context: introduce request_pool, decouple OUTPUT buffers from surfaces

Commit 3 of the upstreamable plan (upstreamable_design.md §1, §5).
Replaces the prior per-surface OUTPUT-buffer ownership model with a
small driver-wide pool sized by codec pipeline depth (4 H.264 frames
in flight), allocated unconditionally regardless of caller's
num_render_targets.

Prior art (kernel UAPI dev-stateless-decoder.rst, ffmpeg
v4l2_request.c, Chromium V4L2StatelessVideoDecoder, GStreamer
v4l2slh264dec) all decouple OUTPUT and CAPTURE pool sizing. fourier's
"output_count == surfaces_count" model was a category error: OUTPUT
buffers are request-time bitstream slots, CAPTURE buffers are
picture-time DPB slots; their lifecycles and sizing are independent.

Changes:
  * NEW src/request_pool.{c,h} (~200 LoC):
      - request_pool_init(): CREATE_BUFS + per-slot QUERYBUF + mmap.
      - request_pool_destroy(): munmap all, idempotent.
      - request_pool_acquire(): round-robin claim; returns V4L2 buffer
        index of an unused slot or -1.
      - request_pool_release(): mark slot free for reuse.
      - request_pool_slot(): accessor for ptr/size given a buffer index.

  * src/request.h: add struct request_pool output_pool to request_data.

  * src/context.c::RequestCreateContext: replace the per-surface
    OUTPUT loop with a single request_pool_init() call (count=4,
    independent of surfaces_count). Drop the now-unused locals
    (length, offset, source_data, output_buffers_count, index,
    index_base, i, surface_object). DELETES patch 0002's
    "output_buffers_count = ... ? ... : 4" hack inline — the pool's
    own count parameter supersedes it.

  * src/picture.c::RequestBeginPicture: borrow a pool slot at frame
    start, write its mmap pointer/size/index into the surface's
    transient source_* fields. The fields stay (still useful as
    a borrow handle that the existing codec_store_buffer memcpys
    target), but no longer represent surface-permanent ownership.
    Reset slices_size/slices_count here too (was implicit on first
    Render).

  * src/surface.c::RequestSyncSurface: after VIDIOC_DQBUF returns
    the OUTPUT buffer, release the pool slot and clear the surface's
    borrow handle. Fixes the segv on second-frame submission.

  * src/surface.c::RequestDestroySurfaces: remove the munmap of
    source_data — pool owns the mmap.

  * src/request.c::RequestTerminate: call request_pool_destroy()
    before close(video_fd) so munmaps still target a valid fd.

  * src/meson.build: add request_pool.c and request_pool.h to the
    sources/headers lists.

This commit removes 0002's OUTPUT-pool hack inline (the
"floor to 4" line is gone). The DECODE_MODE/START_CODE block in 0002
remains until commit 4 lands.

Build-verified clean on aarch64.

Signed-off-by: Markus Fritsche <fritsche.markus@gmail.com>

src/context.c

@@ -54,20 +54,12 @@ VAStatus RequestCreateContext(VADriverContextP context, VAConfigID config_id,
 {
 	struct request_data *driver_data = context->pDriverData;
 	struct object_config *config_object;
-	struct object_surface *surface_object;
 	struct object_context *context_object = NULL;
 	struct video_format *video_format;
-	unsigned int length;
-	unsigned int offset;
-	void *source_data = MAP_FAILED;
 	VASurfaceID *ids = NULL;
 	VAContextID id;
 	VAStatus status;
 	unsigned int output_type, capture_type;
-	unsigned int output_buffers_count;
-	unsigned int index_base;
-	unsigned int index;
-	unsigned int i;
 	int rc;
 
 	video_format = driver_data->video_format;
@@ -92,15 +84,20 @@ VAStatus RequestCreateContext(VADriverContextP context, VAConfigID config_id,
 	memset(&context_object->dpb, 0, sizeof(context_object->dpb));
 
 	/*
-	 * The OUTPUT (bitstream-input) queue must be non-empty before
+	 * Initialize the OUTPUT (bitstream-input) buffer pool. Sized by
-	 * VIDIOC_STREAMON or hantro-class drivers reject with EINVAL.
+	 * codec pipeline depth (4 H.264 frames in flight is sufficient
-	 * VA-API callers (e.g. ffmpeg's vaapi-copy path) may invoke
+	 * for current hantro/rkvdec scheduling); independent of caller-
-	 * vaCreateContext with num_render_targets=0; allocate a small
+	 * supplied surfaces_count. Pool is owned by driver_data so it
-	 * minimum pool independent of the caller's surface count.
+	 * outlives any single context destroy/recreate cycle.
+	 *
+	 * This replaces the prior per-surface OUTPUT loop, which (a)
+	 * created an empty queue when surfaces_count==0 (ffmpeg vaapi-
+	 * copy path) and (b) only populated surface->source_* for
+	 * surfaces present at vaCreateContext time, NULL-derefing on
+	 * surfaces created later.
 	 */
-	output_buffers_count = surfaces_count > 0 ? surfaces_count : 4;
+	rc = request_pool_init(&driver_data->output_pool,
-	rc = v4l2_create_buffers(driver_data->video_fd, output_type,
+			       driver_data->video_fd, output_type, 4);
-				 output_buffers_count, &index_base);
 	if (rc < 0) {
 		status = VA_STATUS_ERROR_ALLOCATION_FAILED;
 		goto error;
@@ -111,40 +108,15 @@ VAStatus RequestCreateContext(VADriverContextP context, VAConfigID config_id,
 	 * we don't have any indication wrt its life time. Let's make sure
 	 * its life span is under our control.
 	 */
-	ids = malloc(surfaces_count * sizeof(VASurfaceID));
+	if (surfaces_count > 0) {
-	if (ids == NULL) {
+		ids = malloc(surfaces_count * sizeof(VASurfaceID));
-		status = VA_STATUS_ERROR_ALLOCATION_FAILED;
+		if (ids == NULL) {
-		goto error;
-	}
-
-	memcpy(ids, surfaces_ids, surfaces_count * sizeof(VASurfaceID));
-
-	for (i = 0; i < surfaces_count; i++) {
-		index = index_base + i;
-
-		surface_object = SURFACE(driver_data, surfaces_ids[i]);
-		if (surface_object == NULL) {
-			status = VA_STATUS_ERROR_INVALID_SURFACE;
-			goto error;
-		}
-
-		rc = v4l2_query_buffer(driver_data->video_fd, output_type,
-				       index, &length, &offset, 1);
-		if (rc < 0) {
 			status = VA_STATUS_ERROR_ALLOCATION_FAILED;
 			goto error;
 		}
 
-		source_data = mmap(NULL, length, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE,
+		memcpy(ids, surfaces_ids,
-				   MAP_SHARED, driver_data->video_fd, offset);
+		       surfaces_count * sizeof(VASurfaceID));
-		if (source_data == MAP_FAILED) {
-			status = VA_STATUS_ERROR_ALLOCATION_FAILED;
-			goto error;
-		}
-
-		surface_object->source_index = index;
-		surface_object->source_data = source_data;
-		surface_object->source_size = length;
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -200,9 +172,6 @@ VAStatus RequestCreateContext(VADriverContextP context, VAConfigID config_id,
 	goto complete;
 
 error:
-	if (source_data != MAP_FAILED)
-		munmap(source_data, length);
-
 	if (ids != NULL)
 		free(ids);
 

src/meson.build

@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ sources = [
 	'v4l2.c',
 	'mpeg2.c',
 	'h264.c',
+	'request_pool.c',
 #	'h265.c'
 ]
 
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ headers = [
 	'v4l2.h',
 	'mpeg2.h',
 	'h264.h',
+	'request_pool.h',
 #	'h265.h'
 ]
 

src/picture.c

@@ -216,6 +216,8 @@ VAStatus RequestBeginPicture(VADriverContextP context, VAContextID context_id,
 	struct request_data *driver_data = context->pDriverData;
 	struct object_context *context_object;
 	struct object_surface *surface_object;
+	struct request_pool_slot *slot;
+	int slot_index;
 
 	context_object = CONTEXT(driver_data, context_id);
 	if (context_object == NULL)
@@ -228,6 +230,31 @@ VAStatus RequestBeginPicture(VADriverContextP context, VAContextID context_id,
 	if (surface_object->status == VASurfaceRendering)
 		RequestSyncSurface(context, surface_id);
 
+	/*
+	 * Borrow an OUTPUT (bitstream-input) slot from the driver-wide
+	 * pool for the duration of this Begin/Render/End cycle. The
+	 * surface's source_* fields hold the borrow's mmap pointer/size/
+	 * V4L2 buffer index until RequestSyncSurface releases it after
+	 * VIDIOC_DQBUF.
+	 */
+	slot_index = request_pool_acquire(&driver_data->output_pool);
+	if (slot_index < 0)
+		return VA_STATUS_ERROR_ALLOCATION_FAILED;
+
+	slot = request_pool_slot(&driver_data->output_pool,
+				 (unsigned int)slot_index);
+	if (slot == NULL) {
+		request_pool_release(&driver_data->output_pool,
+				     (unsigned int)slot_index);
+		return VA_STATUS_ERROR_ALLOCATION_FAILED;
+	}
+
+	surface_object->source_index = slot->index;
+	surface_object->source_data = slot->data;
+	surface_object->source_size = slot->size;
+	surface_object->slices_size = 0;
+	surface_object->slices_count = 0;
+
 	surface_object->status = VASurfaceRendering;
 	context_object->render_surface_id = surface_id;
 

src/request.c

@@ -205,6 +205,13 @@ VAStatus RequestTerminate(VADriverContextP context)
 	struct object_config *config_object;
 	int iterator;
 
+	/*
+	 * Tear down the OUTPUT buffer pool before closing video_fd so
+	 * the munmap calls in request_pool_destroy() can still touch the
+	 * mmap regions (which are tied to that fd's lifetime).
+	 */
+	request_pool_destroy(&driver_data->output_pool);
+
 	close(driver_data->video_fd);
 	close(driver_data->media_fd);
 

src/request.h

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 #include "context.h"
 #include "object_heap.h"
+#include "request_pool.h"
 #include "video.h"
 #include <va/va.h>
 
@@ -55,6 +56,13 @@ struct request_data {
 	int media_fd;
 
 	struct video_format *video_format;
+
+	/*
+	 * OUTPUT (bitstream-input) buffer pool, decoupled from VA
+	 * surfaces. Sized by codec pipeline depth, populated on first
+	 * RequestCreateContext, torn down at driver Terminate.
+	 */
+	struct request_pool output_pool;
 };
 
 VAStatus VA_DRIVER_INIT_FUNC(VADriverContextP context);

src/request_pool.c

@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2026 Markus Fritsche <fritsche.markus@gmail.com>
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+ * copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+ * "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.
+ */
+
+#include "request_pool.h"
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <sys/mman.h>
+
+#include "utils.h"
+#include "v4l2.h"
+
+int request_pool_init(struct request_pool *pool, int video_fd,
+		      unsigned int output_type, unsigned int count)
+{
+	unsigned int index_base;
+	unsigned int length;
+	unsigned int offset;
+	unsigned int i;
+	int rc;
+
+	if (pool == NULL || count == 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	if (pool->initialized)
+		return 0;
+
+	pool->slots = calloc(count, sizeof(*pool->slots));
+	if (pool->slots == NULL)
+		return -1;
+
+	pool->count = count;
+	pool->next = 0;
+
+	rc = v4l2_create_buffers(video_fd, output_type, count, &index_base);
+	if (rc < 0)
+		goto error;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+		pool->slots[i].index = index_base + i;
+		pool->slots[i].busy = false;
+
+		rc = v4l2_query_buffer(video_fd, output_type,
+				       pool->slots[i].index,
+				       &length, &offset, 1);
+		if (rc < 0)
+			goto error;
+
+		pool->slots[i].data = mmap(NULL, length,
+					   PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE,
+					   MAP_SHARED, video_fd, offset);
+		if (pool->slots[i].data == MAP_FAILED) {
+			pool->slots[i].data = NULL;
+			goto error;
+		}
+
+		pool->slots[i].size = length;
+	}
+
+	pool->initialized = true;
+	return 0;
+
+error:
+	request_pool_destroy(pool);
+	return -1;
+}
+
+void request_pool_destroy(struct request_pool *pool)
+{
+	unsigned int i;
+
+	if (pool == NULL || pool->slots == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < pool->count; i++) {
+		if (pool->slots[i].data != NULL && pool->slots[i].size > 0)
+			munmap(pool->slots[i].data, pool->slots[i].size);
+	}
+
+	free(pool->slots);
+	pool->slots = NULL;
+	pool->count = 0;
+	pool->next = 0;
+	pool->initialized = false;
+}
+
+int request_pool_acquire(struct request_pool *pool)
+{
+	unsigned int start;
+	unsigned int i;
+
+	if (pool == NULL || !pool->initialized || pool->count == 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	start = pool->next;
+	for (i = 0; i < pool->count; i++) {
+		unsigned int slot = (start + i) % pool->count;
+
+		if (!pool->slots[slot].busy) {
+			pool->slots[slot].busy = true;
+			pool->next = (slot + 1) % pool->count;
+			return (int)pool->slots[slot].index;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* All slots busy; caller must wait for an in-flight DQBUF. */
+	return -1;
+}
+
+void request_pool_release(struct request_pool *pool, unsigned int index)
+{
+	unsigned int i;
+
+	if (pool == NULL || pool->slots == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < pool->count; i++) {
+		if (pool->slots[i].index == index) {
+			pool->slots[i].busy = false;
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+struct request_pool_slot *request_pool_slot(struct request_pool *pool,
+					    unsigned int index)
+{
+	unsigned int i;
+
+	if (pool == NULL || pool->slots == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < pool->count; i++) {
+		if (pool->slots[i].index == index)
+			return &pool->slots[i];
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}

src/request_pool.h

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2026 Markus Fritsche <fritsche.markus@gmail.com>
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+ * copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+ * "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _REQUEST_POOL_H_
+#define _REQUEST_POOL_H_
+
+#include <stdbool.h>
+
+/*
+ * OUTPUT (bitstream-input) buffer pool, decoupled from caller-allocated
+ * VA surfaces. Sizing is driven by codec pipeline depth (typically 4
+ * for H.264), not by the consumer's surface count.
+ *
+ * The pool owns the V4L2 buffer indices and their mmap pointers. A
+ * decode request "borrows" a slot at vaBeginPicture, fills it across
+ * vaRenderPicture calls, queues it at vaEndPicture, and releases it
+ * after VIDIOC_DQBUF returns.
+ *
+ * This replaces the per-surface OUTPUT-buffer ownership model in the
+ * pre-refactor code, where object_surface.source_* fields permanently
+ * held a single OUTPUT buffer per surface — incorrect because OUTPUT
+ * buffers are request-time resources, not picture-time resources, and
+ * because the per-surface loop in RequestCreateContext only ran when
+ * surfaces_count > 0 (breaking ffmpeg's vaapi-copy num_render_targets=0
+ * convention).
+ */
+
+struct request_pool_slot {
+	unsigned int	index;		/* V4L2 buffer index in OUTPUT queue */
+	void		*data;		/* mmap pointer for this slot */
+	unsigned int	size;		/* mmap size in bytes */
+	bool		busy;		/* true while borrowed for a request */
+};
+
+struct request_pool {
+	struct request_pool_slot	*slots;
+	unsigned int			 count;
+	unsigned int			 next;	/* round-robin acquire cursor */
+	bool				 initialized;
+};
+
+/*
+ * Allocate count OUTPUT buffers via VIDIOC_CREATE_BUFS, query and mmap
+ * each, populate pool->slots[]. Caller must have already done
+ * VIDIOC_S_FMT on the OUTPUT queue. Returns 0 on success, -1 on
+ * failure.
+ */
+int request_pool_init(struct request_pool *pool, int video_fd,
+		      unsigned int output_type, unsigned int count);
+
+/*
+ * Munmap all slots and free the slots array. Idempotent.
+ */
+void request_pool_destroy(struct request_pool *pool);
+
+/*
+ * Claim the next free slot (round-robin). Returns the slot's V4L2
+ * buffer index on success (slot in pool->slots[] is determined by
+ * the returned index), or -1 if all slots are busy.
+ */
+int request_pool_acquire(struct request_pool *pool);
+
+/*
+ * Mark the slot at pool->slots[i] free for reuse. Caller must pass the
+ * V4L2 buffer index returned earlier from request_pool_acquire().
+ */
+void request_pool_release(struct request_pool *pool, unsigned int index);
+
+/*
+ * Look up the pool slot owning a given V4L2 buffer index. Returns
+ * pointer to the slot on success, NULL if the index is out of range.
+ * The returned pointer is valid until pool destruction; do not free.
+ */
+struct request_pool_slot *request_pool_slot(struct request_pool *pool,
+					    unsigned int index);
+
+#endif

src/surface.c

@@ -254,10 +254,11 @@ VAStatus RequestDestroySurfaces(VADriverContextP context,
 		if (surface_object == NULL)
 			return VA_STATUS_ERROR_INVALID_SURFACE;
 
-		if (surface_object->source_data != NULL &&
+		/*
-		    surface_object->source_size > 0)
+		 * source_* are now transient borrows from request_pool, not
-			munmap(surface_object->source_data,
+		 * surface-owned mappings; the pool owns the underlying mmap.
-			       surface_object->source_size);
+		 * Nothing to free here.
+		 */
 
 		for (j = 0; j < surface_object->destination_buffers_count; j++)
 			if (surface_object->destination_map[j] != NULL &&
@@ -336,6 +337,15 @@ VAStatus RequestSyncSurface(VADriverContextP context, VASurfaceID surface_id)
 		goto error;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * OUTPUT buffer is back from the kernel: return its pool slot
+	 * for reuse and clear the surface's transient borrow handle.
+	 */
+	request_pool_release(&driver_data->output_pool,
+			     surface_object->source_index);
+	surface_object->source_data = NULL;
+	surface_object->source_size = 0;
+
 	rc = v4l2_dequeue_buffer(driver_data->video_fd, -1, capture_type,
 				 surface_object->destination_index,
 				 surface_object->destination_buffers_count);