Next Previous Contents

# BrlAPI Reference manual

## Sébastien Hinderer `<Sebastien.Hinderer@ens-lyon.org>`

## Samuel Thibault `<Samuel.Thibault@ens-lyon.org>`

V1.5, November 2019

This document describes `BrlAPI`.

## 1. Introduction

- 1.1 Concepts
- 1.2 How to read this manual

## 2. General description of BrlAPI

- 2.1 Historical notes.
- 2.2 Why BrlAPI is part of brltty.
- 2.3 How it works.

## 3. Concurrency management between BrlAPI clients

- 3.1 VT switching
- 3.2 A pile of "paper sheets"
- 3.3 Hierarchy
- 3.4 The X-window case
- 3.5 Detaching

## 4. Installation and configuration of BrlAPI

## 5. Library description

- 5.1 Connecting to BrlAPI
- 5.2 Getting driver name
- 5.3 Getting display size
- 5.4 Entering raw mode, immediately leaving raw mode.
- 5.5 Getting tty control
- 5.6 Writing something on the display
- 5.7 Waiting for a key press
- 5.8 Understanding commands
- 5.9 Leaving tty control
- 5.10 Disconnecting from BrlAPI
- 5.11 Putting everything together...

## 6. Writing (BrlAPI-compliant) drivers for brltty

- 6.1 Overview of the driver's structure
- 6.2 Basic driver structure
- 6.3 Enhancements for BrlAPI

## 7. Protocol reference

- 7.1 Reliable packet transmission channel
- 7.2 Responses from the server
- 7.3 Operating modes
- 7.4 Details for each type of packet

Next Previous Contents