[oi-dev] Updated Graphics DRM support for OI

[Gordon Ross]

We have some new graphics direct rendering manager (DRM) code to
announce for OpenIndiana/hipster.  This version should work better
on systems where hipster currently shows only a black screen.

If you'd like to try out the new DRM code, you can create a
(temporary) testing boot environment as described here:
https://www.illumos.org/projects/gfx-drm/wiki/
 How_to_create_a_BE_running_the_new_DRM_code

Alternatively, you can download and boot the ISO images here:
  http://dlc-int.openindiana.org/hipster/20161124/
and see how it works for you without installing.

Thanks to Alexander Pyhalov <alp at rsu.ru> for both the ISO images
and the instructions for creating a test BE.

Please report issues with this code on this tracker:
  https://www.illumos.org/projects/gfx-drm/issues

There's one fairly significant known issue (so far) which is that
the DRM driver does not restore VGA text mode when Xorg does its
last close of a DRM driver handle.


Developers interested in this code should note that we've imported
all the DRM code (both drivers and libraries) into its own source
repository.  The reasons for that are several: The DRM driver and
library components usually need to be updated together.  The DRM
driver code (formerly in illumos-gate) is being maintained under
different rules than illumos gate (i.e. no cstyle -- all this code
needs to track an upstream).  The new source repo. is:
  github.com/illumos/gfx-drm

Later, the old DRM code in illumos-gate can be removed.


There are some prerequisite changes for illumos needed by the new
DRM source repository.  I'll be working on getting those integrated
into illumos, but if you don't want to wait for that, you can get
those changes here:
   https://github.com/gwr/illumos-gate/commits/drm8
At a minimum, you need to build the gfx_private module there and
update that on the system where you'll install the updated DRM
drivers


If you feel the need to "reply to all" on this message, please
discuss the illumos changes (gfx_private updates etc.) on
developer at list.illumos.org and other DRM driver and library
work on oi-dev at openindiana.org  (Please trim your CC list to
just ONE of those -- thanks!)