Linux Gets Kernel-Based Modesetting

An anonymous reader writes "Next month when Fedora 9 is released it will be the first Linux distribution with support for kernel mode-setting, which is (surprisingly) a feature end-users should take note over. Kernel-based modesetting provides a flicker-free boot process, faster and more reliable VT switching, a Linux BSOD, and of most interest is much-improved suspend/resume support! The process of moving the modesetting code from the X.Org video driver into the Linux kernel isn't easy, but it should become official with the Linux 2.6.27 kernel, and the Intel video driver can already use this technology. Phoronix has a preview of kernel-based modesetting covering more of this new Linux feature accompanied by videos showing the dramatic improvements in virtual terminal switching."

Confirmed, works and is very promising

[Enleth]

I've been trying it out since it became usable at all in the relevant git trees, with Intel driver of course - and it works wonders. Probably one of the best inventions after sliced bread. Well, seriously, it will definitely help the authors of graphics drivers, providing a unified framework for all modesetting kludges and simplify the actual drivers, especially direct rendering. AFAIK all the new Radeon drivers (those made with the specifications AMD released) will be using it, as well as DRI2, so not only Intel GMA users will benefit very soon.

Cross platform X compatibility?

[jensend]

Does anybody have some insights on how this will affect those not using Linux kernels with this patch?
Are the *BSDs and commercial Unices planning on similar work? Will support for modesetting eventually be dropped from X drivers?

Re:Oh boy!

[PenisLands]

Indeed. It would be nice to actually have some helpful error messages so users can work out what on earth has gone wrong.

Re:What for?

[Nutria]

The justification is, if the X server crashes, the kernel can restore the display to a usable state.

Every time I've had X crash, it's brought me right back to the console, with no issues or problems.

But then, I don't use [xgk]dm, nor do I use DRI. This seems like a really Microsoft-like Bad Idea to me...

Re:What for?

[siride]

Because the kernel manages hardware resources. Modesetting and graphics memory management should be done by real drivers in the kernel, just like everything else. Right now, you basically have two driver frameworks managing the video hardware (and possibly more): the kernel's own framebuffer and the X.org drivers, which already have DRM shims in kernelspace. That is way too complicated and why anybody thinks having two drivers competing for a single piece of hardware is a good idea is beyond me. There is a segment of the Unix population that seems to think that anything that's been done for longer than, say, 10 years, is automatically correct and anybody who chooses to change things is automatically wrong. FWIW, Linux and the open source BSDs are the only Unices that have had X modesetting and basic video driver functionality OUTSIDE the kernel. The commercial Unices had special X drivers in the kernel, Mac OS X obviously has kernel mode graphics support, as does Windows, although it is partitioned off from the rest of the kernel to some degree. And which OS has the most problems with graphics drivers, crashes and lockups related to that? Linux...