>It _can be_ useful. It can also _not_ be useful to others. It sounds like it's not a choice in this case, but a forced feature, and that's fine for some and not for others.
>So again, why _must_ Linux have an equivalent?
That is very different from simply asking why Linux should have a "Direct3D" built in like Windows does Direct3D.
>What do I gain?
To answer this again and more in-depth this time: A central, powerful subsystem that can be assumed to exist. We can assume Direct3D is and always will be available in Windows.
One of Linux's biggest problems is you can't safely assume anything will exist, in particular cases not even the kernel. This is the reason containers were invented, because you need to bring your own entire operating environment on account of being impossible to assume anything. The cost for this workaround is performance and complexity, the latter of which most users abhor.
>Is that always a good design choice?
Yes, it enables users thereof.
> Is that true of Windows Server, and if so, why do I need 3D rendering baked into my Windows Server? What about Windows Server Core... does the NT kernel have it baked in there?
If the server is a media server, say, having DirectX means the server can do encoding and decoding itself and that's something many people want.
Windows itself also needs Direct3D for rendering the desktop, which Server also obviously has.
>It _can be_ useful. It can also _not_ be useful to others. It sounds like it's not a choice in this case, but a forced feature, and that's fine for some and not for others.
>So again, why _must_ Linux have an equivalent?
That is very different from simply asking why Linux should have a "Direct3D" built in like Windows does Direct3D.
>What do I gain?
To answer this again and more in-depth this time: A central, powerful subsystem that can be assumed to exist. We can assume Direct3D is and always will be available in Windows.
One of Linux's biggest problems is you can't safely assume anything will exist, in particular cases not even the kernel. This is the reason containers were invented, because you need to bring your own entire operating environment on account of being impossible to assume anything. The cost for this workaround is performance and complexity, the latter of which most users abhor.
>Is that always a good design choice?
Yes, it enables users thereof.
> Is that true of Windows Server, and if so, why do I need 3D rendering baked into my Windows Server? What about Windows Server Core... does the NT kernel have it baked in there?
If the server is a media server, say, having DirectX means the server can do encoding and decoding itself and that's something many people want.
Windows itself also needs Direct3D for rendering the desktop, which Server also obviously has.
There is next to no practical cost for the user.