Re: new device driver features

Sorry for going beyond the device specific driver issues... I was
thinking more at the x server level...

--- Brian Paul <brian-CdwZJljFklH+2FeEXyspIVaTQe2KTcn/@public.gmane.org> wrote:
> Alex Deucher wrote:
> > I hate to reply to my own email, but I thought of one more:
> > Dealing with things like DPI and gamma properly per-head on single
> > logical screen (xinerama style) multi-head.
> 
> I think several of your ideas fall outside the scope of the graphics 
> h/w device driver...
> 
> 
> > Alex
> > 
> > --------------------------
> > We should also design it with "hot" reconfiguration in mind. 
> 
> 
> > Things like enabling/disabling output ports,
> 
> got that.
> 
> 
> > changing crtc and virtual resolutions, color depths
> 
> got that.
> 
> 
> > screen orientation,
> 
> window system issue.
> 
> 
> > overlay changes,
> 
> huh?
> 

stuff like gamma, alpha, brightness, etc. for video overlays. like the
current Xv attributes.

> 
> > swapping input devices,
> 
> Not a graphics driver issue.
> 
> 
>  > per-context 3D allocations,
> 
> The device driver probably won't know anything about multiple 
> rendering contexts.  I think it's up to higher-level software to 
> virtualize the graphics hardware.
> 
> 
> > PCI(E)/AGP hot-swap of video cards,
> 
> OK.
> 
> 
> > adding Xservers on other PCs.
> 
> Not a graphics driver issue.
> 
> 
> > Some other things to think about:
> > - power management
> 
> OK.
> 
> 
> > - multiple users on one PC/video card
> 
> What do you mean by that?
> 

this probably falles outside the scope of the device driver, but
basically if you have a dualhead card, or two cards, you can allocate a
head to each user and have separate input devices.  much like the
various multi-user X hacks that are floating around out there.

> 
> > - idea of multiple focus - 2+ users can share a single desktop, eg.
> > collaborating on a single project, etc.  this concept of a "user"
> can
> > be tied to a particular set of input devices.  the "user" would
> also
> > have their own clipboard, etc. Each "user" could have a window in
> focus
> > and actively be working on it independantly, or share a window and
> both
> > actively edit a single document.
> 
> That's clearly a window system issue, not a device driver thing.
> 
> > - multi-head/xinerama/mergedfb - how can we mix HW accel between
> heads
> > (one chip, multiple chips, PCs, etc)?  Chromium?
> 
> Some/most of this is above the device driver.
> 
> 
> > - X server spread across multiple physical PCs - DMX?
> 
> Definitely not a device driver issue.
> 
> 
> > We may not be able to support these all off the bat, but if we
> could
> > design with them in mind, it would ease the process of adding that
> > functionality later.
> 
> These are all fine ideas, but the point of this thread is to talk 
> about a device driver interface.

Sorry.  I was thinking X server rather than device driver.

> 
> 
> -Brian
> 


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