Essential Linux Device Drivers

Chapter 12. Video Drivers

In This Chapter

• Display Architecture
• Linux-Video Subsystem
• Display Parameters
• The Frame Buffer API
• Frame Buffer Drivers
• Console Drivers
• Debugging
• Looking at the Sources

Video hardware generates visual output for a computer system to display. In this chapter, let’s find out how the kernel supports video controllers and discover the advantages offered by the frame buffer abstraction. Let’s also learn to write console drivers that display messages emitted by the kernel.

Display Architecture

Figure 12.1 shows the display assembly on a PC-compatible system. The graphics controller that is part of the North Bridge (see the sidebar “The North Bridge”) connects to different types of display devices using several interface ...