xref: /linux/Documentation/userspace-api/media/v4l/vidioc-reqbufs.rst (revision 129134e5415d46f38b9978b3809af94ed649b57d)
1.. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
2.. document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License,
3.. Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software
4.. Foundation, with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts
5.. and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included at
6.. Documentation/userspace-api/media/fdl-appendix.rst.
7..
8.. TODO: replace it to GFDL-1.1-or-later WITH no-invariant-sections
9
10.. _VIDIOC_REQBUFS:
11
12********************
13ioctl VIDIOC_REQBUFS
14********************
15
16Name
17====
18
19VIDIOC_REQBUFS - Initiate Memory Mapping, User Pointer I/O or DMA buffer I/O
20
21
22Synopsis
23========
24
25.. c:function:: int ioctl( int fd, VIDIOC_REQBUFS, struct v4l2_requestbuffers *argp )
26    :name: VIDIOC_REQBUFS
27
28
29Arguments
30=========
31
32``fd``
33    File descriptor returned by :ref:`open() <func-open>`.
34
35``argp``
36    Pointer to struct :c:type:`v4l2_requestbuffers`.
37
38Description
39===========
40
41This ioctl is used to initiate :ref:`memory mapped <mmap>`,
42:ref:`user pointer <userp>` or :ref:`DMABUF <dmabuf>` based I/O.
43Memory mapped buffers are located in device memory and must be allocated
44with this ioctl before they can be mapped into the application's address
45space. User buffers are allocated by applications themselves, and this
46ioctl is merely used to switch the driver into user pointer I/O mode and
47to setup some internal structures. Similarly, DMABUF buffers are
48allocated by applications through a device driver, and this ioctl only
49configures the driver into DMABUF I/O mode without performing any direct
50allocation.
51
52To allocate device buffers applications initialize all fields of the
53struct :c:type:`v4l2_requestbuffers` structure. They set the ``type``
54field to the respective stream or buffer type, the ``count`` field to
55the desired number of buffers, ``memory`` must be set to the requested
56I/O method and the ``reserved`` array must be zeroed. When the ioctl is
57called with a pointer to this structure the driver will attempt to
58allocate the requested number of buffers and it stores the actual number
59allocated in the ``count`` field. It can be smaller than the number
60requested, even zero, when the driver runs out of free memory. A larger
61number is also possible when the driver requires more buffers to
62function correctly. For example video output requires at least two
63buffers, one displayed and one filled by the application.
64
65When the I/O method is not supported the ioctl returns an ``EINVAL`` error
66code.
67
68Applications can call :ref:`VIDIOC_REQBUFS` again to change the number of
69buffers. Note that if any buffers are still mapped or exported via DMABUF,
70then :ref:`VIDIOC_REQBUFS` can only succeed if the
71``V4L2_BUF_CAP_SUPPORTS_ORPHANED_BUFS`` capability is set. Otherwise
72:ref:`VIDIOC_REQBUFS` will return the ``EBUSY`` error code.
73If ``V4L2_BUF_CAP_SUPPORTS_ORPHANED_BUFS`` is set, then these buffers are
74orphaned and will be freed when they are unmapped or when the exported DMABUF
75fds are closed. A ``count`` value of zero frees or orphans all buffers, after
76aborting or finishing any DMA in progress, an implicit
77:ref:`VIDIOC_STREAMOFF <VIDIOC_STREAMON>`.
78
79
80.. c:type:: v4l2_requestbuffers
81
82.. tabularcolumns:: |p{4.4cm}|p{4.4cm}|p{8.7cm}|
83
84.. flat-table:: struct v4l2_requestbuffers
85    :header-rows:  0
86    :stub-columns: 0
87    :widths:       1 1 2
88
89    * - __u32
90      - ``count``
91      - The number of buffers requested or granted.
92    * - __u32
93      - ``type``
94      - Type of the stream or buffers, this is the same as the struct
95	:c:type:`v4l2_format` ``type`` field. See
96	:c:type:`v4l2_buf_type` for valid values.
97    * - __u32
98      - ``memory``
99      - Applications set this field to ``V4L2_MEMORY_MMAP``,
100	``V4L2_MEMORY_DMABUF`` or ``V4L2_MEMORY_USERPTR``. See
101	:c:type:`v4l2_memory`.
102    * - __u32
103      - ``capabilities``
104      - Set by the driver. If 0, then the driver doesn't support
105        capabilities. In that case all you know is that the driver is
106	guaranteed to support ``V4L2_MEMORY_MMAP`` and *might* support
107	other :c:type:`v4l2_memory` types. It will not support any other
108	capabilities.
109
110	If you want to query the capabilities with a minimum of side-effects,
111	then this can be called with ``count`` set to 0, ``memory`` set to
112	``V4L2_MEMORY_MMAP`` and ``type`` set to the buffer type. This will
113	free any previously allocated buffers, so this is typically something
114	that will be done at the start of the application.
115    * - __u32
116      - ``reserved``\ [1]
117      - A place holder for future extensions. Drivers and applications
118	must set the array to zero.
119
120.. tabularcolumns:: |p{6.1cm}|p{2.2cm}|p{8.7cm}|
121
122.. _v4l2-buf-capabilities:
123.. _V4L2-BUF-CAP-SUPPORTS-MMAP:
124.. _V4L2-BUF-CAP-SUPPORTS-USERPTR:
125.. _V4L2-BUF-CAP-SUPPORTS-DMABUF:
126.. _V4L2-BUF-CAP-SUPPORTS-REQUESTS:
127.. _V4L2-BUF-CAP-SUPPORTS-ORPHANED-BUFS:
128.. _V4L2-BUF-CAP-SUPPORTS-M2M-HOLD-CAPTURE-BUF:
129.. _V4L2-BUF-CAP-SUPPORTS-MMAP-CACHE-HINTS:
130
131.. cssclass:: longtable
132
133.. flat-table:: V4L2 Buffer Capabilities Flags
134    :header-rows:  0
135    :stub-columns: 0
136    :widths:       3 1 4
137
138    * - ``V4L2_BUF_CAP_SUPPORTS_MMAP``
139      - 0x00000001
140      - This buffer type supports the ``V4L2_MEMORY_MMAP`` streaming mode.
141    * - ``V4L2_BUF_CAP_SUPPORTS_USERPTR``
142      - 0x00000002
143      - This buffer type supports the ``V4L2_MEMORY_USERPTR`` streaming mode.
144    * - ``V4L2_BUF_CAP_SUPPORTS_DMABUF``
145      - 0x00000004
146      - This buffer type supports the ``V4L2_MEMORY_DMABUF`` streaming mode.
147    * - ``V4L2_BUF_CAP_SUPPORTS_REQUESTS``
148      - 0x00000008
149      - This buffer type supports :ref:`requests <media-request-api>`.
150    * - ``V4L2_BUF_CAP_SUPPORTS_ORPHANED_BUFS``
151      - 0x00000010
152      - The kernel allows calling :ref:`VIDIOC_REQBUFS` while buffers are still
153        mapped or exported via DMABUF. These orphaned buffers will be freed
154        when they are unmapped or when the exported DMABUF fds are closed.
155    * - ``V4L2_BUF_CAP_SUPPORTS_M2M_HOLD_CAPTURE_BUF``
156      - 0x00000020
157      - Only valid for stateless decoders. If set, then userspace can set the
158        ``V4L2_BUF_FLAG_M2M_HOLD_CAPTURE_BUF`` flag to hold off on returning the
159	capture buffer until the OUTPUT timestamp changes.
160    * - ``V4L2_BUF_CAP_SUPPORTS_MMAP_CACHE_HINTS``
161      - 0x00000040
162      - This capability is set by the driver to indicate that the queue supports
163        cache and memory management hints. However, it's only valid when the
164        queue is used for :ref:`memory mapping <mmap>` streaming I/O. See
165        :ref:`V4L2_BUF_FLAG_NO_CACHE_INVALIDATE <V4L2-BUF-FLAG-NO-CACHE-INVALIDATE>` and
166        :ref:`V4L2_BUF_FLAG_NO_CACHE_CLEAN <V4L2-BUF-FLAG-NO-CACHE-CLEAN>`.
167
168
169Return Value
170============
171
172On success 0 is returned, on error -1 and the ``errno`` variable is set
173appropriately. The generic error codes are described at the
174:ref:`Generic Error Codes <gen-errors>` chapter.
175
176EINVAL
177    The buffer type (``type`` field) or the requested I/O method
178    (``memory``) is not supported.
179