Subject: Re: frame buffer type names.
To: TAKEMURA, Shin <takemura@netbsd.org>
From: Chris G. Demetriou <cgd@netbsd.org>
List: port-hpcmips
Date: 02/06/2000 12:43:09
"TAKEMURA, Shin" <takemura@netbsd.org> writes:
> In 'Dxx_yyyy and M2L_y, xx means frame buffer depth as you know. And
> y means the pixel value of the forground color in hexadecimal. We 
> must choose it for black-on-white (forground is black and backfround 
> is white).

Is there any reason the 'yyyy' is encoded in the frame buffer type?
It seems to me that it's better to have a "reverse video" checkbox, or
maybe a couple of radio-button type things for
white-on-black/black-on-white.  (for now, this is OK, i'm just
wondering what the long-term correct way to do this is.)


> 'M2L means most significant bit to least significant bit. The MSB
> is left pixel and LSB is right pixel if a byte represents two or 
> more pixels. 'L2M means reverse order.

of course, there don't seem to be any "L2M" constants in the bootinfo
file...  8-)



> The 'x2' option provides virtual double width screen. For example,
> Palm Size PC, Freestype, which has LCD of 320x240, pretend to has
> LCD of 640x480. It had been hack for debugging until serial port
> got available. Please don't mind about it.

Interesting.  I'll have to look at the code more carefully...


Previously you'd said:

> It's better that we will delete multibyte codes from .rc. Don't you
> think so ?

What will the impact of that be on Japanese users?

I'm revisiting this now, because i've been looking at the UI in the
boot loader, and some of its capabilities, and i'm interested in
trying to improve it somewhat.

The one thing that I notice is that there are really large blank
spaces -- presumably where the Japanese Characters would go -- in the
display on the boxes i'm testing on.  This doesn't look particularly
good, at least to my eyes.

Are Japanese users comfortable using it in English?  Do they prefer
the Japanese/English mix that's there now?  would they prefer "just
Japanese" where possible?  (In other words, would they _care_ if the
Japanese characters went away, or would they prefer a separate set of
dialog boxes just for them, or... ?)



cgd
-- 
Chris Demetriou - cgd@netbsd.org - http://www.netbsd.org/People/Pages/cgd.html
Disclaimer: Not speaking for NetBSD, just expressing my own opinion.