nanogui: Thread: using nano-X and flnx on ARM-linux

Hi,

We are using nano-X and flnx to develop applications on ARM-linux.
Message below was posted in arm-linux mailing list. Can someone
explain in more details about the problems mentioned below. Also
are there patches available for these problems?

Thanks in advance
Ashim

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 17:02:22 +0100
From: Russell King - ARM Linux ####@####.####
To: Duncan Palmer ####@####.####
Cc: Roland Seuhs ####@####.#### ####@####.####
Subject: Re: Which graphics library/system to use?

On Tue, Aug 28, 2001 at 04:42:05PM +0100, Duncan Palmer wrote:
> We're using microwindows (www.microwindows.org) for our graphics
> library, and the flnx (fltk ported to microwindows - www.fltk.org and
> www.microwindows.org for the ported version) gui toolkit. 

There are currently a couple of things that I consider completely broken
in microwindows:

1. It doesn't know how to setup grayscale displays.
2. It doesn't initialise the framebuffer correctly, and does a nasty
   VT switch hack to perform text-based updates on the display.

I'm not currently interested in fixing these problems in microwindows;
there's enough work going in with kernels to keep me fully occupied at
the moment.

I have produced code snippets to fix (2) in the past - search the list
archive.

Did Russell King really say these things?    

> There are currently a couple of things that I consider completely broken
> in microwindows:
>
> 1. It doesn't know how to setup grayscale displays.

It can set up grayscale displays just fine.  In fact, most of the devices 
that we use Microwindows on only have grayscale displays.  

> 2. It doesn't initialise the framebuffer correctly, and does a nasty
>    VT switch hack to perform text-based updates on the display.

It does handle the framebuffer correctly, but they are right - we do a hack 
to handle VT switching.  But this is mainly because nobody can decide how 
they want to handle the VT switching in the framebuffer drivers.  I'm sure a 
decision will be made before 2.5, but until then, its everyone for 
themselves.   IMHO we handle VT switching much better than X11 does.

Jordan


On Thursday 30 August 2001 07:48, Ashim Prasad mentioned:
> Hi,
>
> We are using nano-X and flnx to develop applications on ARM-linux.
> Message below was posted in arm-linux mailing list. Can someone
> explain in more details about the problems mentioned below. Also
> are there patches available for these problems?
>
> Thanks in advance
> Ashim
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 17:02:22 +0100
> From: Russell King - ARM Linux ####@####.####
> To: Duncan Palmer ####@####.####
> Cc: Roland Seuhs ####@####.#### ####@####.####
> Subject: Re: Which graphics library/system to use?
>
> On Tue, Aug 28, 2001 at 04:42:05PM +0100, Duncan Palmer wrote:
> > We're using microwindows (www.microwindows.org) for our graphics
> > library, and the flnx (fltk ported to microwindows - www.fltk.org and
> > www.microwindows.org for the ported version) gui toolkit.
>

>
> I'm not currently interested in fixing these problems in microwindows;
> there's enough work going in with kernels to keep me fully occupied at
> the moment.
>
> I have produced code snippets to fix (2) in the past - search the list
> archive.
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: ####@####.####
> For additional commands, e-mail: ####@####.####

: 1. It doesn't know how to setup grayscale displays.

Setting the GRAYSCALE option in the config file, which links
in a grayscale palette and a 4bpp framebuffer driver, solves this
problem.


: 2. It doesn't initialise the framebuffer correctly, and does a nasty
:    VT switch hack to perform text-based updates on the display.

Yes, Russell complained that the VT switch code is a total hack,
and it is.  It is very early contributed code and has never been
rewritten.  I have moved all of it into src/drivers/vtswitch.c, 
so at least it's contained.  Russell suggested a method of fixing
it, which I have archived.  Certainly VTSWITCH=N in the
config file leaves all of the code out.


: I have produced code snippets to fix (2) in the past - search the list
: archive.

I don't have them - if you send them to me, I'll include them in the
distribution.

Regards,

Greg


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