From: Jon M. Taylor <taylorj@ecs.csus.edu>
  To  : evstack@ontv.com
  Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 17:48:21 -0700 (PDT)

Re: fbcons and GGI console interoperation...

On Mon, 28 Sep 1998, teunis wrote:

> Ummm.  Is there any reason these two couldn't coexist?  I mean, the fbcon
> driver actually supports (afaik) all the stuff that GGI Console was moving
> to requiring for proper console-output support, right? :)

	Sort of.  As I understand Jason, fbdev (not fbcon) could be
targeted by GGI console as a "scroller" device.  fbcon would presumably
vanish. 

> Mayhaps the console-hooks for rendering could be made so:
> 	1. A default set that uses fbcon for rendering :)

	fbdev.

> 	2. Linkable modules that tie into the current fbcon module,
> 	   allowing accelerated text (say) on platforms that support it
> 	   through odd methods.  EG. EGA/VGA, S3 Textmode...

	The KGI drivers should take care of that.  The GGI Console hooks 
will just be code that knows which ioctls to throw at /dev/fbx.

> 	(for those who don't know.... S3 textmode is 8 bytes-per-pixel)

	And driver modules too, yes.  Kind of Like LibGGI, actually.
 
> That would make GGI console integration into the kernel a lot easier, ne?

	Yes, IMHO.  When the new KGI arrives we can switch from fbdev to 
KGI for GGI Console.  And the new KGI will also be useable with the old 
fbcon, for those who don't want to switch right away.

Jon 

---
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