Subject: Re: First snapshot of graphics mode console driver available
To: Robert Elz <kre@munnari.OZ.AU>
From: Bang Jun-Young <bjy@mogua.org>
List: tech-kern
Date: 01/28/2001 21:18:16
Robert Elz wrote:
> 
>     Date:        Sun, 28 Jan 2001 18:54:39 +0900
>     From:        Bang Jun-Young <bjy@mogua.org>
>     Message-ID:  <3A73EC5F.E9B29EBC@mogua.org>
> 
>   | I don't think anybody would get bored with 0.5 second delay every 350
> 
> I think you missed the point...  It isn't the boredom of the human that
> matters, but what the system could otherwise be doing with the CPU time.
> 
> That is, I doubt that Ignatios wants a 5 millisecond pause in his 6bone
> routing every time the screen decides to scroll a line.

I'm sorry if I misunderstood what Ignatios meant. The real problem is, 
however, that routers usually don't have the chance to display non-English 
characters on screen. Many of them don't even have monitors connected. 
Therefore, the right question is: doesn't that machine have any problem 
with running X? Then my console driver should work fine as well. 

> 
> Very often for humans, a bit slower is better (easier to pick up
> what is screaming past).   For the computer, it needs to be absurdly
> fast, or you get the situation like on the various sparcstations
> where you can't afford to leave a system without X running on the
> console, or the occasional message zaps all the cpu time (the console
> driver is not quick...).

Response time is always important. However, it doesn't hurt system
performance so much nor make CPU a lot busier. When even very old and 
slow 386 can run Windows 3.1 without problem, why not much lighter
graphical console for 486? It's reasonably fast and responsive.

Jun-Young

--
Bang Jun-Young <bjy@mogua.org>