DirectFB Project Draws Up Plans For The Future

[phoronix]

Phoronix: DirectFB Project Draws Up Plans For The Future

Earlier this week DirectFB developers published support for running Wayland's Weston on the Direct Frame-Buffer. This was just one of several interesting projects out of DirectFB and now they have a bit of a road-map concerning the future of their project...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTQ4MTI

[sarmad]

I am confused here. What is Weston currently sitting on? Isn't it currently sitting directly on top of the drivers? If so, how is introducing DirectFB in the middle going to make it better?

[liam]

I am confused here. What is Weston currently sitting on? Isn't it currently sitting directly on top of the drivers? If so, how is introducing DirectFB in the middle going to make it better?

Me to. Also, how can directfb have more than one buffer? I'd always thought directfb was an alternative to X but without the rendering api and no ways to accelerate it. Now it seems you can accelerate it (perhaps you always have).

[smitty3268]

I am confused here. What is Weston currently sitting on? Isn't it currently sitting directly on top of the drivers? If so, how is introducing DirectFB in the middle going to make it better?

I believe DirectFB is an alternative for the KMS/DRM drivers in the kernel. So this is like swapping out one set of drivers for another.

[pq__]

I believe DirectFB is an alternative for the KMS/DRM drivers in the kernel. So this is like swapping out one set of drivers for another.

Indeed. I don't think DirectFB support makes Weston better per se, but it allows Weston to run on more devices than before. Well, I guess you might say it does make Weston better as it runs on more devices. Most devices are not PCs.

[bountykiller]

Me to. Also, how can directfb have more than one buffer? I'd always thought directfb was an alternative to X but without the rendering api and no ways to accelerate it. Now it seems you can accelerate it (perhaps you always have).

I'm unsure of what you mean here, but if your question is about "does directfb support hardware accelarated rendering", the answer is yes.
Also AFAIK directfb does have it's own rendering API.

[liam]

I'm unsure of what you mean here, but if your question is about "does directfb support hardware accelarated rendering", the answer is yes.
Also AFAIK directfb does have it's own rendering API.

Wow, it most certainly does. IDirectFBSurface supports a decent number of operations. I suppose I should've gone to their site first
I think it was their name that really threw me. Frame Buffer. So, I think it can only draw to the frame buffer, no access to offscreen surfaces, and, generally, simply no extra buffers at all. For what I thought it did (being a VERY basic display api that is most useful for kiosk type devices (an atm, for instance), or boot screens) that made sense.