/boot/loader graphics support & extensibility

[Peter Jeremy]

On Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 01:44:42PM -0800, Marcel Moolenaar wrote:
>control over everything. On top of that, we can't use any
>code in the loader from the kernel, so whatever support we
>add, we need to add to the kernel too.

We can't re-use the same executable bytes but, with care, we
should be able to reuse some of the source code.

> At least, I think
>it's lame to support fancy graphics in the loader and then
>not support at least the same in the kernel. If you raise
>the bar for the loader, you also have to raise it for the
>kernel. How else would the kernel be able to use the console?

We already have splash(4) and can support a character-mode interface
to a graphics-mode adapter.  IMHO, the major reason for having
graphics support in the kernel is KGI/GGI - which offers the possibility
of being able to use DDB from X.

>So, the question is: how important is it for the user to
>be able to tweak it all.

For GGI, quite important because the kernel is defining the X
resolution.  Whether that needs to be the same as the resolution used
by the boot loader is a different question.

-- 
Peter Jeremy
Please excuse any delays as the result of my ISP's inability to implement
an MTA that is either RFC2821-compliant or matches their claimed behaviour.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 187 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-hackers/attachments/20080221/1d3ef944/attachment.pgp