Re: [Linux-fbdev-devel] Re: Help from Gurus on modes and timing and frame buffers needed!

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

> Given all the cruft about video modes & flat panels lately, what about
> adding some generic fbdev mode management (extending modedb) this way:
> All driver that know how to retreive DDC/EDID informations or the old
> mac mode sense pins, provide this to the modedb module.
> 
> This module is responsible for using that info and command line infos
> to produce a sensible default display mode. It has a userland interface
> to make these infos easily available to candidate mode switchers (like
> MOL for example, but also a distribution XFree autoconfig tool).
> 
> It also has an event interface for drivers that can autodetect hotplug
> and unplug of the video connector. Actually, it could be in a more
> central place in fbdev arch and also do heads management.
> 
> In this case, drivers would register potential "heads" (connectors)
> indicating if they are independant or not (can only do mirroring), and
> if something is actually connected to them (most cards seem to be able
> to tell it).
> 
> We can have things like mirror-only heads that can have a different
> mode timing, our current interface doesn't seem really nice for it.
> This is classical on some laptops where the LCD is at 60hz, but you
> can mirror with a better refresh rate.
> 
> What do you think ?

That is what fbmon.c was made for!!!!!!! I agree we do need this kind of
functionality. Since this is a 2.5.X issue we can place it in the
linuxconsole project CVS. Their I'm working on the new fbdev api. I'm
willing to test it out. 

P.S

   Another issue is backlights and frontlights. I like to hammer something
out for that as well. I also already have hooks for power management as
well that feed up into the console layer. Also having fbdev doing power
management allows fbdev to exist without the console layer.