linux kernel and nvidia - never ending story

[Hans <hans.ullrich@loop.de>]

Dear list,

how find the correct words, without being upset or stepping on someones feet.
But I believe, debian hates Nvidia, and debian does not want, to use Nvidia.

I am now for a long time using debian and also using nvidia graphic cards for 
almost the same long time. 

But whenever debian ships a new kernel version, the proprietrary nvidia kernel 
modules can not be built. If lucky, there is a patch for it after months.

Yes, modern Nvidia cards are supported, but using an older notebook you can 
not change the graphics card. 

But this is not a problem of Nvidia, not IMO it is a problem with the kernel 
developers. Suddenly, with a  kernel the gcc was updated, oh, now the kernel 
module does not want it any more. Wtf? Or, with the new kernel, the kernel 
module crashes during building, but builds perfectly at the older kernel.

And suddenly the kernel modul of nvidia disappears completely from the repo, 
problems solved? Get lost, you foolish users with old hardware, buy new 
hardware! What???

Oh, and when someone says: Hey, use the nouveau driver, then tell him, nouveau 
is not working.

I have several older notebooks, that my customers use. They worked perfectly 
with the proprietrary driver from Nvidia. But after update to bullseye, it was 
hardly get them running again. And why? They have an old graphics card in 
their notebooks, and they use Nvidia cards, specially the legacy 340xx.

But: 

1. no problem, Install nvidia kernel 340xx, oh no, it is no more in the repo, 
but 

2. no problem, hey, use nouveau, oh no, nouveau crashes and freezes X, but

3. no problem, build just the downloaded 340xx from buster, oh no, does not 
build, wrong gcc installed, gcc to new, but

4. no problem, just downgrade gcc to the old one, oh no, many other packages 
need to be deinstalled, too, but

5. no problem, just do it, oh no, does not build with the latest kernel, but 

6. no problem, just downgrade the kernel, too, oh no, no kernel from bullseye 
is working, but 

7. no problem, just reactivate buster and install latest kernel from buster, 
and oh yes, 

8. old kernel from buster let build 340xx, but oh no, kernel old...

Well, I and these procedures are now accompanies me since years. New kernel, 
and building fails. Youu feel lost, you feel anger, can you believe me?

In earlier times, debian potato and so, there were always prebuild kernel 
modules for graphic cards, Nvidia or AMD or whatever. Today these are gone, 
and people with older cards are lost. IMO here debian lost a lots of its 
quality. 

I thought a long time, if I should write this, and maybe I have not found the 
correct words. I do not want to harsh anyone or attack anyone, you know what I 
mean. 

But I felt in my heart, I had to say it.

Please apologize, if someone is feeling agry about me now, this was not 
intended. And thanks for reading this.

Best regards

Hans