tree a2b08793316a95ded04ea90fd6aabaa2d5dc9236
parent afe1bb73f8ed588ab6268c27c5a447fe0484e48f
author Stephen Warren <swarren@wwwdotorg.org> 1369436113 -0700
committer Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> 1369437771 -0700

drivers/video: implement a simple framebuffer driver

A simple frame-buffer describes a raw memory region that may be rendered
to, with the assumption that the display hardware has already been set
up to scan out from that buffer.

This is useful in cases where a bootloader exists and has set up the
display hardware, but a Linux driver doesn't yet exist for the display
hardware.

Examples use-cases include:

* The built-in LCD panels on the Samsung ARM chromebook, and Tegra
  devices, and likely many other ARM or embedded systems.  These cannot
  yet be supported using a full graphics driver, since the panel control
  should be provided by the CDF (Common Display Framework), which has been
  stuck in design/review for quite some time.  One could support these
  panels using custom SoC-specific code, but there is a desire to use
  common infra-structure rather than having each SoC vendor invent their
  own code, hence the desire to wait for CDF.

* Hardware for which a full graphics driver is not yet available, and
  the path to obtain one upstream isn't yet clear.  For example, the
  Raspberry Pi.

* Any hardware in early stages of upstreaming, before a full graphics
  driver has been tackled.  This driver can provide a graphical boot
  console (even full X support) much earlier in the upstreaming process,
  thus making new SoC or board support more generally useful earlier.

[akpm@linux-foundation.org: make simplefb_formats[] static]
Signed-off-by: Stephen Warren <swarren@wwwdotorg.org>
Cc: Arnd Bergmann <arnd@arndb.de>
Acked-by: Olof Johansson <olof@lixom.net>
Cc: Rob Clark <robclark@gmail.com>
Cc: Florian Tobias Schandinat <FlorianSchandinat@gmx.de>
Cc: Tomasz Figa <tomasz.figa@gmail.com>
Cc: Laurent Pinchart <laurent.pinchart@ideasonboard.com>
Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>
Signed-off-by: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>