From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: John Zielinski Subject: Re: [PATCH] neofb patches Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 20:38:48 -0400 Sender: linux-fbdev-devel-admin@lists.sourceforge.net Message-ID: <408EFD18.7070702@undead.cc> References: <408EF0D9.6000403@undead.cc> <1083109849.20091.1.camel@gaston> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Return-path: Received: from sc8-sf-mx2-b.sourceforge.net ([10.3.1.12] helo=sc8-sf-mx2.sourceforge.net) by sc8-sf-list1.sourceforge.net with esmtp (Exim 4.30) id 1BId6I-0005wy-3f for linux-fbdev-devel@lists.sourceforge.net; Tue, 27 Apr 2004 17:38:58 -0700 Received: from ghoul.undead.cc ([216.126.84.18] helo=mail.undead.cc) by sc8-sf-mx2.sourceforge.net with smtp (Exim 4.30) id 1BId6H-0000a8-KM for linux-fbdev-devel@lists.sourceforge.net; Tue, 27 Apr 2004 17:38:57 -0700 In-Reply-To: <1083109849.20091.1.camel@gaston> Errors-To: linux-fbdev-devel-admin@lists.sourceforge.net List-Unsubscribe: , List-Id: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , List-Archive: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format="flowed" To: Benjamin Herrenschmidt Cc: James Simmons , Geert Uytterhoeven , Alex Stewart , Linux Frame Buffer Device Development Benjamin Herrenschmidt wrote: >Hrm... I'm not fully confortable with this. I don't see why we need >anything different but what we had today. > > > For stuff like X, MacOnLinux, etc that totally take over it doesn't make too much sense. But for framebuffer programs like picture viewers, movie players, games, and other non desktop single purpose applications it makes a lot of sense. For example lets say I have odd numbered consoles mapped on my AGP Radeon card and even numbered consoles mapped to my PCI Riva card. I switch to console 1 and fire up a fb dvd player app. It opens /dev/fb (29,255) and switches to KD_GRAPHICS. LOTR starts playing on my big 21" monitor hooked up to the Radeon. As a user I didn't have to know that /dev/fb0 was really my 21" monitor and didn't have to give any command line switches to do this. The cursor was blinking on my 21" and all I had to do is type dvdplay and away I went. I would also be prevented from switching to odd numbered consoles now. No problem. ALT-F2 and now my 19" monitor has a blinking cursor. I type in picview and again the jpeg viewing program opens /dev/fb and switches to KD_GRAPHICS and now I'm looking a vacation photos on my old riva card. Again, I didn't have to know that /dev/fb1 is my 19" monitor and no command line arguments. The app fires up on the monitor that had the focus (forground console doesn't sound right on multi monitor setups IMHO). Now I can only switch between console 1 and 2. Consoles 3 and up can't be switched to as both fb devices are in use. BTW, this is just an example. I don't know if a fb dvd player is out there but I do belive there's a picture viewing fb app. >Nah, software like X, MacOnLinux, etc... should open a VT and trigger a >console switch. Or at least switch to KD_GRAPHICS if they don't, but >then, having a user doing that to your console is only a matter of >setting the proper permissions. Again, I don't see what problem you >are trying to solve. > > Normally yes. But let's say a switch was added to X or X's fb driver to tell it to not open a new VT and just start on the current console. If I fire it up on console 1 X starts on my 21" monitor but if I start it on console 2 it fires up on my 19" monitor. The other monitor would still have a console. This was just a fun thought to see if it would actually work. But the dvd/picture example above is very practical. John ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by: Oracle 10g Get certified on the hottest thing ever to hit the market... Oracle 10g. Take an Oracle 10g class now, and we'll give you the exam FREE. http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_id=3149&alloc_id=8166&op=click