Re: Broadcom VideoCore graphics acceleration on microboards

 
Van: pyrus aboris <pyrus@bsdmail.com>
Datum: woensdag, 15 november 2023 09:12
Aan: freebsd-embedded@freebsd.org
Onderwerp: Broadcom VideoCore graphics acceleration on microboards
> 
> It has come to my attention that FreeBSD doesn't have a kmod driver for Broadcom VideoCore GPU's
> for graphics acceleration. We may have assumed that most boards use AMD, Intel or Nvidia GPU's,
> but microboards typically use VideoCore IV hardware for graphics.
>  
> In comparison, NetBSD has support for graphics acceleration for VideoCore hardware, as can be
> seen at https://blog.netbsd.org/tnf/entry/raspberry_pi_gpu_acceleration_in
>  
> Also on FreeBSD, drivers may also be lacking for the audio hardware from microboards, which may
> be bcm devices.
>  
> Thank you


If you have the skills and time to do it I know you would make more people happy. [1]

When clicking from that blog to the NetBSD Wiki (https://wiki.netbsd.org/ports/evbarm/raspberry_pi/#index5h1) it states:
"X11 and GPU

Video acceleration currently only works with 32-bit (ARMv7 and ARMv6) kernels due to the Broadcom code not being 64-bit clean.
Since applications require specialized support for the GPU, only a few applications are normally accelerated. NetBSD/aarch64 normally uses llvmpipe to provide fast parallel CPU-driven support for OpenGL, so should be faster when running normal applications.
The situation should be improved, ideally by writing a DRM/KMS driver."

So it is not always a bed of roses in NetBSD land either.

AFAIK this broadcom stuff is proprietary closed source so a bit hard to work on I guess. Although the forums link [1] states that RPI4 has an open source V3D driver.

Regards,
Ronald.

[1] https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/what-about-2d-3d-hardware-acceleration-and-audio-support-on-raspberry-pi.86341/