Subject: Re: New snapshot of ATI Mach64 framebuffer driver
To: Jared D. McNeill <jmcneill@invisible.ca>
From: Frank van der Linden <fvdl@wasabisystems.com>
List: tech-kern
Date: 03/13/2002 22:24:13
On Wed, Mar 13, 2002 at 11:04:47AM -0400, Jared D. McNeill wrote:
> > - MI framebuffer interface /dev/fb - initial goal: porting Qt/Embedded
> >   to NetBSD (?)
> 
> How about an X server that uses /dev/fb and runs without options INSECURE
> or the aperture driver on i386?

The mach64 framebuffer is a good thing because it's the chipset that
came/comes on-board with some ultrasparc machines, and, I think, some macs.

However, it would be a bad idea to declare it a supported interface
for other ports like the i386. First of all, if we want some kind of
MI support it's best if it's added to wscons. On i386, it's pretty
much impossible to support a /dev/fb, because it would mean duplicating
much of the XFree86 effort for db drivers for each kind of card.
Which would be a waste and totally impossible because of lack of
manpower.

- Frank

-- 
Frank van der Linden                           fvdl@wasabisystems.com
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