From: Jason McMullan <jmcc@ontv.com>
  To  : evstack@ontv.com
  Date: 29 Sep 1998 00:35:12 GMT

Re: fbcons and GGI console interoperation...

teunis <teunis@computersupportcentre.com> wrote with confidence:
> 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? :)

  No reason why they can't - so long as fbcon gives up the console
code. (ie drivers/char/console.c and drivers/video/fbcon.c)

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

  I'm working on the design of `shims' that use the current
/dev/fb text renderers as GGI Console KGI renderers.

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

  Noooo - just make a `S3-textmode' renderer. Automatically loads
as a module, or you can compile it in.
 
> That would make GGI console integration into the kernel a lot easier, ne?

  Maybe.. It's currently compile-time configurable anyway...

-- 
Jason McMullan - Linux - GGI - http://pepsi.visus.com/~jmcc
  I can't wait until the point where free Linux CD's or other paraphenalia is 
included in cereal boxes.  That truly will be the cherry ontop of our madness!
  -- Mike A. Harris <mharris@ican.net> on linux-kernel@vger.rutgers.edu