SPARC/MIPS volunteers wanted for abstract console driver

Geert Uytterhoeven (Geert.Uytterhoeven@cs.kuleuven.ac.be)
Tue, 2 Jun 1998 22:13:05 +0200 (CEST)

Anyone who's willing to test (possibly fix) the abstract console backward
compatibility layer on SPARC or MIPS? Those are the only two architectures that
aren't supported yet.

Thanks in advance!

More info about the abstract console driver:

http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~geert/Console/

Greetings,

Geert

--
Geert Uytterhoeven                     Geert.Uytterhoeven@cs.kuleuven.ac.be
Wavelets, Linux/{m68k~Amiga,PPC~CHRP}  http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~geert/
Department of Computer Science -- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven -- Belgium


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 10:31:00 +0200 (CEST)
From: Geert Uytterhoeven <Geert.Uytterhoeven@cs.kuleuven.ac.be>
To: SPARClinux CVS Repository Team <sparclinux-cvs@vger.rutgers.edu>
Subject: Abstract console backward compatibility layer




I just checked in the abstract console backward compatibility layer. This
should allow us to use the old console drivers for systems where no frame
buffer devices are available yet. I tested it on my CHRP box with the PowerMac
console driver for ATI graphics boards. I assume it'll work on PowerMac with
other graphics boards too.


Can someone please try this on SPARC and MIPS? All you need to do is:


  1. Enable in your config.in


	CONFIG_ABSTRACT_CONSOLE=y
	CONFIG_ABSCON_COMPAT=y


  2. Add to your old console driver (drivers/sbus/char/suncons.c etc.?)


	#ifdef CONFIG_ABSCON_COMPAT
	#include <linux/console_compat.h>
	#endif


  3. Put somewhere in your setup_arch()


	#ifdef CONFIG_ABSCON_COMPAT
	/* Console wrapper */
	conswitchp = &compat_con;
	#endif


    (this needs <linux/console.h>)


and recompile. Good luck!


Caveats:


  - Set/get font doesn't work because the old console drivers expect the font
    to be in user space, while console.new.c has already copied it to kernel
    space.


  - Changing the resolution on the fly (using the `vmode' command for the
    PowerMac console) doesn't work 100%: some parts of the console stubbornly
    keep on assuming the old geomerty.


If this works, the abstract console driver can be used on all architectures.


Greetings,


						Geert



--
Geert Uytterhoeven                     Geert.Uytterhoeven@cs.kuleuven.ac.be
Wavelets, Linux/{m68k~Amiga,PPC~CHRP}  http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~geert/
Department of Computer Science -- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven -- Belgium




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