Linux Frame-Buffer Console To Drop Accelerated Scrolling Since It's Full Of Bugs

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux Frame-Buffer Console To Drop Accelerated Scrolling Since It's Full Of Bugs

The Linux kernel's frame-buffer console (FBCON) is set to drop accelerated scrolling support since it isn't widely used and now found to be "full of bugs" thus pushing it for removal...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-FBCON-To-Ditch-AS

[tildearrow]

Then how am I going to scroll when I cannot use the graphical session? :<

(please do NOT say tmux or screen because when I need it I have not started it)
(also please do not say kmscon because that is a userspace program, and I would strongly prefer a kernel module since it can survive even during a kernel panic)

[xnor]

Then how am I going to scroll when I cannot use the graphical session? :<

(please do NOT say tmux or screen because when I need it I have not started it)
(also please do not say kmscon because that is a userspace program, and I would strongly prefer a kernel module since it can survive even during a kernel panic)

The same way you scrolled before. Did you even read the article?

[tildearrow]

The same way you scrolled before. Did you even read the article?

I did read the article, but wasn't scrolling removed in 5.9? I thought?

Did I miss something?

[Tomin]

Did I miss something?

This is about accelerated scrolling.

Following initial discussions it looks like this change could happen for Linux 5.11 where Nouveau / OMAPDRM / GMA500 would be affected and resort to always redrawing the console when scrolling.

So instead of being able to use GPU features to scroll, they have now to redraw when user scrolls.

At least that's how I understood the article.

[milkylainen]

I did read the article, but wasn't scrolling removed in 5.9? I thought?

Did I miss something?

Soft & accelerated scrolling is dropped.
You can still scroll. But it won't be, quoting "Zohan", "Silky smooth".

[rene]

imagine after 30 years of development each time someone looks closer at any given subsystem in this single adresspace monolithic kernel, they find it full of bugs and delete it.

[birdie]

imagine after 30 years of development each time someone looks closer at any given subsystem in this single adresspace monolithic kernel, they find it full of bugs and delete it.

But millions of eyes ... yeah, right. Speaks volumes about the Open Source development model.

[timofonic]

Next step: FBCON to be removed.

KMSCon fork or similar? New kernel console subsystem from scratch?

FBCON is becoming less useful and more limited, there needs to be a more modern replacement without the cruft. Something le the Wayland of console/ terminal but with secure networking and serial port built in.

[NateHubbard]

But millions of eyes ... yeah, right. Speaks volumes about the Open Source development model.

Yes, I'm sure you'd much prefer nobody saw the code at all and they just left all those bugs in there.