RE: [Linux-fbdev-devel] fbdev API problems

[James S. <jsi...@tr...>]

> >In fact imageblit is from a newer implementation, and meant for 2.5.x.
> 
> Geert,
>   Does this imply that in the newer version there is no high level
> drawing functions that are touching my mmio and memory pointers. It
> is all contained inside the driver? I certainly hope so.

TIme to explain the new api a little bit. The new api is designed to
seperate the console code from the framebuffer code. This allows you two
things, a simpler api to work with and second you can run fbdev by itself
on embedded devices. To do this the first thing to go was the fbcon-cfb*
stuff. Instead the driver writer provides 3 basic accel functions which
if you use the fbcon layer uses these functions to preform console
functions. I abstracted it to be based around a graphics cards abilties to
encourge people to implement and plus it does hide more the hardware
features. It will avoid the problems you are having.

>   To add to the point these pointers should not even be visible to
> the outside-of-driver world. It someone can see a virtual pointer,
> at some point they will try to use it. In some drivers this would
> cause bad things to happen.

Another nice featue planned for 2.5.X is that the console system will be
"shutdown" when you explictly open /dev/fb. This will prevent any
conflicts between the console system and using graphics hardware in
userland. As for userland programming hardware. Well that is DRI domain
and it is a touchy subject I like to avoid.