> linuxconsole, linux-input, fbdev and ruby
>
> I'm a bit confused about what all these related projects are.
> It seems that they all relate to the much needed (from what I
> have been told) untangling of the console and input layers of the Linux
> kernel. Would someone mind giving a quick rundown on the various
> projects, their status, what their purpose is and who they effect?
>
> I really apprciate it. Thanks.
No problem.
When linux first started out the console system was totally based
around the VGA text with the classic PC keyboard. Over time as more
platforms where added to the linux project there was no standard way
to write new drivers and since Linux was highly x86 centeric all the
new platforms where forced to make there keyboard and video hardware
behave like PC hardware. Over time we seen enormous amounts of code
repeated over and over again in various drivers.
Then this project was started. The idea was to make the console system
a abstract of other well designed subsystems. The console system is
basically a keyboard and a display. So the idea was to create a layer to
handle keyboards independent of the console system and creaet a layer for
teh display independent of teh console system. Thus we ended up with the
input layer and the fbdev layer. Each can now function on there own and
together they can be combined to form a VT console. This makes for much
smaller cleaner code.
What has gone in:
1) input layer and console interface to it.
2) fbdev api changes and console seperation from it. Well almost. Linus
has to take my last set of changes.
What is to be done:
1) The console system itself has to go threw a major rewrite. Basically we
have to move away from the old PC centeric design. This is what the
linuxconsole project aims to do.
Ruby is the name of our kernel tree in CVS. We named each set of kernel
changes after a gem. Before we had saphhire and emarald.
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