RENDERER: Remove hardware gamma control. - #1143
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Preparation for removing vid_hwgammacontrol (it relies on SDL_SetWindowGammaRamp, which SDL3 removes). With hardware gamma on its way out, vid_hwgamma_enabled is effectively always false, so collapse every consumer to its software path: - Delete V_UpdatePalette() (it only ever built and applied the hardware gamma ramp) and the ramps[] buffer, and drop its call site. - Delete applyHWGamma() and its screenshot call sites. Gamma now lives in the framebuffer via the post-process shader, so screenshots capture it without a manual ramp pass. - Apply the view blend through the post-process palette shader when vid_software_palette is enabled (GLM frameConstants.v_blend / GLC blend_values) and gate R_PolyBlend on vid_software_palette so the blend is applied exactly once instead of being double-applied. - Drop the now-constant vid_hwgamma_enabled branches in the brighten and screen-clear paths. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Deletes the now-unreachable hardware gamma implementation. It relied on SDL_SetWindowGammaRamp (removed in SDL3) and an X11/XF86VidMode fallback that was never even compiled (X11_GAMMA_WORKAROUND is undefined). Software gamma via the post-process shader (vid_software_palette) is the path that remains. Removed from vid_sdl2.c: - VID_SetDeviceGammaRamp[Real], VID_RestoreSystemGamma, VID_X11_GetGammaRampSize and all #ifdef X11_GAMMA_WORKAROUND blocks (focus-lost/gained, shutdown, reload, sysramps, xf86vmode include). - The vid_hwgammacontrol and vid_gamma_workaround cvars and the vid_hwgamma_enabled flag. Removed elsewhere: - gl_hwblend and vid_hwgamma_fps cvars (only fed the hardware ramp). - glConfig.gammacrap (tr_types.h) and the VID_SetDeviceGammaRamp / vid_hwgamma_enabled declarations (vid.h). - The -nohwgamma command-line parameter and Ruleset_AllowNoHardwareGamma, plus the smackdown lock that forced vid_hwgammacontrol to "2". Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Drops the vid_hwgammacontrol, vid_hwgamma_fps and gl_hwblend variable entries and the -nohwgamma command-line parameter, and updates the remaining gamma docs (-oldgamma, vid_software_palette and its vid_framebuffer_palette alias) so they no longer reference the removed hardware gamma path. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
macOS defaulted vid_software_palette to 0 because it relied on hardware gamma (vid_hwgammacontrol "2") for gamma correction. With the hardware gamma path removed, the post-process shader is the only gamma mechanism, so enable it by default everywhere instead of leaving macOS without gamma. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
ciscon
approved these changes
Jun 19, 2026
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Hardware gamma (
vid_hwgammacontrol) sets the display gamma ramp viaSDL_SetWindowGammaRamp, which SDL 3.x deprecates/removes. The concept is also being phased out at the OS level — notably Wayland has no equivalent, so it was already a no-op for many Linux users. This removes the feature and everything that only existed to serve it, leaving software gamma (applied in the post-process shader) as the single path.Removed
vid_hwgammacontroland the gamma-ramp engine (VID_SetDeviceGammaRamp), including the never-compiled X11/XF86VidMode fallback.gl_hwblend,vid_hwgamma_fps,vid_gamma_workaround.-nohwgammacommand-line flag,Ruleset_AllowNoHardwareGamma, and the related help documentation.Notes
gl_hwblendgone, the view blend (damage/powerup/water flashes) is now gated onvid_software_palette: the post-process shader applies it when software palette is on,R_PolyBlenddraws the quad when off. No visible change at default gamma/contrast.vid_software_palettenow defaults to1on all platforms (macOS previously relied on hardware gamma), so gamma correction works everywhere by default.