Mini-Compiz on Miniature Linux/OpenGL (embedded 3D window system)

Dave Airlie airlied at gmail.com
Tue Apr 17 12:43:36 PDT 2007


>
> my goal is to produce (for start) really tiny and simple Compiz-like "window
> manager", the main concern is size and speed... and by size i mean very
> tiny: 1 - 2 MB

A single 3D OpenGL driver is this size.. the DRI drivers are all ~3MB,
fglrx is ~10MB..

I can pretty much assume Scitech is *SOFTWARE* OpenGL, this is no use
as you've found so you've got something small but quite useless for
actual real work, so you really haven't got something at all...

> since everyone is probably laughing (id be too, few months ago), i might
> start by showing its possible,
> actually, there is already complete WORKING development environment for
> it... thanks to SciTech drivers it can run OpenGL without X, which cuts in
> size just enough, but not only that... its setup free, its plug'n'play...
> well, have a look, hope you'll find it interesting:
>
> Linux based OpenGL development system without X
> http://one.xthost.info/zelko/opengl.html
>
>
> now, these scitech drivers are great considering all the stuff that is
> going(not going) on with Linux drivers, but the most important part, for
> COOL effects, is not (fully) HW accelerated, like draw to textures,
> blending... but, still... 3D cube desktop and all the -window distortion-
> effects can be done as it is! im not sure if some of the earlier ATI cards
> that got specs out maybe even fully accelerated there, but no one seem to
> use/know about these drivers so its hard to find out..

They aren't accelerated if you are that small and they don't have a
kernel component..

>
> its all about drivers, OpenGL drivers,
> i've tried these as well, but could not make them work:
>
> * fbdev/DRI
> * directFB
> * GGI/libGGI
>
>
> can someone, please, answer this:
>
> 1.) are there any similar projects to this?
>
> 2.) anyone keen to help me make fbdev/DRI(miniglx) or GGI version of the
> system?

You want EGL or miniglx, you'll have to ship only open source drivers
which with miniglx pretty much means possible radeon, intel, and mga
hw...

>
> 3.) who knows if its possible to "convert" binary ATI/nVidia drivers to work
> without X?

No not possible.

> 4.) anyone knows whats going on with that Khronos group, OpenGL ES and
> stuff, can that be used on x86 platform? with, maybe some ATI mobilty cards
> or someting? is that just 'some' specification or are there some drivers
> there for some hardware?

Not for any PC class hardware, EGL is what you want to implement it
just that the open source EGL hasn't proven as interesting as people
wanted so hasn't gotten much momentum.. and people are busy doing
other stuff....

Dave.



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