diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/DocBook')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/DocBook/media/v4l/common.xml | 191 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/DocBook/media/v4l/v4l2.xml | 2 |
2 files changed, 70 insertions, 123 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/DocBook/media/v4l/common.xml b/Documentation/DocBook/media/v4l/common.xml index 0936dd24ed3..71f6bf9e735 100644 --- a/Documentation/DocBook/media/v4l/common.xml +++ b/Documentation/DocBook/media/v4l/common.xml @@ -38,70 +38,41 @@ the basic concepts applicable to all devices.</para> <para>V4L2 drivers are implemented as kernel modules, loaded manually by the system administrator or automatically when a device is -first opened. The driver modules plug into the "videodev" kernel +first discovered. The driver modules plug into the "videodev" kernel module. It provides helper functions and a common application interface specified in this document.</para> <para>Each driver thus loaded registers one or more device nodes -with major number 81 and a minor number between 0 and 255. Assigning -minor numbers to V4L2 devices is entirely up to the system administrator, -this is primarily intended to solve conflicts between devices.<footnote> - <para>Access permissions are associated with character -device special files, hence we must ensure device numbers cannot -change with the module load order. To this end minor numbers are no -longer automatically assigned by the "videodev" module as in V4L but -requested by the driver. The defaults will suffice for most people -unless two drivers compete for the same minor numbers.</para> - </footnote> The module options to select minor numbers are named -after the device special file with a "_nr" suffix. For example "video_nr" -for <filename>/dev/video</filename> video capture devices. The number is -an offset to the base minor number associated with the device type. -<footnote> - <para>In earlier versions of the V4L2 API the module options -where named after the device special file with a "unit_" prefix, expressing -the minor number itself, not an offset. Rationale for this change is unknown. -Lastly the naming and semantics are just a convention among driver writers, -the point to note is that minor numbers are not supposed to be hardcoded -into drivers.</para> - </footnote> When the driver supports multiple devices of the same -type more than one minor number can be assigned, separated by commas: -<informalexample> +with major number 81 and a minor number between 0 and 255. Minor numbers +are allocated dynamically unless the kernel is compiled with the kernel +option CONFIG_VIDEO_FIXED_MINOR_RANGES. In that case minor numbers are +allocated in ranges depending on the device node type (video, radio, etc.).</para> + + <para>Many drivers support "video_nr", "radio_nr" or "vbi_nr" +module options to select specific video/radio/vbi node numbers. This allows +the user to request that the device node is named e.g. /dev/video5 instead +of leaving it to chance. When the driver supports multiple devices of the same +type more than one device node number can be assigned, separated by commas: + <informalexample> <screen> -> insmod mydriver.o video_nr=0,1 radio_nr=0,1</screen> +> modprobe mydriver video_nr=0,1 radio_nr=0,1</screen> </informalexample></para> <para>In <filename>/etc/modules.conf</filename> this may be written as: <informalexample> <screen> -alias char-major-81-0 mydriver -alias char-major-81-1 mydriver -alias char-major-81-64 mydriver <co id="alias" /> -options mydriver video_nr=0,1 radio_nr=0,1 <co id="options" /> +options mydriver video_nr=0,1 radio_nr=0,1 </screen> - <calloutlist> - <callout arearefs="alias"> - <para>When an application attempts to open a device -special file with major number 81 and minor number 0, 1, or 64, load -"mydriver" (and the "videodev" module it depends upon).</para> - </callout> - <callout arearefs="options"> - <para>Register the first two video capture devices with -minor number 0 and 1 (base number is 0), the first two radio device -with minor number 64 and 65 (base 64).</para> - </callout> - </calloutlist> - </informalexample> When no minor number is given as module -option the driver supplies a default. <xref linkend="devices" /> -recommends the base minor numbers to be used for the various device -types. Obviously minor numbers must be unique. When the number is -already in use the <emphasis>offending device</emphasis> will not be -registered. <!-- Blessed by Linus Torvalds on -linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, 2002-11-20. --></para> - - <para>By convention system administrators create various -character device special files with these major and minor numbers in -the <filename>/dev</filename> directory. The names recommended for the -different V4L2 device types are listed in <xref linkend="devices" />. + </informalexample> When no device node number is given as module +option the driver supplies a default.</para> + + <para>Normally udev will create the device nodes in /dev automatically +for you. If udev is not installed, then you need to enable the +CONFIG_VIDEO_FIXED_MINOR_RANGES kernel option in order to be able to correctly +relate a minor number to a device node number. I.e., you need to be certain +that minor number 5 maps to device node name video5. With this kernel option +different device types have different minor number ranges. These ranges are +listed in <xref linkend="devices" />. </para> <para>The creation of character special files (with @@ -110,85 +81,66 @@ devices cannot be opened by major and minor number. That means applications cannot <emphasis>reliable</emphasis> scan for loaded or installed drivers. The user must enter a device name, or the application can try the conventional device names.</para> - - <para>Under the device filesystem (devfs) the minor number -options are ignored. V4L2 drivers (or by proxy the "videodev" module) -automatically create the required device files in the -<filename>/dev/v4l</filename> directory using the conventional device -names above.</para> </section> <section id="related"> <title>Related Devices</title> - <para>Devices can support several related functions. For example -video capturing, video overlay and VBI capturing are related because -these functions share, amongst other, the same video input and tuner -frequency. V4L and earlier versions of V4L2 used the same device name -and minor number for video capturing and overlay, but different ones -for VBI. Experience showed this approach has several problems<footnote> - <para>Given a device file name one cannot reliable find -related devices. For once names are arbitrary and in a system with -multiple devices, where only some support VBI capturing, a -<filename>/dev/video2</filename> is not necessarily related to -<filename>/dev/vbi2</filename>. The V4L -<constant>VIDIOCGUNIT</constant> ioctl would require a search for a -device file with a particular major and minor number.</para> - </footnote>, and to make things worse the V4L videodev module -used to prohibit multiple opens of a device.</para> - - <para>As a remedy the present version of the V4L2 API relaxed the -concept of device types with specific names and minor numbers. For -compatibility with old applications drivers must still register different -minor numbers to assign a default function to the device. But if related -functions are supported by the driver they must be available under all -registered minor numbers. The desired function can be selected after -opening the device as described in <xref linkend="devices" />.</para> - - <para>Imagine a driver supporting video capturing, video -overlay, raw VBI capturing, and FM radio reception. It registers three -devices with minor number 0, 64 and 224 (this numbering scheme is -inherited from the V4L API). Regardless if -<filename>/dev/video</filename> (81, 0) or -<filename>/dev/vbi</filename> (81, 224) is opened the application can -select any one of the video capturing, overlay or VBI capturing -functions. Without programming (e. g. reading from the device -with <application>dd</application> or <application>cat</application>) -<filename>/dev/video</filename> captures video images, while -<filename>/dev/vbi</filename> captures raw VBI data. -<filename>/dev/radio</filename> (81, 64) is invariable a radio device, -unrelated to the video functions. Being unrelated does not imply the -devices can be used at the same time, however. The &func-open; -function may very well return an &EBUSY;.</para> + <para>Devices can support several functions. For example +video capturing, VBI capturing and radio support.</para> + + <para>The V4L2 API creates different nodes for each of these functions.</para> + + <para>The V4L2 API was designed with the idea that one device node could support +all functions. However, in practice this never worked: this 'feature' +was never used by applications and many drivers did not support it and if +they did it was certainly never tested. In addition, switching a device +node between different functions only works when using the streaming I/O +API, not with the read()/write() API.</para> + + <para>Today each device node supports just one function.</para> <para>Besides video input or output the hardware may also support audio sampling or playback. If so, these functions are -implemented as OSS or ALSA PCM devices and eventually OSS or ALSA -audio mixer. The V4L2 API makes no provisions yet to find these -related devices. If you have an idea please write to the linux-media -mailing list: &v4l-ml;.</para> +implemented as ALSA PCM devices with optional ALSA audio mixer +devices.</para> + + <para>One problem with all these devices is that the V4L2 API +makes no provisions to find these related devices. Some really +complex devices use the Media Controller (see <xref linkend="media_controller" />) +which can be used for this purpose. But most drivers do not use it, +and while some code exists that uses sysfs to discover related devices +(see libmedia_dev in the <ulink url="http://git.linuxtv.org/v4l-utils/">v4l-utils</ulink> +git repository), there is no library yet that can provide a single API towards +both Media Controller-based devices and devices that do not use the Media Controller. +If you want to work on this please write to the linux-media mailing list: &v4l-ml;.</para> </section> <section> <title>Multiple Opens</title> - <para>In general, V4L2 devices can be opened more than once. + <para>V4L2 devices can be opened more than once.<footnote><para> +There are still some old and obscure drivers that have not been updated to +allow for multiple opens. This implies that for such drivers &func-open; can +return an &EBUSY; when the device is already in use.</para></footnote> When this is supported by the driver, users can for example start a "panel" application to change controls like brightness or audio volume, while another application captures video and audio. In other words, panel -applications are comparable to an OSS or ALSA audio mixer application. -When a device supports multiple functions like capturing and overlay -<emphasis>simultaneously</emphasis>, multiple opens allow concurrent -use of the device by forked processes or specialized applications.</para> - - <para>Multiple opens are optional, although drivers should -permit at least concurrent accesses without data exchange, &ie; panel -applications. This implies &func-open; can return an &EBUSY; when the -device is already in use, as well as &func-ioctl; functions initiating -data exchange (namely the &VIDIOC-S-FMT; ioctl), and the &func-read; -and &func-write; functions.</para> - - <para>Mere opening a V4L2 device does not grant exclusive +applications are comparable to an ALSA audio mixer application. +Just opening a V4L2 device should not change the state of the device.<footnote> +<para>Unfortunately, opening a radio device often switches the state of the +device to radio mode in many drivers. This behavior should be fixed eventually +as it violates the V4L2 specification.</para></footnote></para> + + <para>Once an application has allocated the memory buffers needed for +streaming data (by calling the &VIDIOC-REQBUFS; or &VIDIOC-CREATE-BUFS; ioctls, +or implicitly by calling the &func-read; or &func-write; functions) that +application (filehandle) becomes the owner of the device. It is no longer +allowed to make changes that would affect the buffer sizes (e.g. by calling +the &VIDIOC-S-FMT; ioctl) and other applications are no longer allowed to allocate +buffers or start or stop streaming. The &EBUSY; will be returned instead.</para> + + <para>Merely opening a V4L2 device does not grant exclusive access.<footnote> <para>Drivers could recognize the <constant>O_EXCL</constant> open flag. Presently this is not required, @@ -206,12 +158,7 @@ additional access privileges using the priority mechanism described in <para>V4L2 drivers should not support multiple applications reading or writing the same data stream on a device by copying buffers, time multiplexing or similar means. This is better handled by -a proxy application in user space. When the driver supports stream -sharing anyway it must be implemented transparently. The V4L2 API does -not specify how conflicts are solved. <!-- For example O_EXCL when the -application does not want to be preempted, PROT_READ mmapped buffers -which can be mapped twice, what happens when image formats do not -match etc.--></para> +a proxy application in user space.</para> </section> <section> diff --git a/Documentation/DocBook/media/v4l/v4l2.xml b/Documentation/DocBook/media/v4l/v4l2.xml index 087e8465e09..6bf35328dcb 100644 --- a/Documentation/DocBook/media/v4l/v4l2.xml +++ b/Documentation/DocBook/media/v4l/v4l2.xml @@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ applications. --> <revnumber>3.15</revnumber> <date>2014-02-03</date> <authorinitials>hv</authorinitials> - <revremark>Update several sections of "Common API Elements": + <revremark>Update several sections of "Common API Elements": "Opening and Closing Devices" "Querying Capabilities", "Application Priority", "Video Inputs and Outputs", "Audio Inputs and Outputs" "Tuners and Modulators", "Video Standards" and "Digital Video (DV) Timings". </revremark> |