(05-27-2014, 06:24 PM)ClarkKent Wrote: I wonder why the SDL graphics plugin was removed in all later versions than r5179? I think I'll ask this in the PCSX2 forum but maybe someone here knows something about that, too?
The SDL (software rendering only) backend was added mostly for porting GSdx to linux in software mode, because before SDL was added, GSdx only used DirectX (for both software and hardware rendering). The SDL backend worked with both linux and windows.
The SDL backend was removed by Gregory when he started working on the OpenGL backend, because the SDL code got in the way. The OpenGL backend works in both hardware and software mode on linux and windows, so it makes SDL almost redundant.
Almost, because the OpenGL backend has some requirements from the drivers which not all systems out there meet, while the SDL backend has "easier" requirements.
(05-27-2014, 06:24 PM)ClarkKent Wrote: And I wonder why not using the Linux version as a basis for the MacOS X version? Isn't Linux closer to MacOS X than Windows?
While OS X is indeed closer to linux than to windows, there are no active developers who work on an OS X port of PCSX2. The last ported version was IIRC 0.97, it had quite a few issues, but never updated since.
The wine based solution just works (at least to a higher degree than the old native OS X port of version 0.97), because it emulates* windows good enough, and PCSX2 runs well on windows.
Incidentally or not, the wine based solution runs GSdx with the DirectX backend better than the OpenGL backend, in both hardware and software modes. Also, it runs GSdx in DirectX hardware mode better than it runs (the older) GSdx with the SDL backend, and it also runs GSdx wiith DirectX software mode not worse than it runs with SDL backend.
So you shouldn't lose anything by not having the SDL backend, because DirectX software will be the same as SDL, and DirectX hardware will be better - both inside wine and natively on windows.
* or doesn't, if you believe the wine acronym.