Intel: Clover Trail Will Support Linux At Another Time

[Guest]

Intel has raised some eyebrows by confirming that Clover Trail, the Atom chip targeted at tablets and subnotebooks, will not support Linux.

Intel: Clover Trail Will Support Linux At Another Time : Read more

 

[ddpruitt]

Why would Intel want to court Microsoft? If Intel really wants to compete with ARM they need to have chips that attack on all fronts, not just the niche that Microsoft is going after. Doesn't sound particularly smart to me.

Ahh wait, should have read who the author is first.

 

[jhansonxi]

It's x86 so Linux should function without changes but there may be some power management features that the Linux kernel can't take advantage of.

 

[blazorthon]

[citation][nom]jhansonxi[/nom]It's x86 so Linux should function without changes but there may be some power management features that the Linux kernel can't take advantage of.[/citation]

There might also be performance optimizations for Windows 8 that Linux isn't made to take advantage of and Intel doesn't want to jump through hops for that right now given that they already have other CPUs that support Android and other Linux distributions. However, I admit in that I'd be surprised if Linux doesn't find a way even before official Intel support for it.

 

[Guest]

This is no different than Apple getting Thunderbolt first. Intel is giving MS an advantage to get favor from the OS maker much like Intel did for Apple. These are the corporate games you play.

 

[danwat1234]

What does it mean that it can't support linux? Compile it to X86, there you go !?

 

[aaron88_7]

Isn't software supposed to support hardware, not the other way around?

 

[blazorthon]

[citation][nom]aaron88_7[/nom]Isn't software supposed to support hardware, not the other way around?[/citation]

[citation][nom]danwat1234[/nom]What does it mean that it can't support linux? Compile it to X86, there you go !?[/citation]

If Intel doesn't make a driver for this CPU that is compatible with Linux (assuming that Intel made changes that would break current Linux compatibility) and doesn't give anyone the needed info to develop one, then there's nothing that could be done.

 

[boiler1990]

There are some hardware optimizations being made for Windows. Probably nothing too major, but it will take a while to develop for Linux (or, possibly, Linux needs to develop to use the optimized hardware).

Their original statement said Linux wouldn't be supported 'initially' but all the tech sites blew it way out of proportion.

 

[Guest]

It's all about the graphic drivers!! Clover Trail has a GPU licensed from Imagination, which is extremelly anti-open source, so intel cannot open the drivers, and it would take too long and cost too much to write an entire driver from the ground up. see: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTE4NDY
Intel is already fixing that with valleyview atoms, which will have an in house GPU, similar to ivy brigde's which already have a top notch open source driver.

 

[cookoy]

Maybe intel doesn't want to be humiliated when people start comparing android on arm vs android on atom.

 

[Guest]

Cookoy, people have already compared Android on ARM to Android on Atom. Android is it's own deal by the way and not just Linux. Anonymous is correct about the Imagination tech and the open source issue. That is definitely part of the problem but not the whole problem. Why this is a big deal is beyond me. Who would want to run just plain old Linux on a tablet is beyond me. Win8 is tailored for the tablet form factor. It makes sense to optimize for it.

 

[JonathanR]

[citation][nom]CPUGuyIII[/nom] Who would want to run just plain old Linux on a tablet is beyond me. Win8 is tailored for the tablet form factor. It makes sense to optimize for it.[/citation]

Linux, being as flexible as it is, is bound to have plenty of distros tailor-made for tablets, and if not then someone will start working on one. That being said, the more important point imo is that the atom processors are used in netbooks. The incompatibility of these processors GPUs with Linux is the sole reason I dont own a netbook as of right now. Its just not acceptable to use a power-hungry windows OS on a netbook instead of a streamlined optimized to the point Arch-Linux distro or similar.

 

[PreferLinux]

[citation][nom]blazorthon[/nom]If Intel doesn't make a driver for this CPU that is compatible with Linux (assuming that Intel made changes that would break current Linux compatibility) and doesn't give anyone the needed info to develop one, then there's nothing that could be done.[/citation]
The CPU doesn't need a "driver". The CPU will work fine on Linux, most likely as well as with Windows. It is almost definitely just graphics drivers, which are a major problem for PowerVR graphics.

[citation][nom]cookoy[/nom]Maybe intel doesn't want to be humiliated when people start comparing android on arm vs android on atom.[/citation]
Ever hear of Medfield?

 

[classzero]

I will not support Intel then, looks like I have to switch to the dark side and go AMD.

 

[sixdegree]

If AMD is any good, they should capitalize on this and release their own brazos-tier x86 mobile cpu that support windows and linux and gain massive market share.

 

[blazorthon]

[citation][nom]PreferLinux[/nom]The CPU doesn't need a "driver". The CPU will work fine on Linux, most likely as well as with Windows. It is almost definitely just graphics drivers, which are a major problem for PowerVR graphics.[/citation]

CPUs do need drivers and unless you have one of these CPUs to prove that Linux will run on it at this time, you have no clue if the CPU itself would have trouble with Linux. That the problem is probably more related to the graphics is a good point, but it doesn't mean that there couldn't have been changes in the CPU that don't agree with (current versions of) Linux (at this time).

 

[Guest]

The issue is with the special power state optimizations. They are not currently integrated with the Linux kernel and at this time the details of the power management features are not being released to the Linux community. This looks to be the re-emergence of Wintel all over again. Take a deep breath and realize that with the plethora of linux developers around the world that it will not take long to find work arounds. The real news from Intel is that it is specifically not including the Linux community,....which screams that Microsoft is pushing Intel to create the chip just for them. I myself am interested to see if there are any more linux destabiliziing goodies embedded on the chip,....or worse that there are a bunch of ridiculous patents that keep an OS other than Win8 from legally being distributed for it.

I have to agree with the other posts pointing out that AMD has a serious opportunity here,....there is plenty of room for them to slip in through the cracks and take a foothold. Microsoft is beginning to see the percentages of windows users to overall slide,...maybe not drastically but it is a slide nonetheless. Intel at the same time has been unable to get a strong position in the tablet and mobile phone markets and see's a joint-semi-monopolistic venture with MS as a way to do so. At the end of the day what Intel and MS are doing is bad for consumers.

 

[john_4]

Looks like Intel and MS have been sleeping together again.

 

[Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer]

Just because Intel makes a version of Clover Trail that quote-unquote works with Linux, it doesn't mean that HP will make an Envy x2 with that chip, or that Acer will make a Linux version of the W510...in which case, what's the point of making the processor? Frankly, this doesn't make a bit of sense.

 

[ojas]

[citation][nom]cookoy[/nom]Maybe intel doesn't want to be humiliated when people start comparing android on arm vs android on atom.[/citation]
You evidently haven't read Medfield reviews.

 

[Guest]

Who wants a chip that is OS-dependent? Maybe it's that Secure Boot that finally showed it's head. Don't know how else Linux can't run on it.