DisplayLink Linux kernel driver (udlfb) updates slated for 2.6.37
Posted on 18. Aug, 2010 by Bernie Thompson in UT-1
The latest set of patches for udlfb, the Linux kernel framebuffer driver for DisplayLink chips, has been submitted and looks on track for kernel 2.6.37. This will catch the kernel up to everything on http://git.plugable.com/
Linux is a big and constantly shifting platform. With our USB graphics products (and generally for DisplayLink based products, since we try to make them work for all devices), it’s easy to output a few pixels, but configuring a USB display as an X terminal, or certainly for an extended desktop, is still a process on Linux that requires manual xorg.conf editing and is for very advanced users only. But we try to contribute what we can at Plugable, and that has meant focusing on making the kernel driver that actually talks to the hardware and everything else builds on, as solid as possible.
The contributed patches start with this post to the linux driver project list.
————–
To: devel-request@linuxdriverproject.org
[PATCH 0/11] staging: udlfb: patches from udlfb development branch (Bernie Thompson)
This patch series contains all current fixes and features from
the udlfb development branch.
udlfb is a framebuffer driver for DisplayLink USB 2.0 era chips.
Diffstat of this 11 part patch series:
udlfb.c | 989 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++———————–
udlfb.h | 41 +-
2 files changed, 664 insertions(+), 366 deletions(-)
Major changes:
* Added summary documentation for users of udlfb
* Added logic to query DisplayLink chip for max area mode,
so low-end chips on high-end monitors no longer get black screen
* Added support for DPMS. X servers now control monitor
power with existing standard interface
* Added back in support for char interface (e.g. cat file > /dev/fb0)
* Systems without EDID or with failing EDID can now supply fixed
EDID to sysfs interface, also avoiding black screen
* Fixed big-endian (PowerPC) rendering
* Fixed teardown race conditions that could result in shutdown hang
* Added fb_defio and fb console module options (default off)
* Fixed udlfb’s fb_defio client code so no longer incorrectly shares
state across udlfb device instances – fixes hangs and errant rendering
* Removed IFDEFs for building against older kernels – those will
be retained in the udlfb development branches at git.plugable.com
Todo:
There have been no additional reported bugs in the last few months,
although there are several wishlist features. Udlfb may be ready
to move out of staging at this point.
Patches are against Linus’ latest 2.6 tree.
This complete quilt patch series can be downloaded from http://plugable.com/udlfb-patches-2.6.35.tar.gz
Google Nexus One Phone and Plugable’s Universal Dock
Posted on 27. Jun, 2010 by Bernie Thompson in udlfb
Sven Killig has posted a few more bits of his cool Google Nexus One USB host mode work, this time running with the Plugable Universal Docking Station.
Plugable UD-160-A driving 1920x1080 display and more, all from a humble Nexus One phone
This setup uses the udlfb DisplayLink Linux driver work from here (git.plugable.com) and a bunch of other components Sven has developed or pulled together, to turn the phone into a full computer with display, keyboard, audio and more. His video of this has gone viral (over 85,000 views). You can see the video and full instructions at Sven’s site. Very cool.
The photo above is of the Plugable UD-160-A Universal Docking Station, in use at Sven’s desk (the dock is laying on its side to better fit in the photo – Sven has removed the weighted bottom stand).
The Plugable dock is perfect for this kind of application with the Nexus One phone — it includes all the USB devices in one place, all with open source drivers. The dock has its own 2.5A AC power (see the USB dual-power Y cable plugged into the front USB A and back USB B ports), along with driving the 1920×1080 monitor (the big DVI cable in the back), and providing ethernet (above the DVI) and audio (in the front – he doesn’t have them plugged in in the pic).
So this all is great for geeks, but when will this work out of the box? Several comments on Sven’s work are messages like “Google! Integrate this into Android now!”
With Google offices near here, and with related USB terminal work on the same Plugable dock being funded as a Google Summer of Code project, it would be great to demo this and get things moving… Whatcha say, Google!?
The Nexus One Phone-Top
Posted on 09. Jun, 2010 by Bernie Thompson in udlfb
Sven Killig has a sense of where computing is headed: Powerful computers are everywhere, including in your pocket. And he has the skills to push things ahead, to show us glimpses of what’s coming.
Last year, he demoed turning your router into a full-fledged computer.
This year, it’s the Google Nexus One phone as a full computer — with attached external keyboard, mouse, display, and more.
The Nexus One demo is using the udlfb Linux kernel module to talk with the DisplayLink device, and it will work with any DisplayLink device, including Plugable’s.
Note the version of udlfb in the 2.6.34 staging tree unfortunately didn’t work for Sven. So he’s now using the latest udlfb from http://git.plugable.com/, which will likely get merged in for kernel 2.6.36.
Also, he used a dual headed cable to get enough power. A powered hub or a docking station/terminal like the UD-160-A won’t need that — it supplies its own power from AC – all the hardware needed is in the one package.
It’s exciting to have all this open source work come together in interesting demos like this.
There was a question recently why udlfb doesn’t use the same compression technique as the Windows drivers. Among other reasons, one is that the RL compression used by udlfb scales down to devices like the ones Sven has been working on — it’s as light as possible on CPU load, while getting decent compression.
Stepping back, it’s clear Apple (and now Microsoft) are making a mistake by limiting the hardware ecosystem around their devices. Android and the other Linux variants have an opportunity here — and considering the Apple juggernaut, they definitely need every advantage.
Sven’s demos show how powerful these scenarios can be. The hardware is ready. Devices like Plugable’s are designed with these scenarios in mind. Now we need to get the software refined and included in standard distributions, so normal consumers can take advantage of all the possibilities and benefits here.
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