On Mon, 16 Dec 1996 23:55:02 -0500  Chris G Demetriou wrote:

> [ Jonathan wrote ]
> > (Merging the
> > pmax and Alpha framebuffer drivers would be nice, too.)
> 
> So, for what it's worth:
> 
> I have absolutely no intention of making the Alpha frame buffers
> support the DEC ws interface.  I want a frame buffer interface that's
> clean, machine-independent, and can be used by lots of NetBSD ports,
> and I really don't think cloning one vendor's interface is likely to
> yeild one that'll be useful for all ports.

Will having the ws interface allow people to use the currently
unsupported framebuffers with the current DEC Xws X server?  I guess
that we may never get console support for some of these framebuffers,
but would it be as simple as (say) having a serial console, and firing
up the X server?

I haven't been following the X stuff too closely, because I don't have
a graphics card on my pmax/NetBSD machines.  One day I'd like to move
my current PMAGB screen to NetBSD, but the current (free) X server
treats it as a dumb frame buffer.  I know that there are docs around on
the later sfb chips (I think Chris sent me something ages ago), but
getting doco on the 24bit framebuffer will probably be impossible.

Simon.