Comment Re:Summary (Score 1) 497
The reason NVIDIA originally started supporting Linux, and why the continue to do so, is simple, it does so to sell graphics cards to large 3d graphics, animations, video effects and similar studios. They are also happy to sell Tesla cards to the same for backend render farms. Nvidia contributed immensely to the use of Linux in DCC, something that it does not usually get any credit for.
This is the core segment of business in Linux for Nvidia, and why the drivers exist at all. Without DCC, Nvidia would not bother to consider Linux at all. On the other side of the coin, the people doing DCC need more than a driver - they need a full OpenGL implementation. One that is as fast and complete as as on other platforms. So how this really is step-by step (for NVIDIA) is:
1. Make OpenGL driver + library that runs on Linux and is as good as competition, but runs on cheaper hardware
2. Kill off Unix Workstations
3. Sell people more of your cards
4. Profit!
5. Sell people the next generation of your cards, making sure the driver + libraries combination is at least as good as any other platform provides
6. Profit!
7. Keep doing it and getting profit
But this only works if you have both the library and the driver. If you buy the card, you also buy the right to run software that
Unfortunately, Slashdot seems to have degenerated to the point where few posters have a clear idea what they are posting about, never mind seeing the bigger picture.