linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] MAINTAINERS: Add Helge as fbdev maintainer

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Date:   Thu, 20 Jan 2022 13:50:15 +0100
From:   Gerd Hoffmann <kraxel@...hat.com>
To:     Thomas Zimmermann <tzimmermann@...e.de>
Cc:     Geert Uytterhoeven <geert@...ux-m68k.org>,
        Helge Deller <deller@....de>, Daniel Vetter <daniel@...ll.ch>,
        Linux Fbdev development list <linux-fbdev@...r.kernel.org>,
        Sven Schnelle <svens@...ckframe.org>,
        Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        DRI Development <dri-devel@...ts.freedesktop.org>,
        Javier Martinez Canillas <javierm@...hat.com>,
        Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] MAINTAINERS: Add Helge as fbdev maintainer

  Hi,

> What I still don't understand: why are you so keen on maintaining an
> interface that only serves the console? Nothing else uses fbdev these days.
> Why not improve DRM/userspace to the point where it fits your requirements?
> Long-term, the latter would make a lot more sense.

And note that it is *much* easier to write drm drivers these days.
We got alot of helpers, we got generic fbdev emulation and more.

If you are curious just compare the initial commit of the bochs drm
driver with the current code.  Initially the driver had to manage ttm
and fbdev and whatnot else.  These days writing a (non-accelerated) drm
driver is basically some boilerplate picking the helpers which work best
for your hardware, the code to actually program the hardware and that's
it.

The "new drivers should be drm" policy exists for years already btw,
exactly because of the unfixable fbdev API limitations.  The bochs drm
was a fbdev driver initially.  Never merged.  Got rewritten as drm
driver and that was merged instead.  In 2013, almost a decade ago.

And, yes, it very well might be that drm misses some piece here and
there for specific hardware, such as fbdev emulation not supporting
rgb332.  But I fully agree with Thomas here:  Improving drm is probably
a much better way to spend your time.  drm is where the development
happens.  fbdev is only kept alive.

take care,
  Gerd