nanogui: Thread: Porting NanoGui to a platform without FrameBuffers ???

Hi,

I just subscribed to the list, and sorry if this
is an elementary question:

Is it possible to use NanoGui with an embedded system that
does not support FrameBuffers ( does not run under Linux ) ?

If it is possible, the hardware initially, for testing,
will be a PC.

TIA.






Thanks,
Rosimildo

______________________________________________________
Get your free web-based email at http://www.xoom.com
Birthday? Anniversary? Send FREE animated greeting
cards for any occasion at http://greetings.xoom.com

On Sun, 26 Sep 1999, Rosimildo daSilva wrote:
> Is it possible to use NanoGui with an embedded system that
> does not support FrameBuffers ( does not run under Linux ) ?

Yes, the most basic primitive is to be able to read and write any given
pixel on the screen.

--------------- Linux- the choice of a GNU generation. --------------
: Alex Holden (M1CJD)- Caver, Programmer, Land Rover nut, Radio Ham :
-------------------- http://www.linuxhacker.org/ --------------------

: Is it possible to use NanoGui with an embedded system that
: does not support FrameBuffers ( does not run under Linux ) ?
: 

	There is currently support for Linux SVGAlib and MSDOS
VGA (real mode) and ELKS (real mode linux for 8086's at: ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows

	The design of microwindows/nanogui allows all hardware-dependent
functionality to be unbundled from the core.  Currently, this consists of the screen
driver, mouse driver, and keyboard driver.  I have written real-mode drivers for
bare PC hardware, not requiring any operating system.  The only screen drivers
written for real mode consist currently of a VGA driver and Hercules mono driver.


	As Alex mentioned, only read and write pixel are required to port 
the system screen driver.  I have put considerable thought into this just
so that porting is easy.  For instance, all text output and cursor management
is perfomed through read/write pixel.  As others will attest though, you'll definitely
want to write a fast horizontal line draw, or it'll be slow...



: If it is possible, the hardware initially, for testing,
: will be a PC.
: 

	I regularly build the microwindows release on a PC running DOS.
The makefiles included assume MSC v5.10 C compiler.  I am thinking of
building a release for the dev86 bcc compiler for DOS, but I need to emit
MZ format headers first, rather than ELKS a.out format.

Greg

On Mon, 27 Sep 1999, Greg Haerr wrote:
> 	I regularly build the microwindows release on a PC running DOS.
> The makefiles included assume MSC v5.10 C compiler.  I am thinking of
> building a release for the dev86 bcc compiler for DOS, but I need to emit
> MZ format headers first, rather than ELKS a.out format.

Couldn't you just use the Turbo C Borland released (or was it Inprise...)?

--------------- Linux- the choice of a GNU generation. --------------
: Alex Holden (M1CJD)- Caver, Programmer, Land Rover nut, Radio Ham :
-------------------- http://www.linuxhacker.org/ --------------------

On Monday, September 27, 1999 1:12 PM, Alex Holden ####@####.#### wrote:
: On Mon, 27 Sep 1999, Greg Haerr wrote:
: > 	I regularly build the microwindows release on a PC running DOS.
: > The makefiles included assume MSC v5.10 C compiler.  I am thinking of
: > building a release for the dev86 bcc compiler for DOS, but I need to emit
: > MZ format headers first, rather than ELKS a.out format.
: 
: Couldn't you just use the Turbo C Borland released (or was it Inprise...)?
:
	It might be nice for someone to create a makefile for the TC environment.

What I was looking for with the dev86 stuff is that we would have source to the window
system (microwindows) and the development system (dev86) and could then
move it to different platforms.  Rob has moved the dev86 kit to run on DOS, although
it only creates .com files...

Greg

Thanks for the information. Now, I know it is possible.
I am going to download this stuff and poke around it.

 > I have written real-mode drivers for
 > bare PC hardware, not requiring any operating system.  The only screen drivers
 > written for real mode consist currently of a VGA driver and Hercules mono driver.
 > 

The application will run in protected mode and the 
system will not has BIOS.

It will be an embedded 386 controller. I hope yours drivers
would be some starting point.

Rosimildo.


______________________________________________________
Get your free web-based email at http://www.xoom.com
Birthday? Anniversary? Send FREE animated greeting
cards for any occasion at http://greetings.xoom.com