Input for programming interface for Amiga UNIX

[Rob Healey]

	In the hopes of writing up a common programming interface to
	Amiga hardware under UNIX, various people in comp.unix.amiga have been
	pondering a programming interface. For now, Amiga UNIX doesn't have any
	librarys for easy access to the base hardware. We'd like to
	change that. Trouble is, we don't have the low level experience
	with Amiga hardware that alot of you comp.sys.amiga people do,
	thus the cross post to related groups. PLEASE follow up this
	article to comp.unix.amiga as I doubt it's of much interest
	to the AmigaDOS side of life.

	What we're interested in:

	1) Your experience with audio or graphic hardware on the Amiga
	   give you an idea of what functionality you need from a
	   programming interface in order to do what you want. We'd
	   like to hear about the functionality needed to use the
	   audio and graphics. i.e. open/setup routines, close/release
	   routines, devices config routines, device operation routines.
	   Should mouse and Joystick interfaces be events or readable
	   devices?

	   What functionality do you need to do your work? What routines
	   would you like to have seen to help you do that work?

	2) Your input on sound and graphic primatives to get things
	   done with the Amiga hardware. open/close, speak, plot, arc,
	   fill, logical operations, musical notes, speech functions, mouse
	   & joystick ops, whatever YOU think is needed in a low level
	   programming interface to use the Amiga hardware.

      
      PLEASE remember this is a request for input on what primatives
      are needed for programming the hardware, NOT an explaination of
      how AmigaDOS does it.

      The final programming interface probably WON'T match AmigaDOS
      simply because the OS models are so different. I.e. there probably
      won't be an AmigaDOS compatability library.

      Once we figure out a low level programming interface we can try to
      get C= to provide it and if that doesn't work, try to create
      it ourselves. Maybe something like an arp library for UNIX...

      Anyways, ANY help you could give us on what primatives for
      audio and graphics hardware are needed would be GREATLY
      appreciated!

		Thanks,

		-Rob Healey

		rhealey at kas.helios.mn.org