos camp.
OpenGL 3.0 seems to become more and more of a promise that’s bound to be broken; like a friend who promises you to give back the money you loaned him, always tomorrow.
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I’m happy to announce that the “Direct3D, OpenGL and XNA Fieldguide” is back and improved. The article outlines the pros and cons of the major graphics APIs available and should be a useful reference in the back of every beginner graphics programmer’s mind.
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