Copper Aims To Improve Mesa's Zink Efficiency In 2022

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Copper Aims To Improve Mesa's Zink Efficiency In 2022

Following the news from last week of experimental Zink code running Wayland's Weston compositor over this Mesa-based OpenGL-on-Vulkan implementation, developer Mike Blumenkrantz has opened up about some of the ongoing work to improve the efficiency of Zink and making such advancements a reality...

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Zink-Copper-2022

[rmfx]

So, Copper is a full Gallium3D fork replacement that is more simple and modern ? Or a Gallium3D optimization addon ?

[mangeek]

Ha! I like how a penny is copper plated Zinc.

Also, after seeing how Zink rolled out and what it does, I have a lot of faith in Blumenkrantz' direction.

[Quackdoc]

So, Copper is a full Gallium3D fork replacement that is more simple and modern ? Or a Gallium3D optimization addon ?

Neither from my understanding, Its adding a new path to how DRI functions. specifically for zink
but thats not to say other things in the future won't be able to use it.

Its the interface between Gallium and DRI thats being modified. (Well DRI IS the interface, but this is a new path in itside of it) The thing to keep in mind is that this is a massive oversimplification, Mesa in general is a very complicated beast.

Even Mr. Blumenkrantz has stated its complexity. so I definitely wont pretend to be more knowledgeable than he is. but this is my understanding of it nonetheless

[zxy_thf]

So in the end the drivers under this framework would be called as Bronze driver?

[shmerl]

That's cool, but Wayland compositors should really start using Vulkan proper.

[shmerl]

So in the end the drivers under this framework would be called as Bronze driver?

I'd guess Brass. Bronze is copper + tin.

[Quackdoc]

That's cool, but Wayland compositors should really start using Vulkan proper.

Even then, this will still be very useful, in the future this lets anyone port any API to gallium and get a native, cross compatible API implementation. any new high level APIs and old APIs alike could benefit from this, this will also let driver devs focus on a vulkan backend instead of both it and a gallium one. although OGL is the driving force, all the benefits help other things aswell

[lowflyer]

So in the end the drivers under this framework would be called as Bronze driver?

I'd guess Brass. Bronze is copper + tin.

I'm desperately waiting for the iron age to come...

[shmerl]

I'm desperately waiting for the iron age to come...

Sure, may be when Mesa will start using Rust more