Re: [Linux-fbdev-devel] ANNOUNCE ATI 128 port of new api

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

> I think this may be a good time to bring this topic up.  I am curious if
> this new "ruby" tree and new fbdev api are going to be blanket accepted
> into the 2.5 tree?  

The api has been discuss many times before on this list. In fact part of
the new api did go in. Its just not to many people take advantage of it.
Others like Russell King have used it. I have also talked to embedded
developers for mips and sh devices, many which have written framebuffers,
and they also support it. 

> If so, is this the decision of a few or a generalized
> vote of many fbdev driver maitniners (I have been in and out of
> linux-fbdev lists so if there was some sort of general acceptance please
> let me know)?  

Only one person that I know of doesn't support it. Everyone else who has
seen and responded to the proposal has accepted it. I have posted several
times the proposed api and I have gotten feedback which I have used to
shape the api. Yes some people haven't bothered in any way. As 2.5.X
approachs I hope they do. 

> Also, I maintain the aty128fb driver and while I
> appreciated the help with the driver, will this new api or whatever
> changes in the "ruby" tree go over the heads of driver maintainers and go
> into 2.5 without their knowledge? Perhaps I'm being anal about it, but
> I'd like to know about changes (if they go into the official kernel) to
> the drivers I maintain, it makes life easier for patches and updates and
> version control, as I'm sure other driver maintainers will agree.

I ported the driver because it was requested so testing for ruby can be
done on the PPC. Several drivers have been ported for testing. I have NOT
sent any patches to the mainline tree nor would I send them except with
the authors permission. 

> >From what I hear the long awaited 2.5 is around the corner so I think its
> best to discuss this asap.

I agree. Which is why I have posted example code such as the new aty128
driver here and other code as well. I have had some feedback. Now with me
porting drivers over I hope to have more.