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SubjectRe: SVGA kernel chipset drivers.
Date
> > We HAVE a uniform graphics API already. It's called X.

> What he or she wants is simplicity, because it means speed , versatility,
> and does not have spend months learning complex graphical API:s.
> He can start programming almost immediately if threre is only few simple
> command to set for some graphics mode.

What you may not know with X11 are two little pieces of the game (pardon the
pun) for programming fast bitmap stuff. Firstly there is MITSHM, this limits
you to local access only but you end up with a program that looks like
(pseudo code)


OpenDisplay();
PickSomeColours();
AllocateSHMArea();
while(!dead)
{
ScribbleOnSHM();
DrawIt();
Think();
WaitSHMSynced(); /* so we can reuse it probably
already done by the end of think */
}
FreeSHMArea();
CloseDisplay();

This is how stuff like DOOM works. You get a double buffered display with
your scribble area as the other buffer, its a raw pixel map to scribble on,
if the card can do DMA then the X server can DMA it to the video board.

Potentially usefully the same things could apply to GGI if/when its done so
a library that supports both wouldnt be hard, and I do prefer to have games
in windows now I have a fast enough machine as well as remembering X games
on a trident 8900c video card.

> graphical API at all or all wonderful demos for AMIGA.

The Amiga is a bad example, you either had to know a lot of API stuff or
some really weird low level programming tricks like using one coprocessor to
load the blitters. In effect the Amiga is a typical accelerated video card
but tightly cpu coupled and there are less versions to cope with.

As far as I am concerned mitshm is MUCH simpler than amiga stuff, and in a
past life I was an Amiga games programmer.

Sometimes its about knowing how to use the tools. For a different slant take a
look at the free Xsprite library in Xgalaga. For MITSHM examples mpeg_play
is pretty good, or xqcam.

Alan


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