Method and apparatus for frame buffer management

A machine readable storage medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause said system to perform a method of display buffer management on the data processing system, the method comprising:

• detecting an activation of a display component in the data processing system, the activation causing enablement of a graphics module that includes a first frame buffer;
• determining a first determination to disable a virtual frame buffer in response to the activation, the virtual frame buffer being not controlled by any display controller of the data processing system, one or more application processes running on the data processing system drawing one or more user interfaces on the virtual frame buffer;
• copying, in response to the determining a first determination, at least a portion of contents of the one or more user interfaces in the virtual frame buffer to the first frame buffer;
• and
• disabling the virtual frame buffer in response to the first determination;
• wherein, after the virtual frame buffer is disabled, the one or more application processes continue, without suspension, to draw the one or more user interfaces on the first frame buffer under control of a display controller, without a graphical user interface system of the data processing system being restarted.

A data processing system for display buffer management, the data processing system comprising:

• means for detecting an activation of a display component in the data processing system, the activation causing enablement of a graphics module that includes a first frame buffer;
• means for determining a first determination to disable a virtual frame buffer, the virtual frame buffer being not controlled by any display controller of the data processing system, one or more application processes running on the data processing system drawing one or more user interfaces on the virtual frame buffer;
• means for copying, in response to the determining a first determination, at least a portion of contents of the one or more user interfaces in the virtual frame buffer to the first frame buffer;
• and
• means for disabling the virtual frame buffer in response to the first determination;
• wherein, after the virtual frame buffer is disabled, the one or more application processes draw the one or more user interfaces on a first frame buffer under control of a display controller, without a graphical user interface system of the data processing system being restarted.