*BSD News Article 8613


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From: dwex@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (david.e.wexelblat)
Subject: Re: Bug in X386 Xmono server?
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1992 16:50:39 GMT
Message-ID: <1992Dec7.165039.20526@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>
References: <1992Dec4.175440.17024@cli.di.unipi.it>
Lines: 52

In article <1992Dec4.175440.17024@cli.di.unipi.it> romano@pimac2.iet.unipi.it (Romano Giannetti) writes:
> It seem I found a bug in the Xmono server distributed with Linux. I post 
> this one here to know if someone know:
> .) if Xfree86 1.2 correct this bug;

Yes.  I tested this out over the weekend.  But I can't tell you when
XFree86 1.2 will be released.

> .) if anyone has patched sources so I can recompile Xmono under Linux;

Well, the patches sources are only available to our beta testers right
now.  There are a lot of other things done and planned for XFree86 1.2.

> .) if anyone has a X386 version (not buggy!) to use 640x480x16 generic
>    vga (Yes, I have linux on a laptop). 
> 

No.  Nor do we intend to do one.  But if someone else tackles it, we will
accept the contribution.

The reason that this is not supported is the way VGA implements the 16-color
modes.  In 256-color modes, each byte of frame buffer memory contains 1 pixel.
But the 16-color modes are implemented as bit-planes.  Each byte of frame-
buffer memory contains 1 bit from each of each of 8 pixels, and there are
four such planes.  The MIT frame-buffer code is not designed to deal with
this.  If VGA handled 16-color modes by packing 2 4-bit pixels into each
byte, the MIT code could be modified to support this (or it already may;
I'm not sure).  But for the VGA way of doing things, a complete new
frame-buffer implementation is required.  And it's not something we want
to tackle.

> -- 
> ***************************************************************************
> * Romano Giannetti          * Dip.to di Ingegneria dell'Informazione      *
> *                           * Elettronica, Informatica e Telecomunicazioni*
> * romano@iet.unipi.it       * via Diotisalvi,2                            *
> * giannetti@sssup1.sssup.it * Universita' di Pisa, I-56126 PISA, Italy    *
> ***************************************************************************

If you (or anyone) are interested in joining the XFree86 beta program, send
mail to xfree86@physics.su.oz.au.  There are two basic requirements (a) you
have something to contribute (i.e. you're not just looking for early access,
but plan to contribute code, or test in new/stressful configurations), and
(b) you have FTP access (all of our beta code is only available via
anonymous FTP).

--
David Wexelblat <dwex@mtgzfs3.att.com>  (908) 957-5871
AT&T Bell Laboratories, 200 Laurel Ave - 4B-421, Middletown, NJ  07748

"The meaning of life?  That's simple.  Try to be happy, try not to hurt
 other people, and hope to fall in love."  -- Mallory Keaton