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diff --git a/dists/gph/gp2x/mmuhack/README b/dists/gph/gp2x/mmuhack/README new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..6db7d81845 --- /dev/null +++ b/dists/gph/gp2x/mmuhack/README @@ -0,0 +1,116 @@ +PLEASE NOTE: + +The binary object 'mmuhack.o' is stored in the source tree as it is very awkward to +build it manually each time and would require the use of 2 toolchains to do so. + +Notes on how to rebuild from the included source can be found below. + +About +----- + +This is a module for GP2X 2.4 based Linux kernel, created for developers to use in their +programs. + +Normally the upper 32MB is uncached. This means that reads/writes on the memory +are always done via the physical memory modules rather than the much faster +memory built into the processor (called 'cache'). Access to the upper 32MB can +be sped up by Squidge's MMU hack. The easiest way to use the MMU hack is to add +and load the MMU hack kernel module into your program. + +Note: Building this module requries a GP2X 'kernel' toolchain (i.e. GCC 2.95.* +for the GP2X stock, 3.* for Open2X). + +You can't build this module with the GCC 4 based application toolchains. + +Operation +--------- + +When loaded into kernel, this module creates /dev/mmuhack device. Whenever +a program opens that device using open() call, the module traverses all +memory, which was allocated in 0x02000000-0x03ffffff range by the program via +using mmap() system call. While doing that, it marks all encountered memory +as bufferable and cacheable. + +The most common use of this is to remove the framebuffer access bottleneck. +Note that, however, by making the framebuffer cacheable you can cause display +artifacts. This can happen because parts of your framebuffer may stay in CPU +cache and not to be written back to the physical memory. The display +controller only fetches data from the physical memory, so you get incomplete +image (the memory will most likely contain data from previous frame, so these +artifacts are better visible during fade effects). The easy way to fix this +is by using a special ARM Linux system call, which flushes the cache (forces +the CPU to write data in cache to the physical memory (see section "Flushing +the cache")). + +Using this module affects the whole upper memory area. But in some situations +this may be not desirable, for example when using ARM940 core in your program +(ether using 940 libraries like ogg940 and gpu940, or using your custom code, +which needs uncacheable memory for communication and such). If you need part +of your upper memory to be cached, and other part not, you should mmap() that +memory (which you want to be uncached) _after_ doing open("/dev/mmuhack"). +Another way is to modify mmuhack.c to suit your needs and rebuild the module. + + +Usage +----- + +The very first thing to do is to load the kernel module (mmuhack.o) into the +running kernel. But before that you should try to unload mmuhack module, +because other program might have left a different version loaded with +different memory configuration, which may not suit your program. + +system("/sbin/rmmod mmuhack"); +system("/sbin/insmod mmuhack.o"); + +Now you can assume the module is loaded into kernel and open /dev/mmuhack +device. You don't need to worry about previous calls failing, because in that +case open() will simply fail and nothing bad will happen. + +IMPORTANT: you _must_ do the open() call _after_ you initialize your graphics +library or allocate your memory, because it can only work with memory which is +already allocated, it won't affect memory you or your lib allocates after the +open() call. + +int mmufd = open("/dev/mmuhack", O_RDWR); +if(mmufd < 0) +{ + printf("MMU hack failed"); +} +else +{ + printf("MMU hack loaded"); + close(mmufd); +} + +If the above call succeeded, you are all done. +I recommend to unload the module when your program exits, because the other +program may want to load a different mmuhack.o and may fail, because you left +your mmuhack.o loaded (it does not get unloaded automatically on exit). + +system("/sbin/rmmod mmuhack"); + + +Flushing the cache +------------------ + +If using mmuhack.o causes your program to display artifacts (see "Operation" +section for explanation), you will need to flush the CPU cache. This should +be done after finishing every frame and just before flipping your display +buffer/surface. You will need to add flush_uppermem_cache.s file to your +Makefile/project and add a call to flush_uppermem_cache() just before final +framebuffer flip or blit. + +flush_uppermem_cache() has 3 parameters. First param is the start address, +second param is the end address, third one should always be 0. The addresses +should be virtual ones (most often pointers to the start/end of your +framebuffer). Example: + +flush_uppermem_cache(screen_surface->pixels, screen_surface->pixels + 320*240, 0); + + +Credits +------- + +Original idea/implementation: Squidge (this whole thing is also known as squidgehack) +Kernel module: NK +Documentation: notaz |