In this post, I describe the steps involved in the execution of a kms_cursor_crc subtest. In my approach, I chose a subtest (pipe-A-cursor-alpha-transparent) as a target and examined the code from the beginning of the test (igt main) until reaching the target subtest and executing it.

This is my zero version. I plan to incrementally expand this document with evaluation/description of the other subtests. I will probably also need to fix some misunderstandings.

As described by IGT, kms_cursor_crc

Uses the display CRC support to validate cursor plane functionality. The test will position the cursor plane either fully onscreen, partially onscreen, or fully offscreen, using either a fully opaque or fully transparent surface. In each case it then reads the PF CRC and compares it with the CRC value obtained when the cursor plane was disabled.

In the past, Haneen have shown something about the test in a blog post. Fixing any issue in VKMS to make it passes all kms_cursor_crc subtest is also a case in my GSoC project proposal.

The struct data_t

This struct is used in all subtest stores many elements such as DRM file descriptor; framebuffers info; cursor size info; etc. Also, before the main of the test, a static data_t data is declared global.

The beginning - igt_main

We can divide the main function into two parts: setup DRM stuff (igt_fixture) and subtest execution.

Initial test setup

igt_fixture {
	data.drm_fd = drm_open_driver_master(DRIVER_ANY);
	ret = drmGetCap(data.drm_fd, DRM_CAP_CURSOR_WIDTH, &cursor_width);
	igt_assert(ret == 0 || errno == EINVAL);
	/* Not making use of cursor_height since it is same as width, still reading */
	ret = drmGetCap(data.drm_fd, DRM_CAP_CURSOR_HEIGHT, &cursor_height);
	igt_assert(ret == 0 || errno == EINVAL);
		

drmGetCap(int fd, uint64_t capability, uint64_t * value) queries capability of the DRM driver, return 0 if the capability is supported. DRM_CAP_CURSOR_WIDTH and DRM_CAP_CURSOR_HEIGHT store a valid width/height for the hardware cursor.

/* We assume width and height are same so max is assigned width */
igt_assert_eq(cursor_width, cursor_height);

	kmstest_set_vt_graphics_mode();

void kmstest_set_vt_graphics_mode(void)

From lib/igt_kms.c: This function sets the controlling virtual terminal (VT) into graphics/raw mode and installs an igt exit handler to set the VT back to text mode on exit. All kms tests must call this function to make sure that the framebuffer console doesn’t interfere by e.g. blanking the screen.

    igt_require_pipe_crc(data.drm_fd);

void igt_require_pipe_crc(int fd)

From lib/igt_debugfs: checks whether pipe CRC capturing is supported by the kernel. Uses igt_skip to automatically skip the test/subtest if this isn’t the case.

    igt_display_require(&data.display, data.drm_fd);

void igt_display_require(igt_display_t *display, int drm_fd)

From lib/igt_kms.c: Initializes \@display (a pointer to an #igt_display_t structure) and allocates the various resources required. This function automatically skips if the kernel driver doesn’t support any CRTC or outputs.

Run test on pipe

for_each_pipe_static(pipe)
	igt_subtest_group
		run_tests_on_pipe(&data, pipe);

At this part, each subtest of kms_cursor_crc is runned, where the pointer for the already setup struct data_t are passed.

static void run_tests_on_pipe(data_t *data, enum pipe pipe)

This function runs each subtest grouped by pipe. In the setup, it increments the passed data_t struct, and then starts to call each subtest. In this document version, I only focused on the subtest test_cursor_transparent .

igt_subtest_f("pipe-%s-cursor-alpha-transparent", kmstest_pipe_name(pipe))
	run_test(data, test_cursor_transparent, data->cursor_max_w, data->cursor_max_h);

The execution of test_cursor_transparent

static void run_test(data_t *data, void (*testfunc)(data_t *), int cursor_w, int cursor_h)

The function run_test wraps the habitual preparation for running a subtest and also, after then, a cleanup. Therefore, it basically has three steps:

  1. Prepare CRTC: static void prepare_crtc(data_t data, igt_output_toutput, int cursor_w, int cursor_h) This function is responsible for:
    • Select the pipe to be used
    • Create Front and Restore framebuffer of primary plane
    • Find a valid plane type for primary plane and cursor plane
    • Pairs primary framebuffer to its plane and sets a default size
    • Create a new pipe CRC
    • Position the cursor fully visible
    • Store test image as cairo surface
    • Start CRC capture process
  2. Run subtest: testfunc(data) » static void test_cursor_transparent(data_t *data) » test_cursor_alpha(data, 0.0)

    The subtest_cursor_transparent is a variation of test_cursor_alpha where the alpha channel is set zero (or transparent). So, let’s take a look at test_cursor_alpha execution:

static void test_cursor_alpha(data_t *data, double a)
{
	igt_display_t *display = &data->display;
	igt_pipe_crc_t *pipe_crc = data->pipe_crc;
	igt_crc_t crc, ref_crc;
	cairo_t *cr;
	uint32_t fb_id;
	int curw = data->curw;
	int curh = data->curh;
	/*alpha cursor fb*/
	fb_id = igt_create_fb(data->drm_fd, curw, curh,
				    DRM_FORMAT_ARGB8888,
				    LOCAL_DRM_FORMAT_MOD_NONE,
				    &data->fb);

When this subtest starts, it creates the cursor’s framebuffer with the format ARGB8888 , i.e., a framebuffer with RGB plus Alpha channel (pay attention to endianness)

	igt_assert(fb_id);
	cr = igt_get_cairo_ctx(data->drm_fd, &data->fb);
	igt_paint_color_alpha(cr, 0, 0, curw, curh, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, a);
	igt_put_cairo_ctx(data->drm_fd, &data->fb, cr);

Then, the test uses some Cairo resources to create a cairo surface for the cursor’s framebuffer and allocate a drawing context for it, draw a rectangle with RGB white and the given opacity (alpha channel) and, finally, release the cairo surface and write the changes out to the framebuffer (Disclaimed: looking inside the function igt_put_cairo_ctx, I am not sure if it is doing what it is saying on comments, and also not sure if all the parameters are necessary)

The test is divided into two parts: Hardware test and Software test.

	/*Hardware Test*/
	cursor_enable(data);
	igt_display_commit(display);
	igt_wait_for_vblank(data->drm_fd, data->pipe);
	igt_pipe_crc_get_current(data->drm_fd, pipe_crc, &crc);
	cursor_disable(data);
	igt_remove_fb(data->drm_fd, &data->fb);

The hardware test consists in:

  • Enable cursor: Pair the cursor plane and a framebuffer, set the cursor size for its plane, set the cursor plane size for framebuffer. Commit framebuffer changes to all changes of each display pipe
  • Wait for vblank. Vblank is a couple of extra scanlines region which aren’t actually displayed on the screen designed to give the electron gun (on CRTs) enough time to move back to the top of the screen to start scanning out the next frame. A vblank interrupt is used to notify the driver when it can start the updating of registers. To achieve tear-free display, users must synchronize page flips and/or rendering to vertical blanking [https://dri.freedesktop.org/docs/drm/gpu/drm-kms.html#vertical-blanking]
  • Calculate and check the current CRC
	cr = igt_get_cairo_ctx(data->drm_fd, &data->primary_fb[FRONTBUFFER]);
	igt_paint_color_alpha(cr, 0, 0, curw, curh, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, a);
	igt_put_cairo_ctx(data->drm_fd, &data->primary_fb[FRONTBUFFER], cr);
	igt_display_commit(display);
	igt_wait_for_vblank(data->drm_fd, data->pipe);
	igt_pipe_crc_get_current(data->drm_fd, pipe_crc, &ref_crc);
	igt_assert_crc_equal(&crc, &ref_crc);

The software test consists in:

  • Create a cairo surface and drawing context, draw a rectangle on top left side with RGB white and the given opacity (alpha channel) and then release de cairo context, applying changes to framebuffer. Then, commit framebuffer changes to all changes of each display pipe.
  • Wait for vblank
  • Calculate and check the current CRC

Finally, the screen is clean.

And in the level of run_test, crtc(data) is clean up;