DisplayLink makes Linux source code available... finally!
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted May 16th 2009 9:59AM
posted May 16th 2009 9:59AM
The long-burning question on the DisplayLink scene (you know, with its DisplayLink bars and coffee shops, and the annual DisplayLink parade) has been: "When will Linux users be able to get in on some of that video-via-USB action?" Well, it looks like we have an answer for you, penguin-heads. As of today, the company is announcing the release of the open-source implementation of its graphics software, offering support for the Alex family (DL-120 and DL-160) chips. So prepare to go wild writing drivers for all of your favorite Linux-based devices, and be sure to drop us a line when you do. Seriously -- it's been a while since you called. Hit the read link to get started, or check out the full PR bit after the break.
DisplayLink Releases Linux Source Code for Its USB Graphics Processors
LGPL Library Allows For the Development of Big Screen Connectivity for Linux devices
Interop Las Vegas 2009
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today DisplayLink is taking steps to bring its USB display technology, formerly only available on Windows and Mac, to Linux. DisplayLink's chips enable one or more high resolution displays to be connected via the standard, universal USB 2.0 connector. The library released today enables the creation of Linux software – X Servers, drivers, and other applications – which will work with the growing universe of products using DisplayLink technology.
The library is provided under the GNU Lesser General Public License v2 (LGPL), enabling software to be ported by the community to cover the widest possible range of processors, platforms, and applications. This ultimately enables companies to create products which will work on the full variety of Linux devices like netbooks, notebooks, mobile Internet devices, mobile phones, embedded displays, embedded devices, digital signage, and more.
"We are enabling those in the Linux community to take DisplayLink USB graphics technology and apply it to new and exciting range of applications," said Jason Slaughter, director of marketing at DisplayLink. "DisplayLink technology can be found in many USB connected monitors, universal docking stations, and projectors, and there are thousands of Linux-based devices that could benefit greatly from the plug and display simplicity of USB graphics."
In order to encourage the development of the best possible support for USB displays in Linux, DisplayLink has partnered with Novell, developer of SUSE Linux. "Novell works with hardware partners, like DisplayLink, to provide support for a wide range of devices in SUSE Linux Enterprise," said Carlos Montero-Luque, vice president of business and product management at Novell. "Support for DisplayLink USB graphics devices will build on the broad hardware support already available in SUSE Linux Enterprise for notebooks, netbooks, and desktops and will give customers greater flexibility in choosing which device they use."
DisplayLink has also partnered with the Linux Driver Project (LDP) in an effort to accelerate the development of Linux drivers for DisplayLink USB devices. "The LDP started out as a single place for hardware manufacturers to contact in order to get drivers written for their devices for free," said Greg Kroah-Hartman, Linux kernel developer and head of the Linux Driver Project, "We are now a group of more than 200 Linux kernel developers committed to improving Linux support for new hardware devices, like DisplayLink USB graphics."
For companies building unique products on top of Linux, technology consulting companies such Endurance Technology in the UK, and InoScope in Poland are also available to provide paid development and support services for DisplayLink devices, also building on the DisplayLink LGPL library.
"By providing the widest possible support for DisplayLink devices under the LGPL license, we combine the ubiquitous connectivity of USB and the kind of universal device coverage only possible with Linux to creating an ideal breeding ground for innovation on DisplayLink's hardware platform," added Slaughter.
For more information about the DisplayLink LGPL Library project or to download the source code, go to www.displaylink.org.
Maybe 1st
Maybe stupid
Not maybe...
Hmm, maybe just maybe, in the future USB3, HDMI & DisplayPort will merge into one connector to rule them all, it shall be known as UHP...
...and it will support DisplayLink :)
That's fantastic for Linux users. I know all four of them. They'll be happy.
you don't know me......
but i'm SUPER happy about this
I don't think he knows me either. ;)
neither me,
although ironically i use ubuntu in parallels on a display link second monitor
He doesn't know his own OS so don't expect him not to be ignorant.
how is that ironic?
I don't think he knows me either. Just another linux user sounding off.
ubuntu ftw
I ♥ Linux!
I hope you had the "E-Mail me when someone replies to this comment" box checked.
Add me to the list of people happy to see this.
Oh so you know me too?
+1!
I've been playing with Linux for several years now, and have used Linux exclusively on my own computers since last year when, after telling WinXP to repair the master boot record, it chose to erase it instead ... partition table and everything.
I'm psyched! And I avoid people named Kevin. So you must not know me.
He's probably on a Xandros box and his network admin didn't tell him.
@David
Because technically i use Linux on display link
Do I know you? Didn't think so...
Been Slacking since 2003.
OTOH, I'm not actually sure how excited I am -- yes, more HW vendor support is good, and I'd definitely rather see an LGPL code drop like this than a complete binary release, but DisplayLink monitors and projectors haven't exactly made my list of tempting purchases to date.
As the owner of a displaylink device and a linux user, I can tell you that is a pretty useless move at this point in the game. The code being released now has already been BE'ed. The part that is not included, the compression over usb algorithm, is nowhere to be found. Without it all we are getting is the ability to draw square over usb. Congrats us.
But that said, I think if for nothing else this is a moral victory.
Great, finally DisplayPort is going somewhere
DisplayPort =/= DisplayLink
> DisplayLink is connecting monitors over USB - it's easy to add extra monitors, but it's limited by USB 2.0's bandwidth to about 1600x1200 in resolution.
> DisplayPort is a new packet-data based connector for monitors which provides for massive bandwidth. This is the standard connector you'll be using for your monitor in a couple of years time.
I would like to see this combined with a wall-wart linux PC like the SheevaPlug to turn inexpensive LCD monitors into big and customizable digital photo frames.
=/= != ≠
DisplayPort is actually a suitable connector for video.
USB isn't.
Cool - .00004% of the computer users can now use display port! WOOOHOOO! Ooops. Don't want to offend them. :P
Nice, but current estimates have Linux adoption in the 5-10% range worldwide even though some of those statistics sites show 1% because of regional, sales and technical challenges in tracking actual usage.
For instance, many Linux users buy Windows machines to put Linux on them. They aren't Windows users, but they account for Windows sales. You also have to figure how many people use Linux with VM'ed Windows (like myself) because my work's AT&T VPN software doesn't have IPSEC Linux clients.
That's not counting all those web servers... ;)
A large percent of third world countries normal users use linux. Some foreign exchange students know how to use linux inside and out even better than Windows (my old roommate was from Dominican republic and informed me of this).
looks like someone got offended... lol
if only windows was free source......
where would linux b?
Not to mention it's the Link sort of Display not the Port sort.
1 in 4 Linux users celebrates!
Yeah me!
They should have done this a long time ago. When are companies going to realise that linux is not evil and in fact by release source code, is only going to help your product in the long run. More developers, talented ones too, will have their hands on it to fix, tweak and add to it.
Yea but all 4 of us Linux users can still kick your ass, though.
See, you Windows users only know the proprietary fighting methods, which are doltishly predictable, buggy, and full of possible viruses even in the correct practice of said styles. Linux users, on the other hand, have learned the supreme underground methods of fighting styles you can only day dream of (plenty of time to dream with such a lackluster OS, ahem, I mean fighting style) You won't know what hit you when Linux comes to town. (unlike knowing exactly what you're going to get when you install Windows...virus, malware, spyware, adware, OS lockouts, company restrictions, DRM, and severe price gouging, etc)
But I digress...
Seriously, GNU/Linux is the Chuck Norris of OS's (it kicks ass)
I don't recall mentioning what OS I use, actually.
But we can agree on one thing. Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. It's too bad he's never cried.
@kevin
You just tried to make yourself look less stupid by telling a funny joke, but actually made yourself look more stupid by telling a dumb joke.
Smart move.
It's not a USB video class device?
USB video class is only for input devices, like webcams and TV tuners. DisplayLink is a USB graphics adapter (i.e., output) and there's no USB class driver for that.
Wow, DisplayLink must be a REAL savior for making the source code to the worlds most open OS finally available to everyone! It's not like we couldn't see what the source code for Linux was before /sarcasm
... so please fix the title for clarity, thanks.
How is the title not clear enough for you? It's not like DisplayLink owns linux...
Well it's definitely clear enough for the writer of the article too (by definition) - right? Just because it's clear to someone doesn't mean it's clear to everyone. The title is confusing to say the least.
No it's quite clear to everyone but you. "Linux source code" in
a press release concerning a company and their device releasing "it" is easily
identified as meaning "Device source code that will run under/is
developed for Linux". Check your semantics before you go around asking
people to change reality for ya.
Thats excellent news, and is something I wish other manufacturers took part in. I will however wait a while before rushing out to buy DisplayLink technology - experience teaches me that support and functionality can be flaky out of the box, at least in my experience, so I'll wait until its gone through a few iterations and been packaged into my favourite distro. AGP adapters are good enough for my current requirements.
Dude,
USB isn't for video. It's for mice and keyboards and modems. It's not even good for hard drives.
DisplayLink is ridiculous.
hey look! is daffy duck.
(41 comments, pretty much all of them junk. Honestly, Engadget, can you do something to improve the "quality of the discussion" here?)
So basically the driver that they have released:
- Has a license, LGPL, that's incompatible with the X license. So you won't be seeing DisplayLink support in X any time soon.
- Doesn't support their compressed data mode, the details of which remain secret, so it will not have performance anywhere near what the Windows and Mac OS drivers have.
- Does no more than the reverse-engineered driver did.
This is pretty disappointing. Currently, the best way to use a DisplayLink device with Linux is still to use the reverse-engineered driver. Hopefully they are still working on cracking the compression: it shouldn't be difficult.
LGPL and the X11 license are perfectly compatible. Programs under one of either license can link to programs under the other license. A combination of X11 and LGPL programs results in a program that can be licensed under the LGPL. Since the X.Org Server is licensed inder the X11 license as a whole, I guess they won't include any LGPL code, but GNU/Linux distributions could.
hey noobs, i know you still have a big boner over the windows 7 install, but you use linux much more often than you realize. Tivo, wireless routers, NAS boxes, cellphones, the internet, all run on linux.
if good video capture drivers are made available for linux, that means perhaps some day you could buy a dongle for your cellphone and capture video to your cellphone? or maybe these drivers could be ported to os x, and used on your appletv/boxee setup?
drivers and source code are a good thing. and just because everyone in your family runs windows, doesn't mean that linux isn't popular.
I wrote a terminal daemon for Linux based Routers/NAS already (not with this driver, but with the reverse engineered one that has been available before). If someone's interested:
http://sven.killig.de/openwrt/slugterm_dl.html