From: Jon M. Taylor <taylorj@ecs.csus.edu>
  To  : ggi-develop@eskimo.com
  Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1998 13:44:39 -0700 (PDT)

Re: Problems with ATI Mach64 Driver...

On Sat, 29 Aug 1998, Andrew Apted wrote:

> Jon writes:
> 
> >  	IMHO it should be changed and all cfbx options should be required
> >  to be compiled into the kernel.  I was thinking about this the last time I
> >  looked at fbcon-kgi.c.  Since kgicon has to be able to handle a variety 
> >  of driver types with a variety of capabilities, it needs to be able to 
> >  handle all modes.
> 
> The only advantage I can see of having the cfb* as options in the kernel
> config is reducing kernel code size.  But... if/when we integrate kgicon
> into the kernel makefile system, then we either (a) force all the cfb*
> options to be set whenever `[ ] Enable KGICON support' is set (otherwise
> it don't compile), or (b) live with it.  Since users have to enable the
> `[ ] Advanced low level driver options' to disable the cfb* options,
> then I say (b) keep the #ifdefs and let the users RTFM.

	OK, I agree.  I think the best solution is to turn the damn cfbx
code into modules that are compiled and linked intelligently by the kernel
according to a set of dependencies.  It is absurd to have the user have to
figure out the dependencies themselves. 

> If kgicon is staying out of the kernel makefile system, then removing
> those #ifdefs would be reasonable (we'll get `why doesn't it compile ?'
> instead of `why doesn't it work ?') although not essential IMHO.
>
> So the question is: do we integrate kgicon into the kernel makefile
> system (i.e. right now) ?  

	We can try, but we'd better ask Alan Cox if he thinks it would
have a chance of getting past Linus' code freeze first. 

> What worries me is the big question mark
> floating above Steffen's new KGI API (and the other KGI APIs like the
> evstack and suidkgi changes).

	I'm not to worried about EvStack/GGI Console - Jason seems to have
taken that under his wing.  I also think that KII can continue to be part
of GGI Console for the time being, as it sort of is now.  But KGI is a
problem.  I think we may have to take KGI's features and pull them out
into fbcon-kgi.c.  We have already done some of this, and we could do more
now that the kernel has mmap() handler hooks and suchlike.

Jon 

---
'Cloning and the reprogramming of DNA is the first serious step in 
becoming one with God.'
	- Scientist G. Richard Seed