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It must be a bit chilly in hell today, as Microsoft have announced a new DirectX Shader Compiler and it's open source.

While this isn't exactly gaming news, we do cover other interesting stuff like this from time.

I'm not entirely sure if it will be at all useful for Wine or any Linux-related projects, but it's still good to see another open source effort from Microsoft. Hopefully with more of DirectX being in the open, in future it may be even easier for ports to happen from DirectX to OpenGL/Vulkan.

The most likely reason for them doing this, is to make DirectX development more attractive against how open OpenGL/Vulkan are. I have doubts that this will actually help us at all, as that remains to be seen.

You can find it on github, under the MIT license.

Thanks for pointing it out on Twitter Padre! Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Open Source
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Shmerl Jan 24, 2017
Quoting: Sgt.Romeo9The point is, having SPIR-V be able to work with GLSL and HLSL on equal ground is probably what drove Microsoft to open-source this DirectX shader compiler. Just my opinion.

I can understand Vulkan developers being interested in it. But why MS if they staunchly refused to participate in the Vulkan working group? Or they now are changing their mind?
minj Jan 24, 2017
Now, how about a FOSS de-/cross-compiler plz?

No?

Thought so.
elmapul Jan 24, 2017
or maybe wine implementation of this is already better so they decided to open what we already have
Mountain Man Jan 24, 2017
So, I'm, like:

Open source is good! Yah! :D
But Microsoft is bad! Boo! :S:

I really have no idea what to think of this.
PsynoKhi0 Jan 24, 2017
Quoting: Mountain ManSo, I'm, like:

Open source is good! Yah! :D
But Microsoft is bad! Boo! :S:

I really have no idea what to think of this.

This is licensed under MIT, just like all (AFAIK) their OSS effort. Makes sense for them since the license permits code inclusion into proprietary software, however there is no implicit nor explicit obligation to contribute changes back. The OSS code base could be left to rot further down the line, once the bait has caught the attention of enough devs - when only targetting the proprietary version becomes the path of least resistance.

If FOSS started as "people scratching their own itch", I see microsoft's effort as them "scratching their own itch, but slowly giving everybody else herpes".

I mean... They've joined the Linux Foundation, primarily to make sure Linux works fine on azure - which is the only instance where they "love" Linux, it's less controversial than patent strong arming after all. Can anyone point me towards indication that they also helped KVM and Xen run windows OSes better?

Microsoft FOSS is a one-way street.
niarbeht Jan 24, 2017
Quoting: Guest
Quoting: TealNVidia go and do open source your GPU drivers NOW
Yeah right, you have more chance of Microsoft upgrading Windows to a Linux kernel. :P

On a side note though, it's about time Microsoft open sourced their DX9 since it won't be used for much longer. Or why can't they just port the damn thing to Linux, it's not like the penguin is going to make a big dent in their market share any time soon.
I would welcome their WinRT to Linux, for gaming only of course!

Honestly, if Microsoft published their own runtime for Linux, giving effectively Wine-style functionality but more... work-y, I'd probably pay $30 or $40 for that.
etonbears Jan 24, 2017
Quoting: Mountain ManSo, I'm, like:

Open source is good! Yah! :D
But Microsoft is bad! Boo! :S:

I really have no idea what to think of this.

I'm not sure it means anything much. It is a front-end compiler that translates from a Microsoft-defined programming language to a Microsoft-defined Virtual Machine instruction format.

It may be useful to someone wanting to define a programming language that compiles to the same Virtual Machine, or someone wanting to compile HLSL to a different Virtual Machine.

I don't think it either helps or harms them really, but there seems to be more interest in Vulkan/SPIR-V.
Mountain Man Jan 25, 2017
Quoting: niarbehtHonestly, if Microsoft published their own runtime for Linux, giving effectively Wine-style functionality but more... work-y, I'd probably pay $30 or $40 for that.
No way. That could so easily end badly for Linux.


Last edited by Mountain Man on 25 January 2017 at 12:36 am UTC
GoLBuzzkill Jan 25, 2017
Its a Trap!

Open source is not same as libre/free software; M$ still has control.

Shader compiler is useless for us, everything that M$ had open sourced is useless form Linux user perspective, dont fall for it, dont be a traitor!

They are open sourcing benign part of software just to say they are OPEN.
tuubi Jan 25, 2017
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Quoting: GoLBuzzkillShader compiler is useless for us, everything that M$ had open sourced is useless form Linux user perspective, dont fall for it, dont be a traitor!
You lost me at traitor. :)
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