Re: [AD] [AL] Allegro 4.0 beta

[Peter Wang <tjaden@xxxxxxxxxx>]

George Foot <gfoot@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> I've thought of a plugin-like structure before, but it feels
> very messy and I'm worried that Allegro is not modular enough
> for that to work properly.

I don't think it's messy.  Attached is my first stab at it,
siphoning off the SVGAlib driver.  To test it:

0. Get into Linux console (we require SVGAlib).
1. Make a throw-away copy of Allegro and patch it.  You will most
   likely have an error while patching `makefile'.  The important
   thing is to remove `-lvga' from the `LIBS' line.
2. Make the library and an example (e.g. `ex3d' for mode selector).
3. Get root permissions.
4. "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=lib/unix/" and run ldd on the example
   program to make certain everything is spiffy.
5. Run the example, and notice SVGAlib driver is not available.
6. cd src/linux
   sh mksvgalib.sh
   mkdir -p /usr/local/lib/allegro/3.9.35	# hardcoded ATM
   cp svgalib.so /usr/local/lib/allegro/3.9.35
   cd ../..
7. Run the example again, the SVGAlib driver should be available. I
   have not benchmarked, but there shouldn't be any/much speed lost.
8. Rename `libvga.so.1' to something else, and run the example again.
   The SVGAlib driver will not be available.
9. Rename `libvga.so.1' back and remove test files.

Obviously it is not meant to be completed code.  But if it looks
okay to everyone, I will finish it.  I don't particularly like the
`gfx_dummy' thing, so I might add an extra field to _DRIVER_INFO.
Also, separating the X stuff may prove to be really hard.

BTW, every Linux out there has dlopen, right?

-- 
FLOTION (FLO shun), n.  The tendency when sharing a waterbed to undulate
for five minutes every time the other person moves.
	-- Rich Hall, "Sniglets"

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