# Re: \[PATCH v2 07/11\] video/aperture: Disable and unregister sysfb devices via aperture helpers

- From: Samuel Čavoj \<hidden\>
- Date: 2023-03-28 15:19:26 
- List: linux-fbdev
- Page: https://ratatoskr.run/linux-fbdev/2023/03/9232936
- Thread: https://ratatoskr.run/linux-fbdev/2022/07/9222229/t.md

```text
On 2023-03-20 13:12, Javier Martinez Canillas wrote:
> Samuel Čavoj [ref] writes:
>
> [...]
>
>>>>> This call to sysfb_disable() has been causing trouble with regard to
>>>>> VFIO. VFIO has been calling aperture_remove_conflicting_pci_devices
>>>>> to
>>>>> get rid of any console drivers (d173780620792c) using the device in
>>>>> question, but now even unrelated drivers are getting killed. Example
>>>>> situation:
>>>>
>>>> Which drivers do you use?
>>
>> This happens with either no drivers loaded or the proprietary nvidia
>> driver. Nouveau is fine as it doesn't rely on efifb but brings its own.
>>
>
> Which is what all DRM drivers should do. If they want to make sure that a
> fbdev will be present after the DRM driver probes, then should register an
> emulated fbdev.

I don't see how this is specific to Nvidia or DRM drivers.

The efifb is killed if vfio-pci (or another driver which uses the
aperture system to remove conflicting drivers) is bound to ANY pci
device, regardless of whether it's nvidia's fault for not implementing
a framebuffer. Fair enough, I agree that they should, but
I for one expect my efifb to not die at a random time
when a random unrelated driver does a random thing with another
unrelated GPU.

Or is the efifb considered a stop-gap solution the only purpose of
which is early boot--before another GPU driver is loaded?

>
> There was an attempt to workaround that in [0], in particular patch [1]
> but that effort was not continued since the only DRM driver that would be
> affected is the Nvidia proprietary driver that relies on efifb/simpledrm
> to have a VT.
>
> [0]: https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/dri-devel/list/?series=711019&archive=both
> [1]: https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/dri-devel/patch/20230111154112.90575-11-daniel.vetter@ffwll.ch/
```