> Do you mean to say that the console driver knows how to manipulate
> the display hardware to use 2 and 4 bit modes?  When does it do
> that? (I've only started using the intvid console, as Takashi just
> made available his fix for the PB180 -- amazing what that guy can
> do using MacsBug... I think it'd drive me crazy trying to reverse
> engineer code as he has).  I've only seen the console use 1-bit video.

No. The kernel's console code can draw pixels in 2 and 4 bit modes
(and 16 and 32, I think). dt only knows how to deal with 1-bit modes.

> >I'm hoping somebody is wise and makes a 4 bit mode version of dt
> >so we can have a version of dt with ansi colors.
> 
> Again, do the X11 server and dt control the video display depth via
> system calls, or do they open a file in /dev and send it video parameters,
> or do they have their own drivers, and just map in the video control
> registers?

The whole problem is that the kernel _doesn't_ know how to control the
video display depth. :-( Just the internal console driver will deal
with the video when it's booted in 2, 4, 16, or 32-bit modes. Though
slowly. :-)

Take care,

Bill