Mercurial > ecos
diff packages/services/gfx/mw/current/doc/faq.html @ 208:e0c0827131d1 ecos
Merge from eCos master repository on 2002-05-20-20:11:54-BST
| author | jlarmour |
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| date | Mon, 20 May 2002 22:19:26 +0000 |
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new file mode 100644 --- /dev/null +++ b/packages/services/gfx/mw/current/doc/faq.html @@ -0,0 +1,171 @@ +<html> + +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en-us"> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> +<meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> +<meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> +<title></title> +</head> + +<body> + +<h1><img border="0" src="file:///C:/My%20Documents/My%20Webs/myweb2/images/evearth.gif" WIDTH="36" HEIGHT="36"> Microwindows Frequently Asked +Questions</h1> + +<p>1999/12/04 Microwindows FAQ - <a href="mailto:greg@censoft.com">greg@censoft.com</a></p> + +<h3>What is Microwindows?</h3> + +<p>Microwindows is an Open Source project that brings some of the features of modern +graphical windowing systems to the programming community not wanting or requiring the +large disk and ram requirements of higher-end windowing systems like Microsoft Windows or +the X Window System. Microwindows does not require any operating system or other +graphics system support, as it writes directly to the display hardware, although it runs +well on Linux framebuffer systems. Microwindows is designed to be portable, and can +run in a wide variety of hardware and software environments. One the of more +interesting targets is the emerging market of portable handheld and pocket PC's running +Linux, also known as LinuxCE. </p> + +<h3>What does Microwindows run on?</h3> + +<p>Microwindows currently runs on 32-bit Linux systems with kernel framebuffer support, or +through the popular SVGAlib library. In addition, it has been ported to 16-bit Linux +ELKS, and real-mode MSDOS. Microwindows screen drivers for 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 +bits-per-pixel have been written, as well as a VGA 16 color 4 planes driver. +Microwindows has been ported to a number of Handheld and Pocket PC's, as well. The +Microwindows graphics engine is capable of running on any system that supports readpixel, +writepixel, drawhorzline and drawvertline, and setpalette. Blitting support is +optional, but if implemented allows enhanced functionality. All bitmap, font, cursor +and color support is implemented on top of these routines. Support for 8, 15, 16 and +32 bit truecolor systems as well as 1, 2, 4 and 8bpp palletized systems is implemented.<br> +<br> +Recently, an X11 driver was completed that allows Microwindows applications to be run on +top of the X Window desktop. This driver emulates all of Microwindows' truecolor and +palette modes so that an application can be previewed using the target system's display +characteristics directly on the desktop display, regardless of the desktop display +characteristics.</p> + +<h3>What CPU's are supported?</h3> + +<p>Microwindows is extremely portable, and completely written in C, although some routines +have been recoded in assembly for speed. It has been ported to the Intel 16 and 32 +bit cpu's, as well as MIPS R4000 (NEC Vr41xx) and ARM chips found on popular handheld and +pocket PC's.</p> + +<h3>How big is Microwindows?</h3> + +<p>On 16 bit systems, the entire system, including screen, mouse and keyboard drivers runs +in less than 64k. On 32-bit systems, support includes proportional fonts and +applications are typically less than 100k.</p> + +<h3>What is Microwindows' architecture and what API's are supported?</h3> + +<p>Microwindows is essentially a layered design that allows different layers to be used or +rewritten to suite the needs of the implementation. At the lowest level, screen, +mouse/touchpad and keyboard drivers provide access to the actual display and other +user-input hardware. At the mid level, a portable graphics engine is implemented, +providing support for line draws, area fills, polygons, clipping and color models. +At the upper level, various API's are implemented providing access to the graphics +applications programmer. These APIs may or may not provide desktop and/or window +look and feel. Currently, Microwindows supports the Win32 and Nano-X APIs. +These APIs provide close compatibility with the Win32 and X Window systems, allowing +programs to be ported from other systems easily.</p> + +<h3>What's the difference between Microwindows and NanoGUI?</h3> + +<p>Microwindows' origin is with NanoGUI. NanoGUI was created by Alex Holden by +taking David Bell's mini-X server and Alan Cox's modifications and adding client/server +networking. Greg Haerr then took interest in the NanoGUI project and began making +extensive enhancements and modifications to NanoGUI. Around version 0.5, Greg Haerr +added support for multiple API's, and began distributing Microwindows. In +Microwindows 0.84, all previous NanoGUI changes were incorporated and since then +Microwindows has been the combined NanoGUI/Microwindows distribution.</p> + +<h3>What is Nano-X?</h3> + +<p>Nano-X is the X-like API that Microwindows supports. It is based on David Bell's +mini-X server API, and includes X-like primitives for low-level window and graphics +operations. Window management is not included, and the window look and feel must be +created through a widget set or directly by the applications programmer. Currently, +there are a number of people working on widget sets for Nano-X. There is some +discussion about converting the Nano-X API to be X Window System compatible.</p> + +<h3>What is the Microwindows API?</h3> + +<p>Microwindows supports an API based on the Win32 graphics device interface +module, and implements a large portion of it. The function calls try to be 100% +compatible, so that code compiled for other operating systems can usually be +compiled with no source code changes. In addition, a portion of the Win32 +USER module is implemented, which contains routines for window dragging, title +bars, message passing, and generating required window messages. +Because of this, window manager support is built into the system, and a single +API for applications programs can be used that doesn't change based on the +widget set being used.<br> +<br> +Since the WinCE API is mostly a subset of the Win32 API for graphics-related +functions, the Microwindows API is also WinCE compatible, and can be used to +implement WinCE graphics functions on platforms Microwindows is running on.</p> + +<h3>What are Microwindows' graphics features?</h3> + +<p>Microwindows features full RGB color support, color mapping, optimized palette bitmap +drawing, truecolor and palletized displays, and a 3d look-and-feel. Overlapped and child +windows are supported, with complete window and client area clipping. Proportional and +fixed fonts are supported, along with utilities for converting fonts or bitmap files. +Optimized painting algorithms are used to allow maximum response while the user is moving +windows on the screen. Offscreen drawing and bit-blit routines are implemented for +flicker-free drawing and animation. Polygon draws, fills and arbitrary region clipping are +also supported.</p> + +<h3>What license is Microwindows under?</h3> + +<p>The project is licensed under the MPL. Alternatively, the software can be +licensed under the GPL, if desired. This means that the standard Microwindows +distribution can be used for commercial purposes, and supports the needs of developers +working under non-disclosure or writing proprietary device drivers. Modifications to +source code supplied in the standard distribution must stay open source. Or the +entire project can be converted to GPL, with files added by a developer considered GPL +only.</p> + +<h3>Where is the most current source?</h3> + +<p>The FTP site <a href="ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows">ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows</a> +is the primary distribution point for all releases. The home web site is at <a href="http://microwindows.censoft.com">http://microwindows.censoft.com</a>. I can be +reached at <a href="mailto:greg@censoft.com">greg@censoft.com</a>. I am working on +getting the development tree moved to CVS, stay tuned.</p> + +<h3>Are there screenshots and/or demos available?</h3> + +<p>There are demos for Linux, ELKS and MSDOS, as well as screenshots, available at:</p> + +<blockquote> + <p><a href="ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/ScreenShots">ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/ScreenShots</a></p> + <p><a href="ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/ScreenShots">ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/LinuxExamples</a> + <a href="ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/ScreenShots">ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/ElksExamples</a> + <a href="ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/ScreenShots">ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/DosExamples</a></p> +</blockquote> + +<h3>Is there a mailing list?</h3> + +<p>The mailing list is <a href="mailto:nanogui@linuxhacker.org">nanogui@linuxhacker.org</a></p> + +<p>To subscribe, send an empty email to:</p> + +<p> <a href="mailto:nanogui-subscribe@linuxhacker.org">nanogui-subscribe@linuxhacker.org</a></p> + +<p>To unsubscribe, send an empty email to:</p> + +<p> <a href="mailto:nanogui-unsubscribe@linuxhacker.org">nanogui-unsubscribe@linuxhacker.org</a></p> + +<h3>What can I do to help?</h3> + +<p>We need help in all sorts of areas. There are currently projects to port base +level widget sets and custom controls to Microwindows. Fast screen drivers and +blitting routines are also on the list. There are lots of folks interested in +getting the system to run on one of the many new Handheld or Pocket PC's. Please +join the list and join the fun.</p> + +<p> </p> +</body> +</html>