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diff --git a/docs/5_Component_Documentation/1_agl-compositor.md b/docs/5_Component_Documentation/1_agl-compositor.md index 892a48f..666a2fa 100644 --- a/docs/5_Component_Documentation/1_agl-compositor.md +++ b/docs/5_Component_Documentation/1_agl-compositor.md @@ -2,6 +2,367 @@ title: agl-compositor --- -# agl-compositor +# Wayland compositor -FIXME. +When the AGL project was started, weston was chosen as the compositor, which is +the reference implementation of a Wayland compositor, while for window management +functionality it relied on *ivi-shell* (In-Vehicle Infotainment) together +with an extension, called [wayland-ivi-exension](https://github.com/GENIVI/wayland-ivi-extension). + +A demo platform image of AGL comes with a handful of demo applications, done +with the Qt, which abstracts the protocol communication between the client and +the compositor. Additional functionality was in place under the form of +library, to control and signal back to the compositor when applications were +started, among other things. + +Management of applications, starting, running and stopping them is done in AGL +with AFM [Application Framework Management](5_appfw.md), +which is an umbrella name to denote the suite of tools and daemons that handle +all of that. It is integrated with systemd and with the current security model, +SMACK (Simplified Mandatory Access Control Kernel), a Linux kernel security +module. Applications can use AFM to hang off data, and to pass it down to +other services. Together with AFM, and with the help of a library, +applications could tell the compositor which application to activate or to +switch to. + + +## Simplifying the graphical stack + +Trimming down these abstractions, simplifying the way clients interact with the +compositor, and avoid using modules that aren't really maintained upstream were +the reasons behind looking at alternatives to ivi-shell. On the desktop, +[xdg-shell](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayland-protocols/-/raw/master/stable/xdg-shell/xdg-shell.xml) +is currently de-facto protocol for handling all window management related +functionality. + +Wayland protocol has a window-like interface embedded into its protocol (called +wl_shell), but *xdg-shell* has long time ago deprecated it and instead +of adding it in the wayland protocol namespace, it was integrated +together with some other useful protocols, into +[wayland-protocols](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayland-protocols) +project. The whole purpose of wayland-protocols is to enhance the Wayland +protocol with new functionality and bring new extensions entirely. Compositors +are free to implement, modify, enhance, and add new extensions to +wayland-protocols but they need to do so in consensus. + +Besides the core wayland protocol and extended functionality from +wayland-protocols, a compositor can provide and implement additional protocol +extensions (custom to that compositor). By using such private extensions we +align with the AGL project and its requirements, without compromising specific +functionality and allows to add or improve the current ones. With that in mind, +the approach was to create a new compositor, called +[agl-compositor](https://gerrit.automotivelinux.org/gerrit/admin/repos/src/agl-compositor) +and implement dedicated private extensions, rather than trying to modify weston +itself, which AGL project would have been required to keep and maintain for +itself, as a fork. + +## A compositor based on libweston + +The compositor used currently in AGL, just like weston, is built on top of +*libweston* and *libweston-desktop*. The latter, among other things, is required +as it provides the server side implementation of the xdg-shell protocol which +underlying toolkits (like Qt/Chromium project) makes use of to deliver +desktop-like functionality. The former is used to provide back-ends and +rendering support, effectively managing the HW, besides implementing the +wayland protocol. + +The high-level goal of [libweston](https://wayland.pages.freedesktop.org/weston/toc/libweston.html) is +to decouple the compositor from the shell implementation. + +Traditionally, clients were entirely separated from the window manager, the +desktop environment and the display server. In wayland all these are +conceptually under the same entity though they are implemented as different +(UNIX) processes, or as a different namespaces with front and back-end APIs, +exposed by libraries. The compositor and the shell driving the UI should be +seen as one and the same, and in practice, this happens on desktop +environments. For AGL, the shell client can be represented under different +forms, as well as the fact that the process management has another layer +baked-in to handle MAC (Mandatory Access Control) labels and use the +above-mentioned Application Framework Management. These are all tightly +integrated and therefore, the AGL compositor will not automatically start the +shell client, although there's code to handle that. One can modify the +configuration file, add the shell client path, and the compositor will attempt +to start it. + +## Private extensions + +Compositors can define and implement custom extensions to further control +application behaviour. For AGL, we have two private extensions defined. +One targeted at defining surface roles commonly found in desktop environments +(like panels, and backgrounds), which a shell client would bind to, and one +targeted at regular application(s) that might require additional functionality: +being able to display/activate its own surface or other's application surface, +implement some kind of split screen management of windows, or +dialog/pop-ups that exhibit always-on-top property even if the active +surface has been changed. + + + +Clients can make use of these private extensions to define other kind of roles +for instance dialog/pop-ups or full-screen roles, and split windows vertically or +horizontally. It includes the ability to activate other applications, assuming +that the surfaces have been created, and the capability of delaying +presentation for the client shell. Doing so, all the information is displayed +at once, rather than waiting for the toolkit to map/show the surface. + +An application identification mechanism was required to be able to activate +other clients windows/surfaces. A string-based identifier name was chosen +which can be used by the client to set an application-based identifier using +the xdg-shell protocol. While there's nothing stopping the client to avoid +doing that, specifically, to avoid assigning an application identifier, +the compositor won't be able to find which surfaces matches to a particular +client, if one would want to activate/display it at some time in the future. + +### agl-shell + +Client shellls can make use of this protocol to define panels and background +roles for different surfaces. It includes to ability to activate other +applications, assuming that those are already running. Activation happens by +using using the app_id, respectively using set_app_id request as defined by the +xdg-shell protocol. Established client-side implementation of the xdg-shelll +protocol will have a function exposed which can be used to set an application +identifier. Further more, the compositor will not present/display anything to +the user as long the `ready()` is not requested. So, after creating the surfaces +assigning them panel and/or background roles, and they're fully loaded, +the client can then issue `ready()` request and the compositor will start +presenting. + +Please consult the [protocol file](https://gerrit.automotivelinux.org/gerrit/gitweb?p=src/agl-compositor.git;a=blob_plain;f=protocol/agl-shell.xml;hb=refs/heads/master) +as that is the authoritative way of getting the latest version. + +### agl-shell-desktop + +This extension is targeted at keeping some of the functionally already +established in AGL as to a) allow applications display/activate other +surfaces/application window, and b) set further roles, specially dialog/window +pop-ups and split-type of surfaces. + +Clients can make use of this protocol to set further roles, like independently +positioned pop-up dialog windows, split type of surfaces or fullscreen ones. +Additional roles, and implicitly functionality can be added by extending the +protocol. These roles serve as hints for the compositor and should be used +before the actual surface creation takes place, such that the compositor can +take the necessary steps to satisfy those requirements. + +Please consult the [protocol file](https://gerrit.automotivelinux.org/gerrit/gitweb?p=src/agl-compositor.git;a=blob_plain;f=protocol/agl-shell-desktop.xml;hb=refs/heads/master) +as that is the authoritative way of getting the latest version. + +#### Additional surface roles in agl-shell-desktop + +Like mentioned earlier, the compositor is already making use of some (internal) +roles, and with this extension we add some further ones. These are: + +* split (there's vertical and a horizontal one) +* fullscreen +* dialog/pop-up + +Internally these are encoded with different values such that there's a +translation needed, between the protocol values and the internal ones. Besides +the roles, additional data can to be passed on, but only depending on the role. +It is highly recommend **to avoid** using the protocol to pass down information +between different applications using this communication channel. It is only +intended to help out with demo applications. Other sharing mechanism are +available in the AGL project that can satisfy those requirements. + +#### Receiving application state events from (other) applications + +agl-shell-desktop exposes two events which client can install handlers for, one +that signals when regular xdg application have been created, and one that +signals state changes (active/hidden) as well as destroyed/no longer present +surfaces. These events can be useful to add additional functionality if +needed. + +#### Activating (other) applications + +Both agl-shell and agl-shell-desktop have requests to activate other +application based on their xdg-shell app_id. In case the application is +present/running, it will attempt to make the surface backing that application +the current activate one, with each output having independently active +surfaces. + +#### Explicit output + +The activation and setting surface roles requires passing a Wayland output +(wl_output). The output is the wayland interface representation of an output +and is **mandatory** to pass it down to the compositor when activating a surface. +Clients can retrieve it (the output) if they wish to place the surface on other +outputs by using the toolkits that expose the Wayland objects. A human-like +representation is provided by either the toolkit, or by using other extensions +implemented by the client, for instance [xdg-output](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayland-protocols/-/raw/master/unstable/xdg-output/xdg-output-unstable-v1.xml) +is the one recommended way and provides a mapping between a human +representation of the output and the wayland one. + +## Available toolkits, application conversions and available eco-systems + +Users and OEM vendors alike have the possibility, depending on their use-cases, +to either use some kind of a toolkit (Qt/GTK) for writing application, +or use plain C and the wayland library to communicate with the compositor +directly, without any toolkit abstraction. + +Currently, the demo applications in AGL use the Qt platform with Chromium being +at this phase, a second-class citizen, being currently in the works of +achieving the same level of integration as QtWayland (the underlying library that +abstracts the Wayland interaction) has at this moment. The Qt platform has +long been favoured in embedded systems so it feels natural why AGL project +chose it over other alternatives. In the same time, as web applications are +for quite some time now permeating the application development scene, it also +felt natural to add support for a runtime that gives that option, which in AGL +was achieved with the help of the Chromium project. + +For normal applications, not needing the ability to activate or displaying +other's application surface, would basically mean that it would use what the +toolkit has to offer, simplifying the application handling even more. Under +Qt, the client shell can use QPA (Qt Platform Abstraction) to gain access to +Wayland primitives, and implicitly is being able use the private extensions. + + + +On the Chromium side of things, that happens indirectly, as Chromium doesn't +expose the Wayland primitives. Not only that, but on the Chromium platform, +there's another mid-layer component, called [WAM](https://github.com/webosose/wam) +(WebApplicationManager) with the purpose of handling web applications life-cycle. + +So, controlling and passing information from a web application, that resembles +that of a shell client, has to travel more than a few levels in the software +stack, until it reaches the lower layers in Chromium where the Wayland +communication and interaction takes place. Support for the private extension +was done at the Ozone interface abstraction, which Chromium projects uses now +to handle the display/graphical interaction with the lower stack levels. + +## Streaming buffers and receiving events to and from remote outputs + +Quite a common feature, in the infotainment market, is the ability to stream +out buffers/data to remote outputs. For instance, super-imposing the navigation +application, between the speedometer and tachometer, in the IC (Instrument +Cluster) of a car is such a scenario. Just like weston, the AGL compositor is +capable of loading up libweston modules and make use of them. And just like +weston, the AGL compositor loads up the remoting-plugin to achieve the same +thing. + +Further more, to cope with situations where the output is just a +panel/display, without some kind of compositor driving it, the necessity of +handling input events is an important feature to have, giving the user to +possibility to manipulate the application/environment as he or she seems fit. +The compositor loads a plug-in that streams out the buffers to an output +remotely, with [another plug-in](2_waltham-receiver_waltham-transmitter.md) +handling the input events. The events, which are sent back from the display to +the compositor, are generated with the help of wayland-eque protocol that works +over the network, called [Waltham](https://github.com/waltham/waltham). + +Together, they provide proper means to achieve a seamless integration with +other display devices in the car cabin. + +## Policies and Role Base Arbitration + +The compositor contains an API useful for implementing user-defined policies. +It contains a policy engine, and installs by default an allow-all kind of +policy. The policy engine controls if the client using the private extensions +is permitted to perform those calls. Not only that, but with some policies, it +won't allow the client to bind to the interfaces in the first place. That +happens with the deny-all policy, which is able to retrieve the client's +SMACK label and compares it with the ones statically defined. + +In the works, there's a new policy model, called [Role Based +Arbitration](https://gerrit.automotivelinux.org/gerrit/admin/repos/staging/rba). +Internally, how it works, should be found at [RBA](3_rba.md). +While the other two policies are embedded into the compositor, the RBA policy +model is an off the-shell policy. Obviously, vendors and users can hook up +their own policies, just like RBA did. These all work towards satisfying +the driver distraction mitigation requirement for the AGL project, as to avoid +overwhelming the driver with too much information. + +Users wanting to create their own policy should create a specialized version +of the callbacks defined in `struct ivi_policy_api`. + +As there's no dynamic loading of policies you'll need to recompile the compositor +with that policy in mind, specifically like the following: + + $ meson -Dprefix=/path/to/install-compositor/ -Dpolicy-default=my_policy build_directory + +The default policy found in src/policy-default.c should more than sufficient to +get started on creating new ones. Users can either re-purpose the default +policy or create a new one entirely different, based on their needs. + +These are hooks in place by the policy engine control the creation, committing +and activation of surfaces (`ivi_policy_api::surface_create()`, +`ivi_policy_api::surface_commited()`, `ivi_policy_api::surface_activate()`), +among other situations. + +Users can customize the hooks by using some sort of database to retrieve the +application name to compare against, or incorporate some kind of policy rule +engine. Alternatively, one can use the deny-all policy engine which allows the +top panel applications to be used/displayed as permitted applications. + +### Reactive rules + +The policy engine is stateful, and allows the ability to inject back events, +such that it allows the user to add custom rules into a policy and, depending +on the event received by the policy engine, to execute a rule match for that +event. Further more, the framework allows adding new states and events and the +default implementation has code for handling events like showing or hiding the +application specified in the policy rule. The most common example to exemplify +this feature is the ability to show a custom application, like displaying the +rear view camera application, when the automobile has been put in reverse. + +For deadling with these kind of rules, `ivi_policy_api::policy_rule_allow_to_add()` +can be used to control if policy rules could be added or not. Finally, we have +`ivi_policy_api::policy_rule_try_event()` which is executed for each policy +rule added, by using the policy API `ivi_policy_add()` function. + +By default the policy framework it will add the 'show', and 'hide' events and +the 'start', 'stop' and 'reverse' states. An special type, assigned by default +is 'invalid'. A **state change** has to be propagated to the compositor, which can +happen by using `ivi_policy_state_change()` function, and which signals the +compositor the state change took place, in order to apply the policy rules, and +implicitly to call the event handler `ivi_policy_api::policy_rule_try_event()`. + +## Back-ends and specific options for agl-compositor + +The compositor has support for the following back-ends: + +* **DRM/KMS** - runs a stand-alone back-end, uses Direct Rendering Manager/Kernel + Modesetting and evdev, that is utilizes and runs on real or virtualized HW + (qemu/Vbox/etc). +* **Wayland** - runs as a Wayland application, nested in another Wayland compositor + instance +* **X11** - run as a x11 application, nested in a X11 display server instance + +### Building and running the compositor on different platforms + +The compositor can run on desktop machines as easily as it does on AGL +platform. It should infer, depending on the environment, if it is being +compiled with the AGL SDK, or with the host build system. Running would also +be inferred from the environment. + +The compositor has some additional configuration options like: + +* `--debug` - enables the screenshooter interface, useful if one would want to + take a screenshot using `agl-screenshooter` client. This might be seen as a + security risk to it only be enabled in the AGL platform if built with agl-devel + DISTRO FEATURES. + +Additional configuration ini options have been added to help with the CI +integration. Worth mentioning are: + +* `activate-by-default=[true]` - if the surface of the client should be + displayed when the application started. Present in the `[core]` section. + By default set to `true`. Setting it to `false` will not activate, + by default, the client's surface when started. +* `hide-cursor=[false]` - do not advertise pointer/cursor to clients. Present + in the `[core]` section. + +### Running with software rendering + +By default the compositor will attempt to use the GL-renderer, and implicitly +the GPU. One could instead use the CPU, by making use of the Pixman library. To +use it in the compositor append `--use-pixman` to the command line. This purely +software approach has the benefit that would not rely at all on any GL +implementatation or library. In constrast, even if the GL-renderer is used, +in some situations it won't be able to use the GPU supported implementation +and fallback to sofware based one, and for instance that might happen when +running in virtualized environments. + +Both approaches could end up not actually using the GPU, but the latter does +actually use the GL library and perform the operations in software, while the +former does not use any GL whatsover. All back-ends support disabling the +GL-render to make sure it does not interfere with the composing process. diff --git a/docs/5_Component_Documentation/images/agl-compositor/arch_diagram.png b/docs/5_Component_Documentation/images/agl-compositor/arch_diagram.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..88a4381 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/5_Component_Documentation/images/agl-compositor/arch_diagram.png diff --git a/docs/5_Component_Documentation/images/agl-compositor/drawing_shell.png b/docs/5_Component_Documentation/images/agl-compositor/drawing_shell.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..bcd0a98 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/5_Component_Documentation/images/agl-compositor/drawing_shell.png |
