view libdha/README @ 19800:dfb8d242987b

r19801: Mailing list page URL changed. r19794: separate independant clauses with a semicolon, as suggested by The Wanderer r19793: Fixes suggested by The Wanderer r19779: RTC is no longer the default timing method. r19767: Remove outdated hint about patching kernel sources. r19760: remove trailing slash from link r19752: Fixes suggested by Diego r19751: Add a bit of doc about dvdnav support in MPlayer, and why you may want to use it.

lidbha - Direct Hardware Access library
=======================================

This library was designed for providing direct hardware access under different
OS'es and architectures, so it's platform- and os-independent.

The main project on the top of libdha is Vidix. It provides userspace
video drivers for Matrox, Ati, 3Dlabs, Trident (and it's still evolving).

For the full list of supported OS'es read the sources, anyway here's a 'reported
as working' list (these platforms are used daily):
 Linux/x86
 FreeBSD/x86
 NetBSD/x86
 Linux/PPC

There are different ways to access the hardware, normally only ROOT can do that.
With root privileges libdha will run fine, but there are some others ways
to use it as a normal user:
1, set the SUID bit on the binary (in this way it runs with root privileges)
2, use svgalib kernel helper
3, use dhahelper (not yet finished)

The library is based on XFree86 and gfxdump (a utility from the GATOS project)
sources.

Original import and design by Nick Kurshev and Alex Beregszaszi.
Current maintenance and dhahelper by Alex Beregszaszi.
Svgalib kernelhelper support by Matan Ziv-Av.
(for the e-mail addresses see the AUTHORS file in MPlayer)