Re: client-server tech demo

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From: Nick Ray (n.ray@interay.com)
Date: Wed 30 May 2001 - 18:00:26 IDT


I havent tested this yet but I like the approach very much.
I would say tis is very important for the future direction of SVGA lib. coming from a 
standalone embedded environment I have often wondered why the configuration and initialisation of graphics devices under linux is so complex and temperemental.

Many applications require multi process or multi thread access to screen drawing yet do not have to be concerned about the initialisation of the device. Splitting the initialisation and configuration of the device and the memory mapped access is significant. Most applications only need to work in one mode. The initialisation and configuration is a system aspect and should be performed at system boot. The use of the drawing surfaces is an application aspect upon which the user API should concentrate.

I am wondering what will happen in the future. There are certain aspects such as clear screen, windowing and clipping  as well as text display that potentially also require synchronised acess to the device register set. Any ideas.

Nick


On Wed, 30 May 2001 08:29:27 -0500
Mihai Moise <mmoise@giref.ulaval.ca> wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> I would like to share this preview of a client-server mechanism with the
> rest of the mailing list. It is a .tar.bz2 archive which comes with a
> makefile.
> 
> The client-server mechanism allows user programs to use svgalib with no
> compromising of system security. The file app.c sets up a linear memory
> access, then writes directly to the video array.
> 
> The nice thing about it is that the file app.c follows the usual svgalib
> syntax, so converting to client-server only requires a recompile (with a
> -lvgaclient switch in the future.)
> 
> This approach is safe because user programs do not need access to
> registers; they only require to be able to mmap, and this can be
> controlled using a module like svgalib_helper.
> 
> I hope client-server might be added to a future release of svgalib.
> 
> Mihai

N.P.Ray
Managing Director,  Interay BV
Tel: +31 511460070  or 460080
Fax: +31 51146 2698   
Website:  www.interay.com

15 years Interay : Adopt, Adapt, Improve.

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