Graphical interface and input

System integration

Before discussing from the C++ developer's point of view, let's see what Genode "building blocks" are availble to the system integrator in the first place.

Window manager

Genode-based OSes can be built so as to have multiple workspaces (virtual desktop/screens) and to remember window positions in "spatial mode" across reboots (similarly to BeOS/Haiku). This article shows how the latter is done in SculptOS : http://genodians.org/nfeske/2020-03-27-window-management.

C++ APIs

Basics

Example

More/Tutorial

Run file: Framebuffer

One may use...

• intel extreme driver...
• fb_drv for VESA framebuffer
• fb_boot_drv for UEFI(?) framebuffer, via GRUB

The fb_drv driver can be set up with a safe-bet resolution like 1024x768.

The latter will take advantage of EDID to dynamically find an optimal resolution, works on both bare metal and qemu:

 >In this case your resolution will be set based on whatever
> GRUB decides to set as the resolution, as I understand it. This can be
> quite large if the correct options are passed to qemu and you use the
> right firmware
If you boot in UEFI mode (no bios legacy support) by using qemu --bios
option Sculpt will use automatically the fb_boot_drv component, which
will take the resolution as Grub setup.
If you boot the old BIOS legacy way, Sculpt will use the fb_drv with a
fixed pre-defined resolution.

(MList 23apr20)

Run file: Input

For keyboard and mouse input, one may use..

• direct connection to ps2_drv or usb_hid or even usb_drv itself
• input_filter, connected either to ps2_drv or usb (couldn't get it to work with both ps/2 and USB at the same time tho.. how does Sculpt pull that off ?). If migrating from input_merger, see this for an equivalent input_filter config : https://github.com/genodelabs/genode/issues/3736
• input_merger : retired early 2020, see above.

See repos/os/src/test/nitpicker/test.cc for a more complex example.