Linux has again demonstrated its unparalleled ability to keep the most ancient of hardware alive. ATI Radeon GPUs—yes, those old things—are still receiving updates two decades later, thanks to the efforts of a few dedicated open-source devs.
Linux Has Continued Support for ATI Radeon Graphics Cards
Linux has always been an exception on the hardware support front as well, when it comes to Windows and other operating systems. Despite many of these cards having been rendered obsolete ages ago, support for ATI Radeon GPUs is not going anywhere, as evidenced by another update recently making the rounds in Mesa 25.3.
For ATI Radeon, an overview of new memory-related OpenGL extensions has been rolled out for open-source developers on the R300 series. The GL_ATI_meminfo and GL_NVX_gpu_memory_info feature introduced with the updates enabling monitoring of GPU memory usage.
Importance of ATI Radeon GPUs on Linux
The odd thing about this update is that memory features are geared towards GPUs with just 64 MB of VRAM, tiny by today’s standards of multiple gigabytes per GPU. Still among the most deserving of enhancements, however, are ATI Radeon GPUs, and Linux developers are ensuring that they will work like a charm.
Such a feature is an exception, not a rule. It’s not exactly like we didn’t have known issues between ATI Radeon GPUs and Windows, and the workhorse that is Linux just never really gave up supporting older hardware for niche communities, hobbyists and retro PC enthusiasts — ATI Radeon GPUs lost official support for Windows back in 2009.
The Role of Open-Source Developers
At the same time, independent engineers like Brais Solla were essential to guarantee that ATI Radeon GPUs have updates. The finish of the Mesa 25.3 release shows simply how the open-source neighborhood cares not only approximately trendy GPUs, but even the history hardware that nonetheless gets in use with some people today.
They’re the engineers who maintain the Radeon DRM driver to keep ATI Radeon GPUs running on Linux distributions. While this may sound surprising in today’s graphics-power-chasing AI world, for many people keeping the old GPUs alive is about accessibility, sustainability and choice.
Linux and Hardware Longevity — Why Linux Does It Better
The very fact that Linux had full support for old ATI Radeon GPUs shows just how much Linux cares about hardware longevity. Linux provides choice, and it prolongs the life of hardware that would otherwise collect dust as e-waste by providing support for more than 20 years.
This is crucial for taking this approach in regards to:
- Those retro gamers that are still using ATI Radeon GPUs.
- Inexpensive platforms with no possibility to upgrade hardware.
- Developers testing old hardware with open-source drivers.
ATI Radeon GPU Linux Future
No, the future will be not very performant for ATI Radeon (also RV200) GPUs but thankfully with continual support, those dependable old graphics cards will still work, just never be doing anything tiring. It emphasizes the Linux spirit as: support for every piece of hardware, no matter how stale it may be.
Mesa 25.3 Release: Another Reminder That ATI Radeon GPUs Are Still Not Forgotten Linux users have a long-term support plan for even the most unlikely kit, as long as open-source developers keeps their passion alive.
FAQ
Yes, ATI Radeon GPUs, and the R300 series in particular, are still supported on Linux, with fresh features coming in through updates to Mesa.
The Mesa 25.3 update has also added OpenGL extensions related to memory — like GL_ATI_meminfo and GL_NVX_gpu_memory_info.
With a focus on hardware inclusivity, environmental sustainability, and open-source collaboration, Linux guarantees a lifespan for ATI Radeon GPUs.
While official support on Windows ended in 2009 for ATI Radeon GPUs, Linux is still updating and supporting those GPUs even now.
