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+# The OSMORA Display Architecture (ODA)
+
+Written by Ian M. Moffett
+
+## Introduction
+
+The OSMORA Display Architecture (ODA) is a protocol describing how
+a compositor should create and manage graphical windows. A graphical
+session in Hyra consists of a compositor, window management system and
+management of user input.
+
+There are many existing display architectures out there. Take for instace, the X11
+protocol. X11 for example, has the concept of an "X server" in which window managers
+or certain graphical programs would connect to as a means of performing interprocess
+communication (IPC). The idea is that X will service graphics related requests from
+the window manager or compositor.
+
+While this works just fine, the highly centralized nature of X11 or similar protocols
+may complicate the flexibility of the graphics stack. On the other hand with ODA, a
+compositor links with the ODA library and becomes the server for window managers running
+on the system. The idea of ODA is to minimize complexity while preserving flexibility.
+
+Additionally, the compositor should provide its own API for use by window management
+software.
+
+## Scope
+
+This document serves to describe common OSMORA Display Architecture (ODA) concepts
+as well as providing basic example C sources showcasing how compositors and window
+managers may interface with the described APIs for various needs.
+
+## Terminology
+
+### OSMORA Display Architecture (ODA):
+
+OSMORA protocol defining common interfaces for C2W and
+W2C interactions.
+
+### Compositor to window (C2W):
+
+Describes the direction of communication originating from
+a compositor and directed towards a specific window:
+
+``COMPOSITOR -> WINDOW``
+
+### Window to compositor (W2C):
+
+Describes the direction of communication originating from
+a specific window to a compositor running on the system:
+
+``WINDOW -> COMPOSITOR``
+
+## Architecture
+
+```
++-------------+
+| LIBGFX |
++-------------+
+ ^
+ | linked with libgfx
+ V
++-------------+
+| COMPOSITOR |
++-------------+ <---+ signal
+ | | | |
+ | | | | c2w: <winop: e.g., close>
+ | | | | w2c: <winop to accept: e.g., close>
+ WIN WIN WIN <---+
+```
+
+### C2W signal flow:
+
+```
+-- CLOSE SIGNAL EXAMPLE --
+
+WINDOW RECEIVES CLOSE SIGNAL
+ |
+ ECHO BACK TO COMPOSITOR
+ |
+ YES ---+--- NO
+ | |
+ | V
+ | nothing happens
+ |
+ V
+ window is destroyed by compositor
+```
+
+## Libgfx
+
+The Hyra userspace includes ``libgfx`` which is a low-level graphics library aimed
+to facilitate drawing on the screen and performing various graphical operations while
+decoupling from the concept of compositors, windows and the ODA as a whole. In other words,
+libgfx has no knowledge of anything outside of the framebuffer and itself.
+
+The following is an example of how one may draw a yellow square at
+x/y (30,0):
+
+```c
+#include <libgfx/gfx.h> /* Common routines/defs */
+#include <libgfx/draw.h> /* Drawing related routines/defs */
+
+int
+main(void)
+{
+ struct gfx_ctx ctx;
+ struct gfx_shape sh = GFX_SHAPE_DEFAULT;
+ int error;
+
+ /* Set the x/y and color */
+ sh.x = 30;
+ sh.y = 0;
+ sh.color = GFX_YELLOW
+
+ error = gfx_init(&ctx);
+ if (error < 0) {
+ printf("gfx_init returned %d\n", error);
+ return error;
+ }
+
+ /* Draw the square and cleanup */
+ gfx_draw_shape(&ctx, &sh);
+ gfx_cleanup(&ctx);
+ return 0;
+}
+```
+
+## Liboda
+
+The Hyra userspace includes the ``liboda`` library which includes various
+interfaces conforming to the OSMORA Display Architecture (ODA).
+
+### Linking a compositor with liboda
+
+In order for an ODA compliant compositor to reference library
+symbols for ``liboda``, it should use the following linker flags:
+
+``... -loda -logfx``
+
+### ODA Session
+
+For the ODA library to keep track of state, it relies on an ``oda_state``
+structure defined in ``liboda/oda.h``. Additionally, in order for any ODA
+library calls to be made, the compositor must initialize the library with
+``oda_init()`` like in the following example:
+
+```c
+#include <liboda/oda.h>
+
+struct oda_state state;
+int error;
+
+/* Returns 0 on success */
+error = oda_init(&state);
+...
+```
+
+Upon failure of ``oda_init()`` a negative POSIX errno value
+is returned (see ``sys/errno.h``).
+
+### Using liboda to request windows
+
+A compositor may request windows from the ODA by using
+``oda_reqwin()`` like in the following example:
+
+```c
+#include <liboda/oda.h>
+
+...
+struct oda_wattr wattr;
+struct oda_state state;
+
+...
+
+wattr.session = &state;
+wattr.parent = NULL;
+wattr.bg = GFX_YELLOW;
+wattr.x = 200;
+wattr.y = 150;
+wattr.w = 120;
+wattr.h = 300;
+
+/* Returns 0 on success */
+error = oda_reqwin(&wattr, &win);
+```
+
+Arguments passed to ``oda_reqwin()`` are first stored in a ``struct oda_wattr``
+structure to minimize the number of parameters used in the function signature.
+
+Upon failure of ``oda_reqwin()`` a negative POSIX errno value
+is returned (see ``sys/errno.h``).
+
+### Input management
+
+The liboda library additionally provides an input API that facilitates
+management of user input (e.g., keyboard).
+
+(See ``liboda/input.h``)
+
+#### The ``oda_key`` structure
+
+ODA provides a standard description of keys received from a keyboard
+device. Keyboard input is represented by the ``oda_key`` structure shown
+below:
+
+```c
+struct oda_key {
+ uint16_t type;
+ uint8_t scancode;
+ char ch;
+ ...
+};
+```
+
+The ``type`` field describes the key type, valid key types can be
+found within the ``ODA_KEY_*`` definitions in ``liboda/input.h``.
+
+The ``scancode`` field contains the raw keyboard scancode received
+from the device.
+
+The ``ch`` field contains the ASCII representation of the input received
+from the device.
+
+#### The ``oda_kbd`` structure
+
+ODA represents keyboard devices through the ``oda_kbd`` structure found
+in ``liboda/input.h``. This structure contains callbacks that are set up
+by the compositor to be invoked when their respective keyboard related
+event occurs.