Happy 5th Anniversary to gpu-viewer

[arunsivaramanneo]

Happy 5th Anniversary to GPU-VIEWER

Its been 5 Years from first release of GPU-VIEWER. I really didn't think that i will be able to support this project for the last 5 years and still able to do. It has been quite a journey, last few years i have seen lot of people started using this application, i can see this application being discussed in Magazines (linux Magazine), YouTube & Podcost (LinuxUnplugged) and also people making a blog about how to install this application. I know its not a big application like other open source projects but for me its big when i see people using, talking about the application it makes me feel happy that i am able to contribute even though small to a community/users. I do agree the application is not perfect in any way but if it satisfy the user using it thats just a start.

The Origin

Well to get the secret out and probably most of them might have figured it out by now that i am not a Software Developer. I am from a testing background and have no prior knowledge of programming. During 2016, When i decided to take a break from my job i though i will upgrade my skills especially programming, I started searching the internet which is the easy programming language to learn and most of the sites i visited they all talked about Python. So finally i decided to learn Python, i started reading from different sites started watching YouTube Videos (newboston), i was learning in theory and writing small programs from tutorials but wasn't feeling satisfied, thats when i decided that i will starting working on a project.

Why GPU-VIEWER ?

Well at that time i was a big Gamer and i was crazty about the Graphics and that where i got introduced to the world of GPU. when i was 14 i had a PC with Intel 945G chipset, I have pushed the hardware to the core trust me I got Crysis running on this machine, yep crysis works on intel 945 G (950 GMA), i use to play with the config file of Intel drivers and overclock it. I was so immersed into Gaming that me and few of the people in google groups ended up making a list of games that will work on Intel 950 GMA ( here is the list https://neoswrath.blogspot.com/2009/03/intel-gma-950-review.html), and it helped a lot of people to buy games (check out the comment section in the link). Just to push my hardware or see my GPU details i was using GPU-Z and GPU CAPS VIEWER (now you know where i got the idea) . So after almost 10 years (after my graduation after getting into a Job and a break) i decided to create an application similar to GPU Caps Viewer for Linux (why Linux ? well it whole different story maybe someday ) but i didn't know GPU programming so how can i still create similar Program to GPU CAPS VIEWER, then i realized well i don't have to write a new code Linux already has command line for checking OpenGL, EGL and Vulkan Information, i just have to extract it and present it to a user in a front end application with easy navigation and a decent look and feel. So thats how i ended up learning Python 3 with GKT3 and some unix programming. Well I also need to acknowledge one fact that You probably would have heard about VulkanCapsViewer from @SaschaWillems (He is a Legened in Vulkan World) it was his application that enabled me to learn and understood how to come up with the design and i did reach out to him in 2017 to check out my application but didn't get any response, hope he might have tried by now

This is how it all started .. and special thanks to my brother @sivasantosh who helped me in this journey

and Dan Johnson (strit) who helped packing this software for Arch Linux (AUR), he was the first person who liked it and helped in providing the software to wider audiance

And with the Flathub, Snap becoming widely available in distro i have to thanks to @tinywrkb @TingPing @gasinvein to package it for Flathub

If i have missed anyone to thank i do apologise

Below are some of the things thats been published on Application

Linux Magazine

Linux unPlugged

https://linuxunplugged.com/388?t=3569