[ltp] Re: RFC: removal of video output switching from thinkpad-acpi

Henrique de Moraes Holschuh linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org
Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:46:08 -0300


On Tue, 19 Feb 2008, Paul Fox wrote:
> well, i've explored xrandr, and i understand how i could make
> that work.  but the hotkey does nothing when at the console --
> how can it, when the script that acpi invokes is /bin/true?  i'm
> willing to change the script, but if the /proc node doesn't work
> (and if henrique is thinking of pulling support for it in any
> case), what should the hotkey's acpi script do when the console
> is active?  

The answer to this is not very nice :-(

If X.org is the only thing that knows how to properly drive the video
hardware, you need it running.

Teaching the kernel how to do it would work as well, of course.  But the
kernel framebuffer drivers typically are three-four years behind X.org
drivers, and a major source of bitrot.  That might change, as there is a lot
less resistence against proper video drivers in the kernel nowadays.

One could also get the output switch stuff from the X.org driver, and make
it into a console-mode utility, I suppose.

The question is: does the video output stuff in thinkpad-acpi works well
enough in the X41 to justify its continued existence?

-- 
  "One disk to rule them all, One disk to find them. One disk to bring
  them all and in the darkness grind them. In the Land of Redmond
  where the shadows lie." -- The Silicon Valley Tarot
  Henrique Holschuh