Subject: Re: New X distribution
To: Ken Nakata <kenn@remus.rutgers.edu>
From: Colin Wood <cwood@ichips.intel.com>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 11/10/1997 15:24:31
Ken Nakata wrote:
> 
> On Mon, 10 Nov 1997 10:46:35 -0500 (EST),
> Taras Ivanenko <ivanenko@ctpa03.mit.edu> wrote:
> > I do not have the Xserver patches, in fact, I do not even have the B&W
> > Xserver code. (I *did* ask for it some time ago, but...). Ken Nakata
> > made the "original" color X but he wrote earlier that he run into some
> > disk problems.
> 
> It's not exactly a disk problem, but yes, I'm having trouble accessing
> my server source on my disk... :-(

Is there any way we can help?

> > I guess color X can still remain in the "experimental"
> > status since 1.3 kernels are not going to support the color. I had an
> > idea that kernel can auto-sence the driver (by ioctl's) and either
>             ^^^^^^
> "Server", you mean?
> 
> > switch to color or remain B&W if the color is not available in the
> > driver. 
> 
> Actually, if you mean "server" by "kernel" above, my latest (which is
> more than a year old...) color server already does that.  It tries to
> init the video mode into 8-bit mode first, and if it fails, it runs as
> though the video mode is init'ed in 1-bit B&W mode through the ioctl()
> call.

This is really nice, btw.  Although I think I've seen it fail on a couple
of occasions.  If I can ever repeat it, I'll let you know more...

> BTW, can we expect the color grf ioctl() API will remain the same in
> future developments?

I think that Michael Zucca is exporting basically the same API for his
intvid driver, and Paul's SLOTMAN kernels do the same, I believe...so if
you want to make changes, do it now, while this stuff is still in early
development stages ;-)

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.