rhealey@kas.helios.mn.org (Rob Healey) (06/17/91)
In the hopes of writing up a common programming interface to
Amiga hardware under UNIX, various people in comp.unix.amiga have been
pondering a programming interface. For now, Amiga UNIX doesn't have any
librarys for easy access to the base hardware. We'd like to
change that. Trouble is, we don't have the low level experience
with Amiga hardware that alot of you comp.sys.amiga people do,
thus the cross post to related groups. PLEASE follow up this
article to comp.unix.amiga as I doubt it's of much interest
to the AmigaDOS side of life.
What we're interested in:
1) Your experience with audio or graphic hardware on the Amiga
give you an idea of what functionality you need from a
programming interface in order to do what you want. We'd
like to hear about the functionality needed to use the
audio and graphics. i.e. open/setup routines, close/release
routines, devices config routines, device operation routines.
Should mouse and Joystick interfaces be events or readable
devices?
What functionality do you need to do your work? What routines
would you like to have seen to help you do that work?
2) Your input on sound and graphic primatives to get things
done with the Amiga hardware. open/close, speak, plot, arc,
fill, logical operations, musical notes, speech functions, mouse
& joystick ops, whatever YOU think is needed in a low level
programming interface to use the Amiga hardware.
PLEASE remember this is a request for input on what primatives
are needed for programming the hardware, NOT an explaination of
how AmigaDOS does it.
The final programming interface probably WON'T match AmigaDOS
simply because the OS models are so different. I.e. there probably
won't be an AmigaDOS compatability library.
Once we figure out a low level programming interface we can try to
get C= to provide it and if that doesn't work, try to create
it ourselves. Maybe something like an arp library for UNIX...
Anyways, ANY help you could give us on what primatives for
audio and graphics hardware are needed would be GREATLY
appreciated!
Thanks,
-Rob Healey
rhealey@kas.helios.mn.org