Subject: Re: How about X
To: NetBSD/next68k developers list <port-next68k@netbsd.org>
From: Timm Wetzel <twetzel@gwdg.de>
List: port-next68k
Date: 04/10/2001 15:31:58
On Mon, 9 Apr 2001, der Mouse wrote:
> > as far I can see, there is no Xserver-support for NetBSD-next.
>
> Is this really true? Given how much I've done with X and NetBSD on
> NeXTs, I feel sure I could build a ddx layer for R6.4 without much
> trouble.
Greetings to the author of MouseX ;-). (I am still using it on NS.)
[...]
> If that's still of interest, drop me a line and I'll see what I can
> knock together.
This would certainly be very nice to have.
I've been thinking about the following: While direct framebuffer writing
is certainly fast enough for X (nicely proven by MouseX), I'm fairly sure
NeXT hardware has a DMA channel for video (and a video retrace interrupt).
Is there an obvious way to integrate this into the design for a next68k X
server? (Even if only as something to be added later.)
There's a considerable difference in responsiveness between DPS and X on
NEXTSTEP/m68k, so this could make quite a difference in usability.
(I know that the NeXT windowserver is rumoured to have hand-optimized
assembler code in critical parts, so this is hardly a fair comparison.)
If necessary I could try to dig up in my notes where the video DMA device
is mapped.
Timm
--
Timm Wetzel <twetzel@gwdg.de>
Biomed. NMR GmbH Tel +49 551 201-1091 FAX +49 551 201-1307
Am Fassberg 11, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany