[maemo-developers] Xsp pixel-doubling solutions for Nokia 770?

[From: Tapani Pälli]

Eero Tamminen wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Daniel Stone wrote:
>   
>>>> On Mon, Apr 30, 2007 at 09:34:38AM +0200, ext Frantisek Dufka wrote:
>>>> You mean, modify every single drawing X request in the X protocol so it
>>>> contains flags, meaning that we have to change every drawing-related
>>>> function in -- on average -- ten (at least) places in the server
>>>> codebase, rendering us incompatible with the standard X server codebase,
>>>> as well as the X protocol?
>>>>
>>>> Plus, the update is done long after the drawing information has been
>>>> discarded.
>>>>         
>
> Yes, this would imply that the flag is propagated to the FB update
> structs (i.e. minor implementation detail compared to adding it to GC
> which is part of the standard X API :-)).
>
>   

X extensions can add additional properties to GC's, Pixmaps's etc and
this functionality is a part of the standard X API.

>   
>>>> IOW, no.  (Also, bear clips in mind, which complicates things.)
>>>>         
>>> Well more likely something like this would be implemented as a
>>> additional flag in GC, right? But I think it would be nicer to just have
>>> a special call for 2x-blitting, this would be more sense.
>>>       
>> Sure, but the update is only done after the final screen pixmap has been
>> retouched, by which time the GC is also long gone.
>>
>>     
>>>> Sure, but that's mainly because pixel-doubling is a non-portable hack
>>>> (doesn't exist in other products, doesn't exist on desktops, may not
>>>> necessarily exist in future products).  It's not a hack because of how
>>>> it's implemented, but just by its very nature.
>>>>         
>>> Hmm, I would not call a feature in HW a hack. It's just a feature of
>>> particular hardware which can be utilized.
>>>       
>
> Nothing says that the *API* should be limited to 2x.
> That's an implementation limitation, you don't need to
> design an API around the limitation.
>
>
>   
>> The entire concept is a hack around games not running quickly enough in
>> full resolution.  Specifying that pixels must be exactly _doubled_ is a
>> hack around both the performance issues and a lack of resolution
>> independence.  Apparently an important one, if you happen to like SDL
>> games, but a hack nonetheless.
>>     
>
> Well, this is broken on the desktop too.
>
> There are also Desktop programs (games) which change screen resolution
> and when they for some reason freeze and I need to kill them, the screen
> is left in wrong size.  It should be possible for these X clients to
> state that the new resolution is kept only while the client is connected
> and once it disconnects, the normal (default) resolution is restored.
> And this should be the default I think (it's easier to change settings
> programs to have "permanent" flag than change all programs using
> resolution changing).
>
>   

This is true, I guess many people suffer from this but it's just not
agreed where to fix it.

> 	- Eero
>
>   

// Tapani