*BSD News Article 71935


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From: Ian Griffiths <igriffit@dev.madge.com>
Newsgroups: comp.graphics.api.misc,comp.graphics.algorithms,comp.windows.x.i386unix,gnu.misc.discuss,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.os.linux.development.apps
Subject: Re: Freeware community needs 3d library NOW
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 1996 12:27:47 +0100
Organization: Madge Networks
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Tim Smith wrote:
>
> I haven't specifically looked at the environment that a
> Direct3d driver runs in, but Microsoft has been moving for the
> last few years toward making the drivers that deal with
> hardware in Windows (all versions, including NT and 95) reside
> in clean layers that don't really have much, if any, knowledge
> of Windows.  (E.g., look at NT miniport drivers sometime.
> Those things could be adapted to any modern operating system
> that has a decently designed I/O system).

It would doubtless be possible to run NT drivers inside some 
other OSs, at least at a source compatibility level and probably 
even for binary compatibility.  However it's difficult to see 
how it could be done efficiently without buying into NT's IO 
layering model and at least some of the associated data 
structures.  And the number of functions the drivers have access 
to is actually pretty large.

Miniport drivers are a bit better, in that they have a strictly 
limited environment in which they must run precisely to make 
them more portable.  Does slow things down a bit though.

>  I'd be surprised if the Direct3d drivers specifically have to
> run in a Windows environment.

I wonder just how feasible it would be though.



--
Ian Griffiths