DirectFB 2.0: Universal Framework Support

The main goal of the new universal framework is to make the core of DirectFB an api agnostic library. Sort of a OS kernel for the gpu. To reach this goal some code will be moved out of the core into modules and the internal core api will be exposed as a system programming api for library writers. The core will support three basic concepts.

Interprocess communication and multiprocess access to graphics hardware. Surface pool that expose drawable regions that may have special capabilities like gpu support. A more advanced rendering model that supports 2D vector graphics primitives, OpenGL integration and media extensions. A notable change from the current core is that the window manager and compositing support will be moved out of core and into a module instead the new composite manager modules will hook surface flipping to composite the screen.

With the new design the core will no longer make any assumptions about the design of the window manager outside of assuming it will either manage compositing surfaces or use a single main surface.

With this change the public DirectFB interface api's become one api supported by directfb other api's such as those created by the [Khronos Group http://www.khronos.org/] will be implemented as peers to the DirectFB api with tight integration into the core. In addition other popular open source api's and standards such as Cairo, MPEG4 and TrueType can also be implemented using the new Core system interface.



New Capabilities

Besides making it easier to support external api's the new framework will increase the flexibility of DirectFB.

On the window manager side concepts such as nested windows are now possible since windows need not be directly tied to surfaces. This will make it much easier to support inter-application embedding of windows. Next the new flexible design will make it possible to run DirectFB in rootless mode integrated into existing Window Managers. Window Managers that support this mode will allow DirectFB applications to run seamlessly on X11, OSX, and potentially Windows desktops. With this rootless mode applications that want to migrate to DirectFB are still usable on existing desktops.

Next for embedded application custom composite managers that may not even have traditional windows are possible coupled with the new rendering capabilities cool applications that for example blend and blur the line between games and applications are possible.