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[deliverable/linux.git] / Documentation / media / uapi / v4l / vidioc-qbuf.rst

.. -*- coding: utf-8; mode: rst -*-

.. _VIDIOC_QBUF:

*******************************
ioctl VIDIOC_QBUF, VIDIOC_DQBUF
*******************************

Name
====

VIDIOC_QBUF - VIDIOC_DQBUF - Exchange a buffer with the driver


Synopsis
========

.. c:function:: int ioctl( int fd, VIDIOC_QBUF, struct v4l2_buffer *argp )
    :name: VIDIOC_QBUF

.. c:function:: int ioctl( int fd, VIDIOC_DQBUF, struct v4l2_buffer *argp )
    :name: VIDIOC_DQBUF


Arguments
=========

``fd``
    File descriptor returned by :ref:`open() <func-open>`.

``argp``


Description
===========

Applications call the ``VIDIOC_QBUF`` ioctl to enqueue an empty
(capturing) or filled (output) buffer in the driver's incoming queue.
The semantics depend on the selected I/O method.

To enqueue a buffer applications set the ``type`` field of a struct
:c:type:`v4l2_buffer` to the same buffer type as was
previously used with struct :c:type:`v4l2_format` ``type``
and struct :c:type:`v4l2_requestbuffers` ``type``.
Applications must also set the ``index`` field. Valid index numbers
range from zero to the number of buffers allocated with
:ref:`VIDIOC_REQBUFS` (struct
:c:type:`v4l2_requestbuffers` ``count``) minus
one. The contents of the struct :c:type:`v4l2_buffer` returned
by a :ref:`VIDIOC_QUERYBUF` ioctl will do as well.
When the buffer is intended for output (``type`` is
``V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VIDEO_OUTPUT``, ``V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VIDEO_OUTPUT_MPLANE``,
or ``V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VBI_OUTPUT``) applications must also initialize the
``bytesused``, ``field`` and ``timestamp`` fields, see :ref:`buffer`
for details. Applications must also set ``flags`` to 0. The
``reserved2`` and ``reserved`` fields must be set to 0. When using the
:ref:`multi-planar API <planar-apis>`, the ``m.planes`` field must
contain a userspace pointer to a filled-in array of struct
:c:type:`v4l2_plane` and the ``length`` field must be set
to the number of elements in that array.

To enqueue a :ref:`memory mapped <mmap>` buffer applications set the
``memory`` field to ``V4L2_MEMORY_MMAP``. When ``VIDIOC_QBUF`` is called
with a pointer to this structure the driver sets the
``V4L2_BUF_FLAG_MAPPED`` and ``V4L2_BUF_FLAG_QUEUED`` flags and clears
the ``V4L2_BUF_FLAG_DONE`` flag in the ``flags`` field, or it returns an
EINVAL error code.

To enqueue a :ref:`user pointer <userp>` buffer applications set the
``memory`` field to ``V4L2_MEMORY_USERPTR``, the ``m.userptr`` field to
the address of the buffer and ``length`` to its size. When the
multi-planar API is used, ``m.userptr`` and ``length`` members of the
passed array of struct :c:type:`v4l2_plane` have to be used
instead. When ``VIDIOC_QBUF`` is called with a pointer to this structure
the driver sets the ``V4L2_BUF_FLAG_QUEUED`` flag and clears the
``V4L2_BUF_FLAG_MAPPED`` and ``V4L2_BUF_FLAG_DONE`` flags in the
``flags`` field, or it returns an error code. This ioctl locks the
memory pages of the buffer in physical memory, they cannot be swapped
out to disk. Buffers remain locked until dequeued, until the
:ref:`VIDIOC_STREAMOFF <VIDIOC_STREAMON>` or
:ref:`VIDIOC_REQBUFS` ioctl is called, or until the
device is closed.

To enqueue a :ref:`DMABUF <dmabuf>` buffer applications set the
``memory`` field to ``V4L2_MEMORY_DMABUF`` and the ``m.fd`` field to a
file descriptor associated with a DMABUF buffer. When the multi-planar
API is used the ``m.fd`` fields of the passed array of struct
:c:type:`v4l2_plane` have to be used instead. When
``VIDIOC_QBUF`` is called with a pointer to this structure the driver
sets the ``V4L2_BUF_FLAG_QUEUED`` flag and clears the
``V4L2_BUF_FLAG_MAPPED`` and ``V4L2_BUF_FLAG_DONE`` flags in the
``flags`` field, or it returns an error code. This ioctl locks the
buffer. Locking a buffer means passing it to a driver for a hardware
access (usually DMA). If an application accesses (reads/writes) a locked
buffer then the result is undefined. Buffers remain locked until
dequeued, until the :ref:`VIDIOC_STREAMOFF <VIDIOC_STREAMON>` or
:ref:`VIDIOC_REQBUFS` ioctl is called, or until the
device is closed.

Applications call the ``VIDIOC_DQBUF`` ioctl to dequeue a filled
(capturing) or displayed (output) buffer from the driver's outgoing
queue. They just set the ``type``, ``memory`` and ``reserved`` fields of
a struct :c:type:`v4l2_buffer` as above, when
``VIDIOC_DQBUF`` is called with a pointer to this structure the driver
fills the remaining fields or returns an error code. The driver may also
set ``V4L2_BUF_FLAG_ERROR`` in the ``flags`` field. It indicates a
non-critical (recoverable) streaming error. In such case the application
may continue as normal, but should be aware that data in the dequeued
buffer might be corrupted. When using the multi-planar API, the planes
array must be passed in as well.

By default ``VIDIOC_DQBUF`` blocks when no buffer is in the outgoing
queue. When the ``O_NONBLOCK`` flag was given to the
:ref:`open() <func-open>` function, ``VIDIOC_DQBUF`` returns
immediately with an ``EAGAIN`` error code when no buffer is available.

The struct :c:type:`v4l2_buffer` structure is specified in
:ref:`buffer`.


Return Value
============

On success 0 is returned, on error -1 and the ``errno`` variable is set
appropriately. The generic error codes are described at the
:ref:`Generic Error Codes <gen-errors>` chapter.

EAGAIN
    Non-blocking I/O has been selected using ``O_NONBLOCK`` and no
    buffer was in the outgoing queue.

EINVAL
    The buffer ``type`` is not supported, or the ``index`` is out of
    bounds, or no buffers have been allocated yet, or the ``userptr`` or
    ``length`` are invalid.

EIO
    ``VIDIOC_DQBUF`` failed due to an internal error. Can also indicate
    temporary problems like signal loss.

    .. note::

       The driver might dequeue an (empty) buffer despite returning
       an error, or even stop capturing. Reusing such buffer may be unsafe
       though and its details (e.g. ``index``) may not be returned either.
       It is recommended that drivers indicate recoverable errors by setting
       the ``V4L2_BUF_FLAG_ERROR`` and returning 0 instead. In that case the
       application should be able to safely reuse the buffer and continue
       streaming.

EPIPE
    ``VIDIOC_DQBUF`` returns this on an empty capture queue for mem2mem
    codecs if a buffer with the ``V4L2_BUF_FLAG_LAST`` was already
    dequeued and no new buffers are expected to become available.