resolution, video restart, without closing connected apps

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Hi,

  I was looking into more convenient ways of changing the resolution,
  refresh rate, hot-plug video card, stuff like that, other than: edit
  config file + restart X.

  Is there a way to restart just the video module(s) but not the
  server itself? I.e. the applications don't even know that the
  display changed, and you get them back on screen, as you left them,
  as soon as the video card brough back up. Something like an
  abstract, display-independent (or even no display for some time) X
  Server.

  Or another way to put it:

  - a X server daemon, displayless, just handling in-memory entities,
  like windows, bitmaps
  - and an X server video module that translates those entities into
  things that get displayed on screen.
  - possibly, distinct modules for the input layer and others
  - a way to reconfigure each module on-the-fly without disconnecting
  the applications
  - applications would connect the same way as they do now
  - Control+Alt+Backspace would get a new meaning: close/restart
  functional layer modules, but not server (or maybe assign a
  Control+Alt+Delete :P or some other key combination for this?)
  - Window Managers would be able to control this "soft restart"
  through API calls

  So.. if this is already done and I don't know, please enlighten me
  so I can use it. If you think I'm talking crap, feel free to bash me
  with all the arguments you have.

  Thanks.
  
Regards,
  Radu