1 .. SPDX-License-Identifier: GFDL-1.1-no-invariants-or-later
6 **********************************
7 ioctl VIDIOC_G_FBUF, VIDIOC_S_FBUF
8 **********************************
13 VIDIOC_G_FBUF - VIDIOC_S_FBUF - Get or set frame buffer overlay parameters
18 .. c:macro:: VIDIOC_G_FBUF
20 ``int ioctl(int fd, VIDIOC_G_FBUF, struct v4l2_framebuffer *argp)``
22 .. c:macro:: VIDIOC_S_FBUF
24 ``int ioctl(int fd, VIDIOC_S_FBUF, const struct v4l2_framebuffer *argp)``
30 File descriptor returned by :c:func:`open()`.
33 Pointer to struct :c:type:`v4l2_framebuffer`.
38 Applications can use the :ref:`VIDIOC_G_FBUF <VIDIOC_G_FBUF>` and :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FBUF <VIDIOC_G_FBUF>` ioctl
39 to get and set the framebuffer parameters for a
40 :ref:`Video Overlay <overlay>` or :ref:`Video Output Overlay <osd>`
41 (OSD). The type of overlay is implied by the device type (capture or
42 output device) and can be determined with the
43 :ref:`VIDIOC_QUERYCAP` ioctl. One ``/dev/videoN``
44 device must not support both kinds of overlay.
46 The V4L2 API distinguishes destructive and non-destructive overlays. A
47 destructive overlay copies captured video images into the video memory
48 of a graphics card. A non-destructive overlay blends video images into a
49 VGA signal or graphics into a video signal. *Video Output Overlays* are
50 always non-destructive.
52 To get the current parameters applications call the :ref:`VIDIOC_G_FBUF <VIDIOC_G_FBUF>`
53 ioctl with a pointer to a struct :c:type:`v4l2_framebuffer`
54 structure. The driver fills all fields of the structure or returns an
55 EINVAL error code when overlays are not supported.
57 To set the parameters for a *Video Output Overlay*, applications must
58 initialize the ``flags`` field of a struct
59 :c:type:`v4l2_framebuffer`. Since the framebuffer is
60 implemented on the TV card all other parameters are determined by the
61 driver. When an application calls :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FBUF <VIDIOC_G_FBUF>` with a pointer to
62 this structure, the driver prepares for the overlay and returns the
63 framebuffer parameters as :ref:`VIDIOC_G_FBUF <VIDIOC_G_FBUF>` does, or it returns an error
66 To set the parameters for a *non-destructive Video Overlay*,
67 applications must initialize the ``flags`` field, the ``fmt``
68 substructure, and call :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FBUF <VIDIOC_G_FBUF>`. Again the driver prepares for
69 the overlay and returns the framebuffer parameters as :ref:`VIDIOC_G_FBUF <VIDIOC_G_FBUF>`
70 does, or it returns an error code.
72 For a *destructive Video Overlay* applications must additionally provide
73 a ``base`` address. Setting up a DMA to a random memory location can
74 jeopardize the system security, its stability or even damage the
75 hardware, therefore only the superuser can set the parameters for a
76 destructive video overlay.
78 .. tabularcolumns:: |p{3.5cm}|p{3.5cm}|p{3.5cm}|p{7.0cm}|
80 .. c:type:: v4l2_framebuffer
82 .. cssclass:: longtable
84 .. flat-table:: struct v4l2_framebuffer
92 - Overlay capability flags set by the driver, see
93 :ref:`framebuffer-cap`.
97 - Overlay control flags set by application and driver, see
98 :ref:`framebuffer-flags`
102 - Physical base address of the framebuffer, that is the address of
103 the pixel in the top left corner of the framebuffer. [#f1]_
107 - This field is irrelevant to *non-destructive Video Overlays*. For
108 *destructive Video Overlays* applications must provide a base
109 address. The driver may accept only base addresses which are a
110 multiple of two, four or eight bytes. For *Video Output Overlays*
111 the driver must return a valid base address, so applications can
112 find the corresponding Linux framebuffer device (see
117 - Layout of the frame buffer.
121 - Width of the frame buffer in pixels.
125 - Height of the frame buffer in pixels.
129 - The pixel format of the framebuffer.
133 - For *non-destructive Video Overlays* this field only defines a
134 format for the struct :c:type:`v4l2_window`
139 - For *destructive Video Overlays* applications must initialize this
140 field. For *Video Output Overlays* the driver must return a valid
145 - Usually this is an RGB format (for example
146 :ref:`V4L2_PIX_FMT_RGB565 <V4L2-PIX-FMT-RGB565>`) but YUV
147 formats (only packed YUV formats when chroma keying is used, not
148 including ``V4L2_PIX_FMT_YUYV`` and ``V4L2_PIX_FMT_UYVY``) and the
149 ``V4L2_PIX_FMT_PAL8`` format are also permitted. The behavior of
150 the driver when an application requests a compressed format is
151 undefined. See :ref:`pixfmt` for information on pixel formats.
153 - enum :c:type:`v4l2_field`
155 - Drivers and applications shall ignore this field. If applicable,
156 the field order is selected with the
157 :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FMT <VIDIOC_G_FMT>` ioctl, using the ``field``
158 field of struct :c:type:`v4l2_window`.
162 - Distance in bytes between the leftmost pixels in two adjacent
166 This field is irrelevant to *non-destructive Video Overlays*.
168 For *destructive Video Overlays* both applications and drivers can
169 set this field to request padding bytes at the end of each line.
170 Drivers however may ignore the requested value, returning
171 ``width`` times bytes-per-pixel or a larger value required by the
172 hardware. That implies applications can just set this field to
173 zero to get a reasonable default.
175 For *Video Output Overlays* the driver must return a valid value.
177 Video hardware may access padding bytes, therefore they must
178 reside in accessible memory. Consider for example the case where
179 padding bytes after the last line of an image cross a system page
180 boundary. Capture devices may write padding bytes, the value is
181 undefined. Output devices ignore the contents of padding bytes.
183 When the image format is planar the ``bytesperline`` value applies
184 to the first plane and is divided by the same factor as the
185 ``width`` field for the other planes. For example the Cb and Cr
186 planes of a YUV 4:2:0 image have half as many padding bytes
187 following each line as the Y plane. To avoid ambiguities drivers
188 must return a ``bytesperline`` value rounded up to a multiple of
193 - This field is irrelevant to *non-destructive Video Overlays*. For
194 *destructive Video Overlays* applications must initialize this
195 field. For *Video Output Overlays* the driver must return a valid
198 Together with ``base`` it defines the framebuffer memory
199 accessible by the driver.
201 - enum :c:type:`v4l2_colorspace`
203 - This information supplements the ``pixelformat`` and must be set
204 by the driver, see :ref:`colorspaces`.
208 - Reserved. Drivers and applications must set this field to zero.
210 .. tabularcolumns:: |p{6.6cm}|p{2.2cm}|p{8.7cm}|
214 .. flat-table:: Frame Buffer Capability Flags
219 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_CAP_EXTERNOVERLAY``
221 - The device is capable of non-destructive overlays. When the driver
222 clears this flag, only destructive overlays are supported. There
223 are no drivers yet which support both destructive and
224 non-destructive overlays. Video Output Overlays are in practice
225 always non-destructive.
226 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_CAP_CHROMAKEY``
228 - The device supports clipping by chroma-keying the images. That is,
229 image pixels replace pixels in the VGA or video signal only where
230 the latter assume a certain color. Chroma-keying makes no sense
231 for destructive overlays.
232 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_CAP_LIST_CLIPPING``
234 - The device supports clipping using a list of clip rectangles.
235 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_CAP_BITMAP_CLIPPING``
237 - The device supports clipping using a bit mask.
238 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_CAP_LOCAL_ALPHA``
240 - The device supports clipping/blending using the alpha channel of
241 the framebuffer or VGA signal. Alpha blending makes no sense for
242 destructive overlays.
243 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_CAP_GLOBAL_ALPHA``
245 - The device supports alpha blending using a global alpha value.
246 Alpha blending makes no sense for destructive overlays.
247 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_CAP_LOCAL_INV_ALPHA``
249 - The device supports clipping/blending using the inverted alpha
250 channel of the framebuffer or VGA signal. Alpha blending makes no
251 sense for destructive overlays.
252 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_CAP_SRC_CHROMAKEY``
254 - The device supports Source Chroma-keying. Video pixels with the
255 chroma-key colors are replaced by framebuffer pixels, which is
256 exactly opposite of ``V4L2_FBUF_CAP_CHROMAKEY``
258 .. tabularcolumns:: |p{6.6cm}|p{2.2cm}|p{8.7cm}|
260 .. _framebuffer-flags:
262 .. cssclass:: longtable
264 .. flat-table:: Frame Buffer Flags
269 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_FLAG_PRIMARY``
271 - The framebuffer is the primary graphics surface. In other words,
272 the overlay is destructive. This flag is typically set by any
273 driver that doesn't have the ``V4L2_FBUF_CAP_EXTERNOVERLAY``
274 capability and it is cleared otherwise.
275 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_FLAG_OVERLAY``
277 - If this flag is set for a video capture device, then the driver
278 will set the initial overlay size to cover the full framebuffer
279 size, otherwise the existing overlay size (as set by
280 :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FMT <VIDIOC_G_FMT>`) will be used. Only one
281 video capture driver (bttv) supports this flag. The use of this
282 flag for capture devices is deprecated. There is no way to detect
283 which drivers support this flag, so the only reliable method of
284 setting the overlay size is through
285 :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FMT <VIDIOC_G_FMT>`. If this flag is set for a
286 video output device, then the video output overlay window is
287 relative to the top-left corner of the framebuffer and restricted
288 to the size of the framebuffer. If it is cleared, then the video
289 output overlay window is relative to the video output display.
290 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_FLAG_CHROMAKEY``
292 - Use chroma-keying. The chroma-key color is determined by the
293 ``chromakey`` field of struct :c:type:`v4l2_window`
294 and negotiated with the :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FMT <VIDIOC_G_FMT>`
295 ioctl, see :ref:`overlay` and :ref:`osd`.
296 * - :cspan:`2` There are no flags to enable clipping using a list of
297 clip rectangles or a bitmap. These methods are negotiated with the
298 :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FMT <VIDIOC_G_FMT>` ioctl, see :ref:`overlay`
300 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_FLAG_LOCAL_ALPHA``
302 - Use the alpha channel of the framebuffer to clip or blend
303 framebuffer pixels with video images. The blend function is:
304 output = framebuffer pixel * alpha + video pixel * (1 - alpha).
305 The actual alpha depth depends on the framebuffer pixel format.
306 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_FLAG_GLOBAL_ALPHA``
308 - Use a global alpha value to blend the framebuffer with video
309 images. The blend function is: output = (framebuffer pixel * alpha
310 + video pixel * (255 - alpha)) / 255. The alpha value is
311 determined by the ``global_alpha`` field of struct
312 :c:type:`v4l2_window` and negotiated with the
313 :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FMT <VIDIOC_G_FMT>` ioctl, see :ref:`overlay`
315 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_FLAG_LOCAL_INV_ALPHA``
317 - Like ``V4L2_FBUF_FLAG_LOCAL_ALPHA``, use the alpha channel of the
318 framebuffer to clip or blend framebuffer pixels with video images,
319 but with an inverted alpha value. The blend function is: output =
320 framebuffer pixel * (1 - alpha) + video pixel * alpha. The actual
321 alpha depth depends on the framebuffer pixel format.
322 * - ``V4L2_FBUF_FLAG_SRC_CHROMAKEY``
324 - Use source chroma-keying. The source chroma-key color is
325 determined by the ``chromakey`` field of struct
326 :c:type:`v4l2_window` and negotiated with the
327 :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FMT <VIDIOC_G_FMT>` ioctl, see :ref:`overlay`
328 and :ref:`osd`. Both chroma-keying are mutual exclusive to each
329 other, so same ``chromakey`` field of struct
330 :c:type:`v4l2_window` is being used.
335 On success 0 is returned, on error -1 and the ``errno`` variable is set
336 appropriately. The generic error codes are described at the
337 :ref:`Generic Error Codes <gen-errors>` chapter.
340 :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FBUF <VIDIOC_G_FBUF>` can only be called by a privileged user to
341 negotiate the parameters for a destructive overlay.
344 The :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FBUF <VIDIOC_G_FBUF>` parameters are unsuitable.
347 A physical base address may not suit all platforms. GK notes in
348 theory we should pass something like PCI device + memory region +
349 offset instead. If you encounter problems please discuss on the
350 linux-media mailing list:
351 `https://linuxtv.org/lists.php <https://linuxtv.org/lists.php>`__.