Re: [RFC PATCH] of/platform: Disable sysfb if a simple-framebuffer node is found

[Andrew Worsley]

On Mon, 13 Nov 2023 at 23:57, Javier Martinez Canillas
<javierm@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Andrew Worsley <amworsley@xxxxxxxxx> writes:
>
> Hello Andrew,
>
> > On Mon, 13 Nov 2023 at 20:18, Thomas Zimmermann <tzimmermann@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> >> Am 13.11.23 um 09:51 schrieb Javier Martinez Canillas:
> >> > Some DT platforms use EFI to boot and in this case the EFI Boot Services
> >> > may register a EFI_GRAPHICS_OUTPUT_PROTOCOL handle, that will later be
> >> > queried by the Linux EFI stub to fill the global struct screen_info data.
> >> >
>
> [...]
>
> >
> > I applied the patch and just the simpledrm driver is probed (the efifb is not):
> >
>[...]
>
> Great, thanks for testing. The patch works then as expected. Can I get
> your Tested-by then ?

Sure absolutely.
>
> >
[...]
> We were talking with Thomas that the sysfb design seems to be reaching its
> limits and need some rework but currently you either need some driver that
> matches the "simple-framebuffer" device that is registered by OF or won't
> get an early framebuffer in the system.
>
> That could be either simpledrm or simplefb. But if a DT has a device node
> for "simple-framebuffer", how can the OF core know if there is a driver to
> match that device? And same for any other device defined in the DTB.
>
> It's similar on platforms that use sysfb to register the device (e.g: x86)
> since either "simple-framebuffer" is registered (if CONFIG_SYSFB_SIMPLEFB
> is enabled) or "efi-framebuffer" (if CONFIG_SYSFB_SIMPLEFB is disabled).
>
> That means CONFIG_SYSFB_SIMPLEFB=y and CONFIG_DRM_SIMPLEDRM disabled won't
> work either, even if CONFIG_FB_EFI=y which is the case you are mentioning.
>
> What I think that doesn't make sense is to remove conflicting framebuffers
> from drivers that can only handle firmware provided framebuffers. As said
> in the other thread, drm_aperture_remove_framebuffers() is only meant for
> native DRM drivers.

Ok - I'm taking it that conflicts between EFI and DT didn't happen in the past
but when they do DT wins. I guess there may be more such conflicts in
the future so
would be resolved in a similar way as more drivers are updated to
support DT settings.
Perhaps one day all drivers would have DT settings and this could be
standardised in some way.


> --
> Best regards,
>
> Javier Martinez Canillas
> Core Platforms
> Red Hat
>
Thanks

Andrew