It seems that information about freesync is a bit scarce, especially about linux. I can't even find information on its licensing....
Since it's called freesync, is it safe to assume it's not fully foss?
Is this gonna come to linux at all? Can anyone give me any good leads on this?
Lolz, freesync is part of the VESA standard, it's already on every linux system out there. Linux native open source gales have had advanced graphics settings for years, like for instance the setting to not start rendering the next frame until the present frame is complete, to prevent tearing, or horizontal and vertical syncing with monitor refresh rates. Also in linux, VESA compliant hardware (most hardware is VESA compliant) is detected when the kernel starts, and the mode is set by the kernel itself (except for nVidia proprietary drivers), so that the native mode of the hardware is used like Windows would use "safe mode". "Safe mode" in linux is not just a reduced compatibility mode, but is actually the full driver capable of full acceleration and compute functionality, except for nVidia hardware of course. Linux supports adaptive mode setting out of the box, because it's just a standard VESA feature.
Right now, freesync has been standard on linux laptops for years. Laptop monitor interfaces based on LVDS instead of HDMI, have had freesync for ten years or so in linux. It's not a new technology, it's something pretty bog standard on linux systems for years. the only problem being support of the corresponding VESA standard by external hardware like HDMI/DVI-D/DP monitors.
So all this amd hooplah is just hooplah? And when you say the only problem being support, are you saying there is no hardware (and/or software) that supports this? or that it's sporadically supported (thus, not quite a standard)? Are there any implementations on external displays at all?
AMD's Freesync is just heir marketing term for the AdaptiveSync in the VESA spec.
As you may remember it was an optional part of the VESA spec forever, only in Displayport1.2a and newer specs making it mandatory, AMD had realized this and started promoting it under the name Freesync to counter Nvidia's completely proprietary GSync which requires you to buy an overpriced monitor from Nvidia...
+1
It already works on laptops with AMD graphics (anything after HD4k afaik) in linux, because they drive the screen through LVDS, not through DP or HDMI. It should work on laptops with Windows 8.1 with the newest AMD Catalyst driver also, but I haven't tried it, I only have one laptop with AMD graphics, and that runs FreeBSD lol. It should also run on Macs with AMD graphics, but then again, nothing seems to run well on those, so yeah...