GUI API changes just merged in the master branch

[Norman Feske]

Hello,

I'd like to give you a heads-up information about several API changes
that entered the master branch today. When updating to the new version,
please pay attention to the commit log.

The most significant changes are:

ROM:

  The ROM session interface has been enhanced by a new 'update' function
  that allows a light-weight update of ROM module content without the
  need for unmapping the ROM dataspace. (see the documentation in
  rom_session.h)

Framebuffer:

  The session interface gained a new facility for synchronizing the
  client with a periodically working server by the means of receiving
  sync signals. Currently, nitpicker is the on server that supports
  this feature.

Nitpicker:

  The session interface has been completely revised to support the
  atomic processing of nitpicker operations. View operations are
  no longer performed on view capabilities but by invoking the
  session interface using session-local handles.

  The mouse pointer and status bar are no longer parts of nitpicker
  but realized as separate programs located at os/src/app/pointer and
  os/src/app/status_bar.

  Please refer to the README at os/src/server/nitpicker to learn about
  nitpicker's new configuration parameters.

  I also recommend to have a look at the os/run/demo.run script
  to see a working example of how those components can be tied
  together.

Loader:

  The loader session has been updated to use the new nitpicker
  interface.

Window manager:

  New components for window management have landed in the gems
  repository. The components are server/wm, app/decorator, and
  app/floating_window_layouter. Combined, they supplement Genode's
  existing GUI infrastructure with window management. All Qt5
  run scripts have been updated to use the new window manager.

  More details about the enhanced GUI stack will be presented in
  the release notes of version 14.08.

All programs included in the Genode mainline repository have been
updated to use the new interfaces. So you can find plenty of examples
of how to use nitpicker's new API (e.g., have a look at testnit).

If you run into any problems with updating to the new version, please
report. So we can assist.

Cheers
Norman

-- 
Dr.-Ing. Norman Feske
Genode Labs

http://www.genode-labs.com · http://genode.org

Genode Labs GmbH · Amtsgericht Dresden · HRB 28424 · Sitz Dresden
Geschäftsführer: Dr.-Ing. Norman Feske, Christian Helmuth