Xref: utzoo comp.unix.microport:458 comp.unix.xenix:1921
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!spdcc!dyer
From: dyer@spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.microport,comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Re: Wyse 700/Amdek 1280 console driver -- wucha think?
Message-ID: <824@spdcc.COM>
Date: 10 Apr 88 18:08:17 GMT
References: <1346@hubcap.UUCP>
Reply-To: dyer@spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer)
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA
Lines: 18
Keywords: wyse 700 amdek 1280 console device driver

I had visions of doing just that, but it appears that the current (2.2.x) Xenix
console driver is pretty much full of hard-wired knowledge of the most common
devices (Mono, CGA, EGA, Herc) with no ability to add a new "console" device
via some sort of devsw[] table, which makes transparent support of new devices
without source rather difficult.  This is coming from my discussions with
people at both SCO and Microsoft.  The recurrent statement was "this is one
part of the system which has to be rewritten", although I haven't heard whether
the rewrite is or isn't forthcoming.  You can write a special-purpose device
driver,  of course; it just would be nice to have most everything work within
the confines of the console driver.

In hi-res graphics mode, the Wyse 700 needs 128K of memory, but you only get
a 64K window at A0000.  Even and odd scan lines are selected via a bit in
an IO port, sort of a CGA run rampant.  
-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@harvard.harvard.edu
dyer@spdcc.COM aka {ihnp4,harvard,husc6,linus,ima,bbn,m2c}!spdcc!dyer