From: eri...@gv-nmc.unisource.nl (Erik Slagter)
Subject: BTTV
Date: 1998/01/07
Message-ID: <01BD1B88.ED7657A0@in221.nmcgv>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 313787760
Sender: muc.de!l-linux-kernel-owner
Newsgroups: muc.lists.linux-kernel


Hi all,

I am very very confused about the current state of the bttv project. There 
are a bunch of combinations possible and impossible and I lost track somewhere.

What I know is that since kernel version 2.1.6x support for the bt848 card is 
included using the linux videodev ioctl layer. This driver has version "0.01 
ALPHA" and has no code for reading vbi data. No compatible programs (as far 
as I can see).

At the "official" (?) BTTV site (phd.uni-koeln.de/~rjkm) you can obtain the 
sources for bttv 0.4.3 which includes a driver that builds as module, using 
its own proprietary ioctl interface. For this module some programs are included. 
This driver has no version id at all. It features incorrect vbi reading code 
(interrupt causes hangup of process).

At ftp.uk.linux.org/pub/linux/video4linux there is a patch against kernel 
version 2.1.59. Using linux videodev ioctl layer. This driver (again) has 
version "0.01 ALPHA" but has the vbi-hang bug cured. Supplied: v4lgtk.tgz 
(???), kernel patch and plain files, sources of the XTV widget and a xtvscreen 
executable dynamically (debug) linked to motif. Problems: cannot use xtvscreen 
because I do not have motif installed. Installed LessTif, but that doesn't work 
(major versions of libs do not match). Copied the "new" (?) XTV source files to 
my 0.4.3. version of xawtv, but now xawtv doesn't compile anymore (Missing 
functions). Xawtv "plain" does not work as well, probably caused by the fact that 
this version uses the proprietary ioctl interface, whilst the driver uses the
linux video4linux linux ioctls.

Well my questions: Which version should I adhere to? Is the video4linux THE 
new standard for Linux and is it going to be developed any further? Are there 
any complete versions of xtvscreen or xawtv using the video4linux API and 
where can I find them, or how do I make them? Is there any bttv-vbi developing 
taking place? I noticed for the "bttv 0.4.3" version that the vbi reading does 
not always work right (missing irqs). Is there mailing list or newsgroup 
dedicated to video4linux?

Thanks in advance.

Erik Slagter
UBN NL Internal Networks
Telephone: +31 70 3711801
E-Mail: eri...@gv-nmc.unisource.nl

From: al...@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk (Alan Cox)
Subject: Re: BTTV
Date: 1998/01/07
Message-ID: <m0xq3DS-0005FvC@lightning.swansea.linux.org.uk>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 313792739
Sender: muc.de!l-linux-kernel-owner
References: <01BD1B88.ED7657A0@in221.nmcgv>
Newsgroups: muc.lists.linux-kernel


> At ftp.uk.linux.org/pub/linux/video4linux there is a patch against kernel 
> version 2.1.59. Using linux videodev ioctl layer. This driver (again) has 
> version "0.01 ALPHA" but has the vbi-hang bug cured. Supplied: v4lgtk.tgz 
> (???), kernel patch and plain files,

As well as a tv application - v4lgtk.tgz for example.

> Well my questions: Which version should I adhere to? Is the video4linux THE 
> new standard for Linux and is it going to be developed any further? Are there 
> any complete versions of xtvscreen or xawtv using the video4linux API and 
> where can I find them, or how do I make them? Is there any bttv-vbi 
> developing taking place? I noticed for the "bttv 0.4.3" version that the vbi
> reading does not always work right (missing irqs). Is there mailing list or 
> newsgroup dedicated to video4linux?

Ok . Video4linux is an API rather than anything else and is using the bttv
code ported to a common API with other modules and arranged to be a bit
more secure (until I've sorted hacking the Xserver this will never be
absolutely perfect).

The video4linux bt848 code is bttv 0.4.x rewrapped. The PMS code is taken
from the PMS-Grabber application and the quickcam support from libqcam (as
per the credits in all the source files). The non video4linux introduced
bugs and also improvements in the original stuff will get folded into
the video4linux versions too
Alan