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
========

.. cpp:function:: int ioctl( int fd, int request, struct v4l2_buffer *argp )


Arguments
=========

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

``request``
    VIDIOC_QBUF, VIDIOC_DQBUF

``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
:ref:`v4l2_buffer <v4l2-buffer>` to the same buffer type as was
previously used with struct :ref:`v4l2_format <v4l2-format>` ``type``
and struct :ref:`v4l2_requestbuffers <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
:ref:`v4l2_requestbuffers <v4l2-requestbuffers>` ``count``) minus
one. The contents of the struct :ref:`struct v4l2_buffer <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
:ref:`v4l2_plane <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 :ref:`v4l2_plane <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
:ref:`v4l2_plane <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 :ref:`v4l2_buffer <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 :ref:`struct v4l2_buffer <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.