FreeBSD Multimedia API and Google SOC2006

[Torfinn Ingolfsen]

On Thu, 27 Apr 2006 15:25:05 -0300
Mario Sergio Fujikawa Ferreira <lioux at FreeBSD.org> wrote:

> 	I was wondering if someone could propose a
> project for a basic multimedia API for FreeBSD.

Video4bsd (V4B) perhaps?
Here is one candidate: http://people.freebsd.org/~jmg/videobsd.html

Also, the USB Video class (example at http://linux-uvc.berlios.de/)
looks interesting, I think it should be included in a multimedia API
for BSD.

> 	I am not proposing V4Linux but some sort of common
> API abstraction.

IMHO, if we create our own multimedia API, it should have V4L2
and V4L1 "faces" or "shims" that allows devices to be operated through
these APIs. At least V4L2, only V4L1 if it is really needed.
The reason for this is that it will ease porting of programs that uses
the V4L API's. And there are a lot of those.
Note: I am very much out of my waters here, I can't really tell if this
is feasible / practical at all.

If there is need for a mechanism (sp?) to distinguish which API a
certain device can be operated with, an easy way would be to use a
naming convention. Example: /dev/video0 - use the V4L
API, /dev/bsdvideo0 - use the V4B API. Most likely, somebody else has a
better suggestion.

> I do not have the necessary skills to mentor such
> a project so I am looking for volunteers for the task.

Oh, you got me there also. :-)
All I have is wishes and ideas, no time or driver creating skills.
-- 
Regards,
Torfinn Ingolfsen,
Norway