Windows NT Sync Driver Proposed For The Linux Kernel - Better Wine Performance (www.phoronix.com)
from Chewy7324@discuss.tchncs.de to linux@lemmy.ml on 24 Jan 2024 13:02
https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/9775159

#linux

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autotldr@lemmings.world on 24 Jan 2024 13:05 next collapse

This is the best summary I could come up with:


This driver would expose /dev/ntsync as a new character device for implementing some of the Windows NT synchronization primitives directly within the Linux kernel.

Elizabeth Figura of CodeWeavers who published the “request for comments” (RFC) to various Linux kernel mailing lists explained of the motivations for this synchronization primitive driver for targeting Windows NT kernel behavior: "The Wine project emulates the Windows API in user space.

One particular part of that API, namely the NT synchronization primitives, have historically been implemented via RPC to a dedicated “kernel” process.

The NT synchronization APIs are too complex to implement on top of existing primitives without sacrificing correctness.

With these “NTSYNC” kernel driver patches there are benefits to different Windows games on Wine from 21% with Metro 2033 to as much as 678% with DiRT 3!

In any event as this series is marked “RFC” and there are some open design elements to its implementation, it may take some revisions before settling down on something that could be upstreamed.


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joojmachine@lemmy.ml on 24 Jan 2024 16:18 next collapse

I’m all in for performance improvements, hope to see this reach Proton ASAP

Chewy7324@discuss.tchncs.de on 24 Jan 2024 19:21 next collapse

The patches are from CodeWeavers, and some of their work is cooperation with Valve, so hopefully proton gets those changes quickly. It usually takes a while before proton is based on a new wine release.

demonsword@lemmy.world on 24 Jan 2024 22:29 collapse

Windows NT Sync Driver Proposed For The Linux Kernel

Atemu@lemmy.ml on 26 Jan 2024 09:02 collapse

Proton would still need to make use of it.

demonsword@lemmy.world on 26 Jan 2024 17:43 collapse

yes, of course, but I was just pointing out that the proposed changes are mainly in kernel space, not in wine itself

possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip on 24 Jan 2024 18:00 next collapse

Honestly this is the kind of thing we needed from React os. It would of been nice to be able to run the react is kernel in the background and then have wine make calls to it.

mactan@lemmy.ml on 24 Jan 2024 18:29 next collapse

is this what used to be called winesync?

ElectroLisa@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 24 Jan 2024 18:46 next collapse

What happened during the DiRT 3 benchmark lol, this game easily goes above 200 fps

NekkoDroid@programming.dev on 24 Jan 2024 22:25 collapse

Those benchmarks under “Upstream” does not include esync/fsync from my understanding

LaterRedditor@lemmy.world on 25 Jan 2024 23:49 collapse

Is there any risk of lawsuits from Microsoft for all these?

Chewy7324@discuss.tchncs.de on 26 Jan 2024 00:36 collapse

No, this kernel patch will be different to what’s in Windows code. It implements what’s necessary for wine to be more performant, not the actual Windows API itself.

Wine implements those Windows API/ABIs, which is legal because it’s done by reverse-engineering. I believe in some countries (US?) it’s also necessary for the devs to never have seen Windows code.

PS: Google v. Oracle is a US supreme court decision where Oracle lost at trying to patent Java API’s.

…wikipedia.org/…/Google_LLC_v._Oracle_America,_In….