From: Daniel Stenberg <daniel_at_haxx.se>
Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 16:10:48 +0200 (MET DST)

On Fri, 11 Oct 2002, George Styles wrote:

> Would it be possible to implement loadable modules in Rockbox, for example
> for games etc. to reduce the size of the actual firmware?

We have all the code. We can do almost anything given enough time and sweat.

> As far as I can tell, it would be desirable to keep the music playing while
> (for example) Tetris was being played, but it is not nescesary to have to
> code for Tetris in memory all the time (unless you play it constantly!)
>
> What I was thinking was a new file extension (rlm?) for Rockbox Loadable
> Module. When you select one of these, it would shrink the MP3 buffer by the
> size of the module, and load the module in, passing a jump-table (for
> addresses of firmware routines like yield() and writetext etc) on the stack
> to the new code. Maybe ROLO like relocation would be needed as well.

Eeep. We can't shrink the buffer while still playing music without doing some
very funny tricks (as it is a circular buffer). To make that possible we have
to switch buffering system (which indeed has been discussed before and might
be worth discussing a few more time!).

I would perhaps instead have NN KB reserved for loadable modules. At least
for a start.

> This way, other developers can independantly develop fun things without
> mucking up the 'pure' mp3 firmware?
>
> What do people think about this?

I think we need to do this sooner or later.

-- 
Daniel "Bagder" Stenberg -- http://rockbox.haxx.se/

Received on 2002-10-11