From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Petr Vandrovec Subject: Re: framebuffer driver as a module Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2002 01:04:05 +0200 Sender: linux-fbdev-devel-admin@lists.sourceforge.net Message-ID: <20020816230405.GF13358@ppc.vc.cvut.cz> References: <3D5D7F5F.7E14609C@motorola.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Return-path: Received: from panoramix.vasoftware.com ([198.186.202.147]) by usw-sf-list1.sourceforge.net with esmtp (Cipher TLSv1:DES-CBC3-SHA:168) (Exim 3.31-VA-mm2 #1 (Debian)) id 17fqBn-0000ed-00 for ; Fri, 16 Aug 2002 16:07:31 -0700 Received: from p024.as-l031.contactel.cz ([212.65.234.216]:32844 helo=ppc.vc.cvut.cz) by panoramix.vasoftware.com with esmtp (Exim 4.05-VA-mm1 #1 (Debian)) id 17fqBY-0004QG-00 for ; Fri, 16 Aug 2002 16:07:20 -0700 Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <3D5D7F5F.7E14609C@motorola.com> Errors-To: linux-fbdev-devel-admin@lists.sourceforge.net List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit To: Nikhil Jagtiani Cc: linux-fbdev-devel@lists.sourceforge.net On Fri, Aug 16, 2002 at 03:40:31PM -0700, Nikhil Jagtiani wrote: > Hi, > > I am running linux on an ipaq with framebuffer support. I need to enable > support for an external graphics card through a pcmcia slot - the > driver for which does not exist. > > As this is my first in terms of device driver writing, I would be > grateful for some advice. > > Is it possible to write this additional driver as a dynamic kernel > module (along the lines of fbmem.c which is static), which however > itself implements all device specific functions? Can this make use of > the same ioctl functions that fbmem.c uses (defined in fb.h)? Would > there be a conflict considering that fbmem would remain in the system? Couple of fbdevs can be compiled as a module, just look for tristate in drivers/video/Config.in... You can insmod/rmmod such driver as you want, only thing you must ensure is that there are no users of your fbdev when you do rmmod. If you have two fbdevs, just move VTs from "main" to "testing" and back by using con2fb/con2fbmap. If you'll have only "testing" fbdev in your ipaq, and you have kernel with support for virtual terminals, it is very tricky, usually impossible to unload such module - it will have usecount 64 or 128 or another multiple of 64 as soon as you'll see 'Console: switching to ...' on your screen. Petr Vandrovec vandrove@vc.cvut.cz ------------------------------------------------------- This sf.net email is sponsored by: OSDN - Tired of that same old cell phone? Get a new here for FREE! https://www.inphonic.com/r.asp?r=sourceforge1&refcode1=vs3390