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Nvidia GPU-Accelerated PhysX Now Available On Linux

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Among various bug-fixes, this version also features support for GPU acceleration on Linux platform (CUDA-capable devices only) and reworked documentation.

Previously it was done on the CPU for Linux gamers which would be a lot slower.

This really excites me as the effect PhysX has in the Borderlands series is pretty cool. Hopefully support will be enable within Borderlands 2 shortly and perhaps we'll have launch day support for Borderlands the pre-sequel.

The updated PhysX SDk can be found here. You can also see the official changelog here.

What are your thoughts?

A video of PhysX in action in Borderlands 2:

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Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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About the author -
I'm an 20 year old Sophomore at the University of Michigan. I hail from a small town in Michigan called Galien. My interests are Linux, gaming, girls, and computers in general. 
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Deformal Oct 14, 2014
Quoting: Armand Raynal
Quoting: Deformal
Quoting: Armand RaynalWHY DO YOU PREFER GNU/LINUX ?

That's the question.

If it's not for the ideology, why ?
I am not prefer Linux, but I like it. And I want to play on steam os in the future. And I want equals of all platform.
Why do you like it ?

Why do you want to play on steamos ?

Why would give just a single sh*t about what is on plateforme that you doesn't use ?

Why would you choose to work, or game, or watch movies ... on GNU/linux, better than on windows ?


The only real advantage of GNU/Linux against windows is the ideology of free(as in freedom) software.
Price, or possibility to choose your desktop is strictly nothing compared to the freedom that provide GNU/Linux.
Well, is it problem for you that I use windows and sometimes try Linux?
In my country only a few percents of customers have money to buy windows. I think, you understand, what i want to say....
Linux is interesting thing. Linux give opportunities, that windows can`t give (installing program with only one string of code using "sudo apt-get install" for example).
About open source. Noveau driver is bad driver because it open source. It has bad perfomance. I do not see a reason to use it. And I do not understand, why people don`t use proprietary drivers. They paid for videocard, so they get support with this driver.
And, as I say, if you like free ideology, why do you buy games? they are not free, they are not open source.
About steam os - there were promised, that their drivers will work faster, that windows.
Armand Raynal Oct 14, 2014
Quoting: IvancilloHello Armand.

I like to say only a little thing about this debate.

While I like Linux for their ideology and I would prefer an OpenPhysX that would run flawlesly on all cards of all vendors than a restricted closed source solution, I see that nVidia it's not guilty in this case for release its SDK.

nVidia is filling an empty hole. Before nVidia's release there wasn't another open source alternative avaliable that we are aware (in Linux).

Now it would be nice that game developers start to make use of it to make games gain more realism, and graphic cards open source developers try to implement it in their drivers.

As for the people who were angry with nVidia for making PhysX avaliable only on nVidia hardware, I remember that one directive at nVidia (I don't recall if was Jen Sung itself) a long time ago propose AMD to use CUDA (needed for PhysX) on its chips too, to make a coherent development and standarization of the API.

But they refuse at AMD. They argued that they plan to use Bullet API and OpenCL.

So it was AMD who didn't want to implement either CUDA nor PhysX on its cards.

Which API it's better I don't know.

It's up to the game developers to make the best aproach that make happy their customers, while benefit for the extra features and performance for each card, thought.

Hello Ivan.
AMD refused to use CUDA, and it's seems normal for me.
If AMD used a proprietary software from a competing company for their hardware, they would have no control on the performances and stability.

You don't know which APIs is best, and I tell you I know. OpenCL is best.
Because it is 'libre'. Performance isn't the more important point.

It is nVidia, that refused to use libre stantards, and prefered to make something by themself, for themself. Also OpenCL can perfectly be compilated for GNU/Linux. The thing is that developpers don't really care about physics.

CUDA is something bad for all users that want to use GPGPU for any purpose.
Firstly because such a closed format can't take off. It can't be popularized because it is anecdotic for developper, require more work, and work for only half of costumers. Sort of lost of time. And also sort of blackmail : play with our cards to have the complete experience.
Secondly because it is a try to impose them on the market. And when the market is not equilibrated, price and offers are bad for costumers.
French economists say "concurrence pure et parfaite" which mean pure and perfect competition, and which is a paradigm of market where they would be plenty of little companys in competition. We only got 2 company on the video card market(for gaming), if furthermore one is much bigger than the other, the market will be horrible for costumers.

Finally, if you truly like the ideology of GNU/Linux, I beg you to say GNU/Linux, and not just Linux. GNU is precisely the ideologic part of GNU/Linux systems.

If you had not seen it yet, watch this brief talk about "libre" software :

View video on youtube.com
Quoting: Deformal
Quoting: Armand Raynal
Quoting: Deformal
Quoting: Armand RaynalWHY DO YOU PREFER GNU/LINUX ?

That's the question.

If it's not for the ideology, why ?
I am not prefer Linux, but I like it. And I want to play on steam os in the future. And I want equals of all platform.
Why do you like it ?

Why do you want to play on steamos ?

Why would give just a single sh*t about what is on plateforme that you doesn't use ?

Why would you choose to work, or game, or watch movies ... on GNU/linux, better than on windows ?


The only real advantage of GNU/Linux against windows is the ideology of free(as in freedom) software.
Price, or possibility to choose your desktop is strictly nothing compared to the freedom that provide GNU/Linux.
Well, is it problem for you that I use windows and sometimes try Linux?
In my country only a few percents of customers have money to buy windows. I think, you understand, what i want to say....
Linux is interesting thing. Linux give opportunities, that windows can`t give (installing program with only one string of code using "sudo apt-get install" for example).
About open source. Noveau driver is bad driver because it open source. It has bad perfomance. I do not see a reason to use it. And I do not understand, why people don`t use proprietary drivers. They paid for videocard, so they get support with this driver.
And, as I say, if you like free ideology, why do you buy games? they are not free, they are not open source.
About steam os - there were promised, that their drivers will work faster, that windows.

Nowadays, you have more games, more software, better drivers(more stable, more efficient, that support multi gpu between others things), installation of software is very simple, maybe not as fast as on GNU/Linux with the exact name of the package but easy.
More peripherics run on it also. For exemple Mad catz RAT 7 mouse is a pain in the ass to configure it on GNU/Linux. It is also more difficult to have sound cards that work easily on GNU/linux.
etc.

Maybe you can find very few advantages for GNU/Linux for a nowaday gamer. But those advantages are ridiculous in front of the ton of argument in favor of M$ Windows.



For the rest of your comment, you can find my answer in the video i posted above.
Freedom > performance.
And If for you, Performance > Freedom, then you should stay on windows.
sub Oct 14, 2014
Quoting: Armand RaynalYou don't know which APIs is best, and I tell you I know. OpenCL is best.
Because it is 'libre'. Performance isn't the more important point.

I want to add that CUDA isn't a better "performing" API than OpenCL.
It's just an API. Unless not completely broken (which OpenCL isn't),
the API does not affect performance much.

Leaving that aside, the APIs don't even differ that much:
Porting CUDA Applications to OpenCL

The implementation (also the hardware, ofc) is what matters to the performance.
IMHO there is no valid reason why Nvidia couldn't make OpenCL perform as good
on their hardware as CUDA currently does.
Deformal Oct 15, 2014
Ha-ha. Linux is not freedom itself. Freedom gives chance to choose Linux or Windows or FreeBSD or ChromeOS or MacOS or whatever you want. This is true freedom.
Armand Raynal Oct 15, 2014
Quoting: DeformalHa-ha. Linux is not freedom itself. Freedom gives chance to choose Linux or Windows or FreeBSD or ChromeOS or MacOS or whatever you want. This is true freedom.

You understood nothing of the speech of Richard Stallman, or you just didn't listened it.
Deformal Oct 15, 2014
I listented it. And I found, that your position is inconsistent.
All programm must be free (for free conception), but almost all games are not free, and steam is not GNU. So, what are you doing on gaming site?
And still, from philosophy point of view, linux users are not completely free, because they have restrictions of GNU.
Teodosio Oct 15, 2014
Quoting: DeformalI listented it. And I found, that your position is inconsistent.
All programm must be free (for free conception), but almost all games are not free, and steam is not GNU. So, what are you doing on gaming site?
And still, from philosophy point of view, linux users are not completely free, because they have restrictions of GNU.

But since you can read the source code of GNU programs and modify them however you wish, it follows up that obviously GNU==Freedom.
Armand Raynal Oct 15, 2014
Quoting: DeformalI listented it. And I found, that your position is inconsistent.
All programm must be free (for free conception), but almost all games are not free, and steam is not GNU. So, what are you doing on gaming site?
And still, from philosophy point of view, linux users are not completely free, because they have restrictions of GNU.

Teodosio answered in part to your comment. I'll add that closed source games damage the freedom of users, but at least it protect to creation of developpers. Sort of blessing in disguise. So I accept it, even if i would prefer libre games.

But for PhysX is is different, it provide very few adventages that only few will be able to appreciate for, huge disadventages for all users and costumers.
Read my posts above for explanation.
Deformal Oct 15, 2014
Armand Raynal
At first you show yourself as uncompromise fighter for freedom. Now you show some compromise. Interesting.
About PhysX.
I can turn on PhysX on Windows and watch cool effects. I don`t see a reasons, why turning on PhysX on Linux is disadventages? I am gamer, not programist, not owner of AMD. So I`m not interesting in changing code of PhysX and other stuff. But I am interesting in having of PhysX effect on Linux.
Teodosio
With that philosophy you can`t use proprietary because of your inner restrictions (only GNU). And restriction does`t give you freedom. So your actions are not truly free. From philosophy point of view.
From techical point of view I can`t read the source code of GNU programs and modify them, because I
1. don`t know how to do it.
2. don`t see a reason to do it.
So conception of free-only software is not my conception. My conception is free-to-choose: use free or use non-free.
Armand Raynal Oct 15, 2014
2 Hypothesis : You don't read all my posts or you don't understood all of what I said.

Quoting: Armand RaynalAMD refused to use CUDA, and it's seems normal for me.
If AMD used a proprietary software from a competing company for their hardware, they would have no control on the performances and stability.

You don't know which APIs is best, and I tell you I know. OpenCL is best.
Because it is 'libre'. Performance isn't the more important point.

It is nVidia, that refused to use libre stantards, and prefered to make something by themself, for themself. Also OpenCL can perfectly be compilated for GNU/Linux. The thing is that developpers don't really care about physics.

CUDA is something bad for all users that want to use GPGPU for any purpose.
Firstly because such a closed format can't take off. It can't be popularized because it is anecdotic for developper, require more work, and work for only half of costumers. Sort of lost of time. And also sort of blackmail : play with our cards to have the complete experience.
Secondly because it is a try to impose them on the market. And when the market is not equilibrated, price and offers are bad for costumers.
French economists say "concurrence pure et parfaite" which mean pure and perfect competition, and which is a paradigm of market where there would be plenty of little companys in competition. We only got 2 company on the video card market(for gaming), if furthermore one is much bigger than the other, the market will be horrible for costumers.


Finally, if you truly like the ideology of GNU/Linux, I beg you to say GNU/Linux, and not just Linux. GNU is precisely the ideologic part of GNU/Linux systems.

If you had not seen it yet, watch this brief talk about "libre" software :

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ag1AKIl_2GM" data-youtube-id="Ag1AKIl_2GM"></iframe>


It look obvious to my eyes now that english is not your mother tongue.
Also I'll bet my arm that you're under eighteen, your avatar is a big hint.
I'm sorry to tell you that, but I tried as long as I can to be gentle, comprehensive and explain my of view, so now I've to tell you that you're only here to have reason, and you DON'T want to understand what WE are telling you.

Read all the conversation again, rewatch the videos of Mr Stallman, try to undersand if it is what you really want, but I can't do anything more than I already did.
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