RE: TEST7

["Harold Hunt" <huntharo at msu dot edu>]

Oh, the source for Test7 is kinda scattered.  It will take me awhile to dig
it up, if it still exists.  Also, the code for Test 7 is no big feat... it
is basically a clean up of the original code, and a few minor modifications
to render to an offscreen framebuffer.

Test 7 also requires that you have Visual C++, as Test 7, like the original
framebuffer based server, uses a seperate DLL for all functions that must
call Win32 API functions.  Shortly after Test 7, I began working on allowing
the Win32 API calls to be made directly from XWin.exe; I suceeded at this,
and have since been working on implementing each of the graphics functions
required for an X server.

Apparently there is a newer method of doing a simple port to an exisiting
windows system: the shadow FB code.  Shadow FB was written by Keith and is
located under xc/programs/Xserver/miext/shadowfb/, and an example of its use
is in xc/programs/Xserver/hw/kdrive/vesa/.  Shadow FB is nearly identical to
Test 7, except that Shadow FB keeps track of when the framebuffer has been
modified, and which sections have been modified.  That way, only the
modified sections must be transferred to the screen; this really cuts down
the CPU usage and results in an acceptable system, whereas Test 7 is
unacceptable.

Now, I'm not looking at doing a shadow FB port of XFree86 to Windows; we
open source developers tend to scratch our itches, and my particular itch is
to learn the intricacies of implementing an X server and I want to learn
about the Windows GDI.  Shadow FB would allow you to quickly implement an X
server that would work on both Windows 95/98/Me and Windows NT/2000.
Personally, I think you should go for it, or, a lot of people should go for
it.  I'll keep plodding away at the GDI based X server. :)

Thanks for your interest in the project,

Harold

-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Hairyes [mailto:rhairyes@lee.k12.nc.us]
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2001 10:22 PM
To: huntharo@msu.edu
Subject: TEST7


Harold,

Thanks for all your help this far.  My question to you is,
would it be ok to get the source for this and try to work on
it to make it more stable?  I know on your site you said that
there will be no more work done on it with the group, I thought
though you might let me have a stabe at it on the side?
Let me know what you think.

thanks,
                             -Ryan Hairyes


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