[linux-sunxi] Re: [PATCH 4/4] simplefb: add clock handling code

[Michal Suchanek]

On 28 August 2014 16:33, jonsmirl at gmail.com <jonsmirl at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 28, 2014 at 10:20 AM, Geert Uytterhoeven
> <geert at linux-m68k.org> wrote:
>> On Thu, Aug 28, 2014 at 3:22 PM, jonsmirl at gmail.com <jonsmirl at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> 2) We don't want to hardcode these clocks into the kernel (sunxi) clk
>>>> driver, instead the bootloader should tell the kernel about these clocks.
>>>>
>>>> So the only point of discussion left seems to be how to do 2...
>>>
>>> Wouldn't it be a lot simpler just to use existing fbdev (not KMS) and
>>> whip together a device specific driver that claims the proper
>>> resources? And just implement the minimal about of fbdev possible?
>>> fbdev already is a driver library.
>>
>> Like... drivers/video/fbdev/offb.c?
>
> I'd probably reclassify drivers/video/fbdev/simplefb.c as a skeleton
> and use it as a template for making device specific versions of it.
>
> I don't see why there is so much resistance to just making device
> specific fb drivers.  Whenever the KMS driver gets written just
> disable the device specific fb driver in the build.

Except that is not the goal here. The simplefb or whatever replacement
is supposed to stay as a  generic driver compiled into kernel whereas
the complete platform-specific driver is supposed to be provided as
module and loaded at the init system's leasure sometime during boot.
This way you can have generic distribution kernel which supports many
devices but does not have built-in support for every graphics
hardware.

Thanks

Michal