[Openchrome-devel] Status update on OpenChrome Version 0.6

[Kevin Brace]

Hi everyone,

I will give a status update on OpenChrome Version 0.6.
I hope to release Version 0.6 sometime in September, but I will probably like to clean up the LVDS FP code a little more before the release.
The LVDS FP (Flat Panel) code is still a mess, and it still needs a lot of work to bring it up to a maintainable state like where the DVI code is now.
I have not touched the TV code due to it being a low priority in updating the code, but I will like to work on it down the road.
So far for Version 0.6, I was able to fix the following bugs.

- Certain LCD displays complaining about an odd screen resolution like 1601 X 1201 rather than 1600 X 1200 (Thanks Eric Kudzin for bringing an actual monitor to show it in front of me.)
- KM400 chipset not being able to resume from ACPI S3 State when analog VGA is in use (Ubuntu 12.04 and later only. Ubuntu 10.04 still causes a freeze.)
- A computer with VX700 chipset will lose control of LVDS FP when resuming from ACPI S3 State
- A computer with VX700 chipset and DVI will lose control of the connected monitor when resuming from ACPI S3 State
- A computer with VX700 chipset cannot display LVDS FP and DVI simultaneously


For Version 0.6, I added the following new features.

- Integrated TMDS found in CX700 / VX700 chipset is now officially supported by OpenChrome (The OS will recognize it as DVI, not LVDS like it used to recognize it.)
- Experimental support for integrated TMDS and external TMDS (i.e., VT1632 TMDS transmitter) coexistence (i.e., potential dual DVI monitor support)


I do not really think I can fix any more bugs for Version 0.6, so I may tackle some of them for Version 0.7.
For Version 0.7, I may initiate backporting HDMI code for VX900 chipset (i.e., backporting the languishing new DRM / KMS module HDMI code to the current OpenChrome UMS section), but the official support may not happen until much later.
It really takes a lot of effort fixing bugs left behind the previous developers, so if I still have not fixed the very bug you have complained to me, please be patient.
I will like to move the current code into RC (Release Candidate) testing in the next few weeks, so if there is a regression in the code, let me know sooner than later.
As usual, the code is backward compatible, so you can upgrade to the latest code rather than putting up with the older versions.

Regards,

Kevin Brace
OpenChrome Project Maintainer / Developer