OpenSolaris

Heads Up: PSARC/2003/432 Coherent Console

Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 10:24:05 +0800
From: Riny Qian <Riny dot Qian at Sun dot COM>
To: onnv-gate at onnv dot eng dot sun dot com, on-all at eng dot sun dot com
Subject: Heads Up: PSARC/2003/432 Coherent Console

   Heads up for PSARC/2003/432 Coherent Console

   The integration of "PSARC/2003/432 Coherent Console" won't affect
   you in the near-term unless you manage to get ahold of an XVR-100
   framebuffer and an updated pfb driver.

   This project brings the SPARC platfrom more closely in line with x86
   by utilizing the kernel terminal emulator (tem) on SPARC when a
   suitable framebuffer driver is available, reverting to backward
   compatible behavior using PROM terminal emulation otherwise.

   SUMMMARY OF MAIN FEATURES:

     - Reduces the dependence on OBP for console rendering post-boot

     - Avoids stopping the other CPUs during console output

     - Increases console text scrolling speed

     - Provides ANSI color text (sun-color)

   OVERRIDING:

     If you have a compatable framebuffer driver on your system, but
     wish to override configuration of the kernel tem module, the
     old PROM terminal emulation can be forced by adding the following
     line to /etc/system:

         set cons_tem_disable=1

   DRIVER EARLY-ACCESS:

     Now only pfb officially supports coherent console.

     XVR-100 gate will be built with coherent console enabled system,
     so that the pfb packages can support coherent console.

     Early access to the pfb packages is provided at:

     /net/xinxin.prc/work/console/coherent/pkg-onfly/

                SUNWpfb    - pfb driver
                SUNWpfbcf  - pfb fbconfig module
                SUNWpfbw   - pfb DDX module

   For any bugs or feature requests, please file a bug (or rfe) with
   product: Solaris, category: kernel, subcat: console.

   For any other questions, comments, etc, please send email to
   audio-china at sun dot com

   Thanks,
   The Coherent Console team