Re: SVGA kernel chipset drivers.
Ian main (imain@vcc.bc.ca)
Mon, 3 Jun 1996 16:39:31 -0700 (PDT)
Sorry to keep this thread going but I do beleive it is kernel
related. I can see where your both coming from with the arguments.. I
originally thought a single graphics driver was a good idea just because you
get such poor support in the SVGAlib. I was trying to develop a few
small apps that used it and ran into some snags. My card isn't supported
well, I kept getting really screwed text when the app closed (even
without X running), and try to run 2 Graphical apps at the same time is
not fun.. (sometimes it works.:)
This sort of reminds me of something you'd find in DOS or the
likes, A sort of free-for-all, where you can use any kind of graphics
driver you want, and each is responsible for it's own recovery etc..
That is why I thought a single driver would be good. Just because it
could be much more robhust, and clean. And, with just one source of
drivers, you wouldn't have to write the same thing twice, like we have
now, a driver in X and one in SVGAlib(we hope anyway :).
Linus' idea of using melding SVGAlib into X is certainly a good
argument, although I would also have to agree with the ggi guys that the
graphics card, being hardware, could be supported by the kernel.
Especially since it can be such a sensitive thing... ie. hardware hangs etc.
There is always the problem of portability too. This change could
potentially break a lot of the apps that we have now, and as far as other
architectures go.. well.. who knows (not me :). X is definately the best
for this.. anything written for X is good on all platforms.. I would
wonder though if, although it could break code for other unicies, if it
wouldn't make it more portable to other architectures that ran linux. Is
there an SVGAlib implemented for the PowerPC?
So, all in all... I dunno, I just want to be able to use graphics
in VC's and not have to .. buy a new graphics card, type reset after
everything, reboot my PC when somthing goes wrong. :)
Ian