larry@focsys.UUCP (Larry Williamson) (06/02/88)
In an earlier posting I mentioned that we are considering putting
a Bell Technologies BLIT processor in a Xenix/386 machine. I should
have mentioned that because the drivers may not be available, we
would like to use a VGA instead. The VGA's performance is adequate
for our first models.
The only thing we really need is 256 grey levels on a 640x480 screen.
If this can be done with a psuedo VGA card, then we would use that.
Does Xenix 386 support the VGA? What kind of support does it provide?
Will I be able to issue realatively high level commands to a driver, or
will I have to do low level bit banging to get the job done?
larry
--
Larry Williamson Focus Automation Systems
UUCP: watmath!focsys!larry 608 Weber St. N, Waterloo, Ontario N2V 1K4
+1 519 746 4918jim@applix.UUCP (Jim Morton) (06/04/88)
In article <178@focsys.UUCP>, larry@focsys.UUCP (Larry Williamson) writes: > Does Xenix 386 support the VGA? What kind of support does it provide? > Will I be able to issue realatively high level commands to a driver, or > will I have to do low level bit banging to get the job done? > > larry SCO Xenix/386 release 2.2.3 supports booting and running on Compaq-VGA compatible boards (Paradise chip set) as if it were an EGA. I'm told release 2.3.X, due out in July, will also provide graphics level access to the VGA, so application programs can use the 640x480 modes by opening /dev/vga. -- Jim Morton, APPLiX Inc., Westboro, MA UUCP: ...harvard!m2c!applix!jim jim@applix.m2c.org
chapman@sco.COM (brian chapman) (06/05/88)
In article <712@applix.UUCP> jim@applix.UUCP (Jim Morton) writes:
< SCO Xenix/386 release 2.2.3 supports booting and running on Compaq-VGA
< compatible boards (Paradise chip set) as if it were an EGA.
<
< I'm told release 2.3.X, due out in July, will also provide graphics
< level access to the VGA, so application programs can use the 640x480
< modes by opening /dev/vga.
/dev/vga or /dev/ega is too low a hardware level device
for most uses.
/dev/ega means *the* ega adapter.
1 If what you really have is an VGA, then /dev/ega
won't open. Even if all you want to draw is a
simple 320x200 B&W graph that can be done on a cga,
ega or vga.
2 The adapter device is not associated with any multiscreen.
/dev/ega is the EGA video device and write()s to it appear
on the currently displayed screen.
Most needs can be met using a multiscreen file descriptor.
1 The CGA, EGA and VGA are increasing super sets of graphic
functionality so all the EGA modes works on VGAs and all the
CGA modes work on EGAs and VGAs. So simple CGA type
graphs can be drawn on the current multiscreen without
a lot of hardware type sorting out. (unless you have a MONO)
2 There are ioctls to query what kind of adapter is in use.
So a programs can determine what is the maximum level of
graphics functionality available and tune their output to
the level supported by the hardware, using 4 color
graphs on the CGA and 256 color on the VGA.
--
Brian Chapman uunet!sco!chapmancaf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX) (06/06/88)
Yes, recent versions of Xenix support VGA, bit not necessarily *your* VGA card. In particular, not the Everex EVGA, but then the Everex EVGA isn't really a VGA, not at the hardware level.