Michael R Zucca wrote:
> 
> > > using as well as wheather or not it is possible to run color X-windows
> > > on the IIci internal video.  Thanks in Advance, Rick
> > 
> > I don't know about the former, but the answer to the latter is no, not
> > yet.  Work on color internal video is in progress by Michael Zucca.
> 
> Yep. Actually, this brings up an interesting issue. The IIci/si's use their
> main DRAM as video RAM. While I can switch modes on the IIsi's video hardware
> (haven't played with a IIci but they are pretty much identical from what
> I've seen) I'm wondering if the extra space needed for, say, 1bit to 8bit
> mode is pre-allocated or if I have to force IIci/si users to boot in 8bit
> mode.

That's a very good question, actually.  I don't really know the answer,
though.  I thought that any use of the internal video automatically sucked
up 1MB of RAM as VRAM.  However, I don't know how the mappings might
differ between the two modes.

> If the memory is already allocated at Mac time then I think the mapping
> should hold-over into NetBSD. Anybody know about this?

I think that the memory is probably allocated, but I could easily see a
hole left in the mapping in 1-bit mode (yes, a waste of RAM).  Maybe
there's a technote on the subject.  

> On a side note, do any IIci/IIsi owners out there tend to get more
> problems with time critical code than other people? The reason I ask is
> that when the video DAC has grab memory from the CPU to draw the screen
> the CPU is blocked from using that entire bank of RAM. If NetBSD is in that
> bank and, say, an interrupt occurs then the CPU has to wait to fetch the
> code for the interrupt handler (unless it's cached) while the DAC is cycle
> stealing. Just wondering.

I use a NuBus video card, so this doesn't really effect me.  This could be
a legitimate problem, tho, I guess.  As a IIci user, if there is anything
I could do that would really help. please let me know.

Later.

-- 
Colin Wood                                 cwood@ichips.intel.com
Component Design Engineer - MD6                 Intel Corporation
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I speak only on my own behalf, not for my employer.