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diff --git a/docs/The KDrive Tiny X Server.txt b/docs/The KDrive Tiny X Server.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0b24b4d --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/The KDrive Tiny X Server.txt @@ -0,0 +1,264 @@ + The KDrive Tiny X Server + + This page is obsolete; the howto information contained herein does not + apply to recent X.Org releases. It may still be of interest if you want + to understand what KDrive is about. + + KDrive (Tiny X, TinyX) is an X server written by Keith Packard that was + designed for low memory environments. On Linux/x86, a KDrive server + with RENDER support but without support for scalable fonts compiles + into less than 700 KB of text. KDrive tends to avoid large memory + allocations at runtime, and tries to perform operations "on the fly" + whenever possible (but this is also true of recent versions of the + stock XFree86 server). + + Unlike the usual XFree86 server, a KDrive server is completely + self-contained: it does not require any configuration files, and will + even function if no on-disk fonts are available. All configuration is + done at compile time and through command-line flags. + + At the time of writing, KDrive is for Linux only, although it could + probably be ported to other Unix-like systems with little effort. + + Disclaimer: This text was written by an incompetent amateur (J.Ch.), + and does not carry the imprimatur of Keith Packard. I am not intimately + familiar with all of the KDrive code, and this document is probably + wildly inaccurate. I am sole responsible for any errors or omissions in + this document. + + The information contained herein is offered in good faith, but with no + warranty of any kind. No kidding. + +The Xfbdev KDrive server + + The default KDrive server, Xfbdev, is designed for a Linux installation + with a working /dev/fb and any common PC mouse on /dev/mouse. It + includes the following drivers: + * Linux OS support; + * generic Linux keyboard; + * generic mouse; + * Linux fbdev display (unaccelerated). + + Xfbdev includes support for BDF and PCF bitmap fonts only. In addition, + it hardwires a number of standard fonts, notably cursor and fixed, + which will therefore be available even when there are no on-disk fonts. + By default, it does not contain support for local scalable fonts in any + format. + + Xfbdev also includes support for a number of server extensions, + including the ubiquitous SHAPE and the soon-to-be ubiquitous RENDER. + + In order to compile Xfbdev, you need a clean XFree86 tree; I recommend + version 4.0.2 or later. Put the following lines in your host.def file: + + #define BuildServersOnly YES + #define KDriveXServer YES + #define TinyXServer YES + #define XfbdevServer YES + + Now make World as usual; if the compilation proceeds without errors, + you should have an executable xc/programs/Xserver/Xfbdev. + + You may now make install or make install.man. + + For information on running the Xfbdev server, please see the + [1]Xfbdev(1), [2]Xkdrive(1) and [3]Xserver(1) manual pages. + +The Xvesa KDrive server + + The Xvesa server is for x86 hardware only, and includes an + unaccelerated display driver that will support any card with a VESA, + VGA or even EGA BIOS (VESA 1.1 is the earliest supported version; + VESA 2.0 will give better performance). Except for the display driver, + the Xvesa server is identical to Xfbdev. + + Unless you're using an original Hercules Graphics chipset or + compatible, your hardware is most probably supported. In addition, the + video driver in Xvesa will automagically do any initialisation of your + chipset that your BIOS knows about but that might be undocumented, and + thus not present in the stock XFree86 drivers. Xvesa is therefore an + excellent choice for laptops, and until recently I was using Xvesa as + the primary X server on mine. + + God protect us from copper money and CGA cards. + + In order to build the Xvesa server, include the following lines in your + host.def file: + + #define BuildServersOnly YES + #define KDriveXServer YES + #define TinyXServer YES + #define XvesaServer YES + + For information on running the Xvesa server, please see the + [4]Xvesa(1), [5]Xkdrive(1) and [6]Xserver(1) manual pages. + +Other standard KDrive servers + + The KDrive makefiles include building recipes for a number of other + servers, some of which use accelerated display drivers. These servers + are not currently documented. + + Any volunteers? + + Fore more information, please see the [7]Xkdrive(1) manual page and the + file [8]xc/config/cf/kdrive.cf. + +Custom KDrive servers + + A KDrive server does not include multiple drivers. In order to run + KDrive on your hardware, you need to compile a KDrive server with the + proper os, keyboard, mouse and display drivers. In addition, you will + need to select the set of font renderers and server extensions that you + want to compile. + + OS support + + At the time of writing, the publicly-available KDrive server only + supports Linux. As most of KDrive is OS-agnostic, porting to a + different Unix-like system should not be difficult. + + Some bits of the source hint at support for certain proprietary + systems, but it seems incomplete. + + If you port KDrive to a different OS, I'd be glad to hear from you (and + I am sure so would Keith). BSD should be easy. Minix-VMD might be more + challenging, as it lacks a standard socket library; but then, earlier + versions of XFree86 used to run on Minix-VMD, and KDrive uses the same + XTrans layer. Stock 32-bit Minix doesn't have a poll/select equivalent. + + I want to see KDrive on stock Minix. Please. + + Keyboard support + + At the time of writing, the KDrive server only has support for a + generic Linux keyboard; the keyboard mapping is copied from the Linux + kernel tables at startup. As X11 has richer keyboard information than + Linux, and furthermore KDrive's mapping tables are incomplete, the + results are not always perfect; I have found it necessary to fix my + keyboard using xmodmap. + + Mouse support + + Since XFree86 4.2.0, KDrive automatically detects the type of mouse on + /dev/mouse, which should be a link to the correct mouse device. Most + common types of mice (including, of course, PS/2, Microsoft and + Logitech serial, and Microsoft "bus") are supported by the mouse + driver; if yours is not, your best bet is probably to use gmp in + repeater mode. + + Display drivers + + KDrive includes a fairly large selection of display drivers. Two are + fully generic but unaccelerated: fbdev (included in the Xfbdev server) + and vesa (included in the Xvesa server). The other drivers are + partially accelerated, and support specific video hardware. + + The generic drivers are documented in the [9]Xfbdev(1) and [10]Xvesa(1) + manual pages. The accelerated drivers are currently undocumented; the + only source of information about them is the source. Please see the + directories under hw/kdrive/ and enjoy your read. + + Font renderers + + KDrive should be able to support all the font renderers supported by + XFree86. You may add any of the following to your host.def file: + + #define BuildSpeedo YES + #define BuildType1 YES + #define BuildCID YES + #define BuildFreeType YES + #define FontServerAccess YES + + In XFree86 4.3.0 and later, the FreeType backend includes support for + all common scalable font formats (including Type 1). For most uses, it + is the only one that you will need. + + Some of these renderers are rather large; you may want to think twice + before including them in your "tiny" server. + + As noted above, KDrive includes a number of hardwired, compiled-in + fonts. There is no good reason to disable support for these "built-in" + fonts; however, if you insist, you may use + + #define BuildBuiltinFonts NO + + Server extensions + + KDrive might or might not be able to support any server extension + supported by XFree86 that is not directly related to hardware. Use the + usual incantations in your host.def file, for example, + + #define BuildDBE YES + + There is no good reason to disable the RENDER extension. + + Additional defines + + Any additional options that you want to pass to the C compiler should + be put in KdriveServerExtraDefines: + + #define KdriveServerExtraDefines -DPIXPRIV + +Building against uClibc + + At least the Xvesa server appears to build and run when linked against + [11]uClibc; note, however, that I haven't done any extensive testing. + + You will first need to add two trivial functions to uClibc; this is + simply done by relinking uClibc with [12]uclibc-missing-math.c. Then, + assuming that your uclibc toolchain is invoked by i386-uclibc-cc, add + the following to your host.def file: + + #define CcCmd i386-uclibc-cc + + If you haven't recompiled libz against uClibc, you will also need to + add the following line to your host.def: + + #define HasZlib NO + + This will have the side-effect of disabling all support for compressed + fonts. + + Is the uclibc-missing-math.c hack still necessary with recent uClibc + releases? + +Download + + Binary KDrive servers for GNU/Linux/x86 might be available from [13]my + KDrive download directory. + + These binaries are offered in good faith, but really with no guarantee. + Not even of any kind. + +References + + [14]Handhelds Org and Jim Gettys' page about [15]cross-compiling + KDrive. + + [16]Keith Packard, the primary author of KDrive. + + [17]Back to my software page. + + [18]Juliusz Chroboczek, <jch@pps.jussieu.fr> + +References + + 1. http://www.xfree86.org/current/Xfbdev.1.html + 2. http://www.xfree86.org/current/Xkdrive.1.html + 3. http://www.xfree86.org/current/Xserver.1.html + 4. http://www.xfree86.org/current/Xvesa.1.html + 5. http://www.xfree86.org/current/Xkdrive.1.html + 6. http://www.xfree86.org/current/Xserver.1.html + 7. http://www.xfree86.org/current/Xkdrive.1.html + 8. http://cvsweb.xfree86.org/cvsweb/xc/config/cf/kdrive.cf + 9. http://www.xfree86.org/current/Xfbdev.1.html + 10. http://www.xfree86.org/current/Xvesa.1.html + 11. http://www.uclibc.org/ + 12. https://www.pps.jussieu.fr/~jch/software/uclibc-missing-math.c + 13. https://www.pps.jussieu.fr/~jch/software/kdrive/ + 14. http://www.handhelds.org/ + 15. http://www.handhelds.org/minihowto/building-x.html + 16. http://www.keithp.com/ + 17. https://www.irif.univ-paris-diderot.fr/~jch/software/ + 18. https://www.irif.univ-paris-diderot.fr/~jch/ |