Adding alpha blending to the Openchrome drivers?

[tschak909]

The driver needs to support 3 basic things:

Composite + Render + ARGB GLX buffers

The Orbiter code is written entirely using X.org standard extensions. My understanding is that the VIA chipsets, at least the latest ones, can support full alpha blended overlay. The problem is that #1 VIA doesn't release the specs, except under NDA & #2 there aren't a huge number of developers who have the skills needed to extend the OpenChrome drivers to support OpenGL + Composite in the drivers, especially for free.

My understanding is that not all VIA chips are equal and different "flaws" in the driver vary depend on the model of the MD. I do understand your grief regarding the drivers released by VIA but this is no different from NVidia's position. I think the best thing to do is understand exactly what model of Unichrome Pro is used on the Fiire Station from the devs of the device and see what driver is being used. I would also like to know what the term "licensed" driver means. I know that ddamron has a model. I think that the openchrome drivers are a dead road since they are not actively developed on the newer chips especially regarding 2D/3D acceleration.

We should be in a good position to help integrate these drivers for 710 since that is what they advertise as doing. If there are any problems, we should bug VIA regarding the issues and hope that they solve the issue in their driver. It helps that we use something similar to what Fiire are using since this would allow us to use the same channels that they are using and help each other to end up with less bugs/issues.

heh, VIA is not interested in the linux community, especially where their higher end graphics chips are concerned. If you are not a systems integrator, you will not be able to get a compiled binary for their VIA Unichrome Pro II drivers.... It is compiled for specific kernel versions from VIA themselves....

All I'm saying is, it's not going to be that easy.... some of us have tried to tread down that road, before.

-Thom

[1audio]

The Fiire effort with Via was excruciating. Always close but not there. Took forever. They claim they will make the source available under NDA but that may also be a trap. Until they see a few 100,000 chip orders it will be hard to make progress.
The target platform for now would be the CX700M. It has the most processiuong power and is used the FiireStations and is available in the EPIX boards. Via should have a new chipset any day now that will support all the formats for video- H.264, VC1, MPEG2 etc. in HD.

[totallymaxed]

The driver needs to support 3 basic things:

Composite + Render + ARGB GLX buffers

The Orbiter code is written entirely using X.org standard extensions. My understanding is that the VIA chipsets, at least the latest ones, can support full alpha blended overlay. The problem is that #1 VIA doesn't release the specs, except under NDA & #2 there aren't a huge number of developers who have the skills needed to extend the OpenChrome drivers to support OpenGL + Composite in the drivers, especially for free.

My understanding is that not all VIA chips are equal and different "flaws" in the driver vary depend on the model of the MD. I do understand your grief regarding the drivers released by VIA but this is no different from NVidia's position. I think the best thing to do is understand exactly what model of Unichrome Pro is used on the Fiire Station from the devs of the device and see what driver is being used. I would also like to know what the term "licensed" driver means. I know that ddamron has a model. I think that the openchrome drivers are a dead road since they are not actively developed on the newer chips especially regarding 2D/3D acceleration.

We should be in a good position to help integrate these drivers for 710 since that is what they advertise as doing. If there are any problems, we should bug VIA regarding the issues and hope that they solve the issue in their driver. It helps that we use something similar to what Fiire are using since this would allow us to use the same channels that they are using and help each other to end up with less bugs/issues.

Fiire's drivers and our work have been targeted at the CX700M graphics part partnered with the C7 processor (this is the hardware used in Fiire's VESA mount MD's).

[jondecker76]

Has anyone gotten anywhere with this?

[ddamron]

Please say yes...

[totallymaxed]

Please say yes...

Well... I'm sorry to say this is a very well "trodden path" as they say. Many of us here and also Fiire have tried to crack this problem and so far all efforts to get all the UI2 needed features supported in either Unichrome Pro or Openchrome have not resulted in any real progress.

The only real way forwards is for Via (ATI has the same problem) to take a 'leaf' out of Intel's and nVidia's book and put some effort into releasing common drivers for Linux inline with their Windows drivers. But I would not hold your breath for this to happen ;-)

[tkmedia]

http://www.via.com.tw/en/support/contact_us/index.jsp

I just droped "Via" a note requesting better linux driver support. I used the "Other" Option for subject.



I mentioned LinuxMce user in the message.

Maybe if enough of us make a request ..........

I suggest everyone interested do the same. and mention that they are LinuxMce users.

Power in Numbers !!!!!

Can't hurt to ask again.

[rrambo]

http://www.via.com.tw/en/support/contact_us/index.jsp

I just droped "Via" a note requesting better linux driver support. I used the "Other" Option for subject.



I mentioned LinuxMce user in the message.

Maybe if enough of us make a request ..........

I suggest everyone interested do the same. and mention that they are LinuxMce users.

Power in Numbers !!!!!

Can't hurt to ask again.

As my grandmother used to say, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease"..  I just put in my request...  it would take a lot of people asking/complaining, but like you said, it doesn't hurt to try...

[hari]

http://www.via.com.tw/en/support/contact_us/index.jsp

I just droped "Via" a note requesting better linux driver support. I used the "Other" Option for subject.



I mentioned LinuxMce user in the message.

Maybe if enough of us make a request ..........

I suggest everyone interested do the same. and mention that they are LinuxMce users.

Power in Numbers !!!!!

Can't hurt to ask again.

did that multiple times but they always sent me to the via arena.

best regards,
Hari