The Graphics stack on FreeBSD

From owner-svn-doc-head@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jan 8 19:59:12 2015 Return-Path: Delivered-To: svn-doc-head@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [8.8.178.115]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher AECDH-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id BA14F598; Thu, 8 Jan 2015 19:59:12 +0000 (UTC) Received: from svn.freebsd.org (svn.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:2068::e6a:0]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (Client did not present a certificate) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id A50B2FE5; Thu, 8 Jan 2015 19:59:12 +0000 (UTC) Received: from svn.freebsd.org ([127.0.1.70]) by svn.freebsd.org (8.14.9/8.14.9) with ESMTP id t08JxCa3067131; Thu, 8 Jan 2015 19:59:12 GMT (envelope-from bjk@FreeBSD.org) Received: (from bjk@localhost) by svn.freebsd.org (8.14.9/8.14.9/Submit) id t08JxCnC067130; Thu, 8 Jan 2015 19:59:12 GMT (envelope-from bjk@FreeBSD.org) Message-Id: <201501081959.t08JxCnC067130@svn.freebsd.org> X-Authentication-Warning: svn.freebsd.org: bjk set sender to bjk@FreeBSD.org using -f From: Benjamin Kaduk Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2015 19:59:12 +0000 (UTC) To: doc-committers@freebsd.org, svn-doc-all@freebsd.org, svn-doc-head@freebsd.org Subject: svn commit: r46173 - head/en_US.ISO8859-1/htdocs/news/status X-SVN-Group: doc-head MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-BeenThere: svn-doc-head@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.18-1 Precedence: list List-Id: SVN commit messages for the doc tree for head List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 19:59:12 -0000 Author: bjk Date: Thu Jan 8 19:59:11 2015 New Revision: 46173 URL: https://svnweb.freebsd.org/changeset/doc/46173 Log: Add report from the graphics team Approved by: hrs (mentor, blanket) Modified: head/en_US.ISO8859-1/htdocs/news/status/report-2014-10-2014-12.xml Modified: head/en_US.ISO8859-1/htdocs/news/status/report-2014-10-2014-12.xml ============================================================================== --- head/en_US.ISO8859-1/htdocs/news/status/report-2014-10-2014-12.xml Thu Jan 8 19:40:36 2015 (r46172) +++ head/en_US.ISO8859-1/htdocs/news/status/report-2014-10-2014-12.xml Thu Jan 8 19:59:11 2015 (r46173) @@ -1045,4 +1045,91 @@ + + The Graphics stack on FreeBSD + + + + FreeBSD Graphics team + freebsd-x11@FreeBSD.org + + + + + Graphics stack roadmap and supported hardware matrix + Graphics stack team blog + Ports development tree on GitHub + + + +

Mesa was upgraded to 10.3, then 10.4 for FreeBSD 10.1-RELEASE and + 11-CURRENT. We test release candidates and therefore this port is + now usually updated shortly after a new release. Mesa 10.x brings + huge improvements in terms of OpenGL standards support, performance + and stability, especially for Radeon owners. Mesa 9.1 is kept for + FreeBSD 9.x, but we have plans to fix this; see below.

+ +

graphics/gbm and devel/libclc are new ports used + by Mesa to implement OpenCL. The next step is to finish the port for + Mesa's libOpenCL.so, named Clover. This will permit users to run + OpenCL programs on Radeon GPUs for now.

+ +

xserver was upgraded from 1.12 to 1.14. This is the last version + of xserver supporting Mesa 9.1. Changes are described in an article + on the blog. The most noticeable one is probably the switch from + the input device detection back-end based on HAL to the one based on + devd. hald(8) is still required by many desktop environments, but + the X.Org server itself is free from it.

+ +

xserver was the last port supporting the WITH_NEW_XORG + knob. The knob is now completely removed. This was the occasion to + add WITH_NEW_XORG and WITH_KMS to the list of + deprecated knobs to help people clean up their make.conf. + At the same time, the new-xorg alternate pkg repository was + deprecated.

+ +

After discussion, two patent-encumbered options were enabled by + default:

TEXTURE_FLOAT in graphics/dri, which allows Mesa to + advertise the support for OpenGL 3.0+;
LCD_FILTERING in print/freetype2, which enables the + subpixel rendering engine, improving font anti-aliasing.

These two packages now provide a better user experience + out-of-the-box. Users who are uncomfortable with the options may + unset them and rebuild the ports. There is no need to rebuild + anything else.

+ +

On the kernel side, Tijl Coosemans added AGP support back to the + TTM memory manager and therefore to the Radeon driver. His work was + merged back to stable/10 and will be available in FreeBSD + 10.2-RELEASE.

+ +

We migrated our Ports development tree to Git and GitHub. Tracking + changes in the official Ports tree and preparing patches is way + easier. Furthermore, we can accept pull requests. All reasons behind + this change are detailed on the blog and the workf-low is described + on the wiki.

+ +

The XDC 2014 (X Developer's Conference) was a great conference. + Reviving the relationship with the developers of the graphics + stack was a success! A report is available on the blog.

+ +

Our next items on the roadmap are:

Provide FreeBSD 10.1-RELEASE's i915 driver to FreeBSD 9.x users + through a new port. This is a work in progress, but it would allow + us to remove Mesa 9.1 and make Mesa 10.4 available everywhere.
Once Mesa 9.1 is gone, we can update xserver to 1.16.

+ + + + +

See the "Graphics" wiki page for up-to-date information.

+ + + +