Automatic driver reload with X.org/Linux like with Microsoft Vista?

[Alan]

> here. In Vista, if a display driver faults, Windows can reload the
> driver or swap it with a different driver without having to reboot.

In Linux if the graphics driver faults the X server segfaults and you can
catch it in a debugger or take some other action. Fedora for example on
seeing repeated display driver failure switch the user to an X
configuration tool. The same functionality is there for most platforms
handled by X.org.

> Driver upgrades can also be handled w/o a reboot. During the upgrade,
> Windows unloads the current IHV driver, reverts to the standard VGA
> driver, then loads in the new IHV driver."""

In the X world you just install a new driver and next time you restart X
you start using it.

> unavoidable I think that this feature would be handy.. Is there some
> sort of heartbeat the system can do with the GUI to reset it if it
> starts hanging? Is is possible to do this without loosing the user's

If the hardware hasn't died (which is the usual total hang case) then
ctrl-alt-backspace together restarts X.

> session?

That is much trickier.