Re: X.org and A1200 AGA Graphics

[David Brownlee <abs%absd.org@localhost>]

On Sun, 12 Sept 2021 at 11:57, Frank Wille <frank%phoenix.owl.de@localhost> wrote:
>
> Daniel Doran wrote:
>
> > I have not attempted a NetBSD install on my Amiga 1200 yet but I was
> > told there was not X.org graphics support for the Amiga 1200 in 9.2, is
> > that right?
>
> Unfortunately that's true. With the transition from XFree to X.org, a few
> years ago, all the X drivers for the Amiga hardware became useless, and
> there doesn't seem to be enough man power and motivation to recreate
> everything in the same quality again.
>
> I adapted some graphics card drivers to support wsfb(4), so X.org can at
> least use a dumb frame buffer on them. But in the past we even had hardware
> acceleration.

Someone really needs to get an Amiga to macallan@ - he has hardware
acceleration for oddball sun framebuffers, including antialiased
console fonts :)

> > If so is there anyway to get X Windows going on an Amiga A1200?
>
> Not without a supported graphics card. Nobody implemented wsfb(4) for the
> Amiga's native chipset yet.
>
> As far as I remember it is also not so easy to implement wsfb for AGA,
> because of the planar display hardware. Maybe monochrome could be done
> without too much effort...

I think the difference between nothing and monochrome would be worth
it - particularly as it should be faster moving less memory around
(though would it be a single colour option (all green?))

> You would probably need a new Xamiga, based on X.org, which is a lot of
> work.

Maybe start with wsfb, and then someone can always extend it.

I'm happy to put $50 towards a "beer money" bounty for anyone who gets
any kind of AGA X server running in NetBSD/current ;-p

David