DisplayLink Gets Better In Linux 2.6.34 Kernel

Bernie Thompson, one of the developers working on the DisplayLink Linux support, has written in this weekend to inform us of pending improvements to the DisplayLink frame-buffer driver (udlfb) that will be present in the Linux 2.6.34 kernel. It was nearly a year ago that DisplayLink began supporting Linux so that these USB-powered GPUs/displays would work nicely and with an open-source driver.

Over the past year we have encountered the release of DisplayLink kernel frame-buffer and X.Org drivers and for these software components to receive new features. Already the DisplayLink Linux support has produced interesting results like being able to run 9 USB powered displays off a single Mac Mini system.

Prior to the merge window being closed for the Linux 2.6.34 kernel, a number of improvements made their way into the DisplayLink Linux kernel frame-buffer driver that's currently residing within the Linux staging area. As also shared by Bernie Thompson who sent in the 2.6.34 pull request, the driver update brings performance improvements (20%+ faster), lower CPU utilization, better handling of switching from X to fbcon VTs, more standard EDID parsing and mode handling, performance metric reports through sysfs/debugfs, EDID reporting through sysfs, and plenty of code cleansing in preparation for moving this FB driver out of the staging area.

The original 2.6.34 pull request for udlfb with its ten patches can be found on the kernel mailing list.