Re: X and VT-switching bug?

Rogier Wolff (R.E.Wolff@BitWizard.nl)
Fri, 12 Dec 1997 08:55:55 +0100 (MET)

teunis wrote:
> FWIW x86 hardware is broken by design (anything capable of VGA is broken.
> As is CGA, EGA, hercules-monochrome, ...). x86 graphics hardware is _NOT_
> designed for secure and/or multiuser environments.
>
> I don't know how things are on other platforms though - other than
> apparently neither Sun nor SGI have this problem.

You mean you've been changing virtual consoles as fast as you can on a
SUN and an SGI? Nah.... Didn't think you tried that.

Sun and SGI have a frame buffer that is graphics mode only, and
doesn't need changing from VC to VC.

I think that things are "implementation issue": If an Xserver would:

- on switch away, only tell the kernel that the switch is done
after everything is actually done. Discard keystrokes recieved after
the switchaway was initiated.

- on switch-to-X, first tell the kernel (keyboard->raw mode) and
process keystrokes once your're fully switched.

then, everything would be just fine.....

Regards,

Roger. 

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