The State of Linux Graphics
Linux has an excellent hotplug system and the graphics system really needs to start using it. Screens can be hotplugged from multiple sources. There is the traditional source of hotplug; someone sticks a new video card into a hotplug chassis. But there are other non-traditional ways to get a hotplug. Another user could be using a screen you want to attach to your screen group and when they log out you get a screen hotplug. You could attach an external monitor to a laptop and generate a hotplug. You could wirelessly connect to a display wall with something like DMX or Chromium. USB is also the source of a lot of hotplug. A user can hotplug mice, tablets, keyboards, audio devices and even graphics adapters. The current X server handles none of this since it does not communicate with the kernel’s hotplug system.
Tags: X11, Linux
