[interfacekit] Re: Graphics Drivers and the App Server (LONG)

> >What I'd like to be doing is just using the existing drivers.  Of course
> >that just cops out of the question "How do I use the existing drivers?",
> >but I'm afraid I'm going to have to do that for the moment.  The online
> >BeBook no longer has the section on writing graphics drivers --
> >fortunately, I have the "Advanced Developers Guide" in dead tree format;
> >I'll try to find some time to throw that into at least a text document.
> >

if we can do this, it would be great.  I'm just not sure how likely
something like this would be.

> >I was reading this section the other night and there is a specific entry
> >function for graphics drivers that we would use to get at the frame
> >buffer and any accelerated functions (not the same thing as the
> >accelerant, I'm afraid).  You hand the function opcodes and data
> >buffers.  I'll get the docs up ASAP and we'll go from there.
> >

might have to read my advanced topics book, not sure what accelerants are
because I never messed with game stuff or direct video stuff :(

> It's funny that you mentioned the Advanced Topics guide. I've got it, too,
> and read through it quite a bit last night after I logged off for the day.
I
> understand how the functions are called and actually accessed, BUT I'm
still
> trying to figure out what to *do* with them. Thoughts?

I will read the video stuff as soon as I can (i'm reading a 3 electronics
books right now) and see what I can offer.

> I've been doing a *lot* of researching, so all this info is my high point
for
> today - it's been the Day from Hell (tm) today.
>
>
> 1) The app_server does a *lot* of things, but the major tasks are GUI
> management, starting apps, messaging, and dealing with input.
thats mainly what I was saying, i might have forgot to say that it handles
input
partially - it talks to the input server.
> 2) The registrar (which is also a project of ours) publishes BRoster kinds
of
> things. It and the app_server are both contacted by a BApplication
> constructor
not sure about this, must read :p
> 3) I've been in contact with George Hoffman at Be, who is the App Server
guy,
> and he is willing to give us any info which he can legally tell us.
According
> to him, this would be the kind of info that they would put in a
newsletter.

this is awesome.. get all the info you can from him :)

> 4) We have a lot of resources to pull from: Be Advanced Topics, the Be
Book,
> the BeOS Bible, the Newsletter Archives, the BootScript, Sample Code, and
the
> list goes on.

I just have the be advanced topics and the be dev guide.

> 5) Some useful tools: AreaWatch, objdump, listport, ps
>
> 6) There was a dummy app_server used in debugging graphics drivers at Be
> which was available by request to William Adams, but I can't track him
down
> or the program. Anyone seen this or have it?
never heard of it.
> Concerning #1 (and to correct Yuri), the app_server manages screen
> resolution, color depth, etc, by calling graphics driver functions. It
also
> manages the mouse cursor the same way. Anyway, if you kill everything but
the
> app_server and the input server, you *still* have desktops and apps that
can
> be run.
>
thats pretty much what I said, not specifically but close.

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