Ximtool CDE + Creator
Craig W. McMurtry wrote on Apr 28, 2000
This is getting long. I am trying to explain it in more detail
and would have sent this directly to the parties involved, but
I imagine that a few others might be interested. Unless otherwise
noted, most commands should be issued with root permissions.
> I was hoping somebody else would respond (or still might) since
> I'm not too fluent with CDE. Anyway...
>
Sorry about that. I was away from civilization for a while.
> > > By default Creator3D is a 24-bit plus 8-bit overlay graphics
> > > system. This means that if you don't change any of the factory
> > > settings for the framebuffer or CDE, then ximtool will run just
> > > fine because there is already an 8-bit display running
> > > simultaneously on top of the 24-bit display.
> > >
> > Hi Craig - I 'inherited' this machine about 6 months after it came
> > out of the box; I have not reason to suspect that the person who
> > originally set it up changed any of the factory defaults, but
> > apparently something like that was done. How can I check this, i.e.
> > where would such a change be made? Thanks,
Sorry again. I assumed that it was your computer and that you
had changed the settings, and therefore knew what to change back.
> For newer cards such as the PGX card on Ultra 5 systems they
> claim to support both depths but it needs to be reset at the hardware
> level by issuing the command
>
> # /usr/sbin/m64config -depth 8
>
> as root. Use "m64config -prompt" to show the current settings.
Just a warning: there are several PGX cards, PGX-8, PGX-24 and PGX-32.
PGX-8 supports only 8-bit color (default on-board graphics in U5 & U10
when first introduced). PGX-24 supports both 24-bit and 8-bit color,
but NOT simultaneously, no overlay (new default on-board graphics
in U5 & U10). PGX-24 is actually an ATI RAGE PRO chip set (not Sun).
PGX-32 supports both 24-bit + 8-bit overlay and is the only one of the
three that is truly a separate PCI card. PGX-32 is also not Sun and
is actually the Tech-Source Raptor GFXtra card. I've personally
never used the PGX-32 since Creator3D is not much more in cost (but
significantly better performance), hence I can not comment on its
default settings/behavior.
> One tip which works well is the set the card to use an 8-bit
> visual as a default but start applications like Netscape with a
> "-visual TrueColor" flag to run in the 24-bit mode and avoid colormap
> conflicts with ximtool. SAOtng can make use of an 8-bit visual if one
> is available even if it's not the default and it's DS9 successor can
> work in 24-bit mode (currently as a standalone display program but I
> think the IIS protocol is also now working so it can be used as an IRAF
> display server).
True, this works, but is not the best way. In my experience, there
are only 3 programs left that absolutely can not run under visuals
differring from 8-bit: SAOtng, ximtool, and IRTF viewfits, and will
find the 8-bit visual if available. All other programs that I've
used luckily default to the highest bit visual available. So, when
at all possible graphics framebuffers should be purchased and then
set to allow something like a 24-bit default visual with an 8-bit
overlay (concurrent 24-bit and 8-bit visuals to support large numbers
of colors for most programs but the 8-bit programs can still find
a colormap to use). I am glad to see that there is progress being
made with the DS9 successor. Mike - where can I find more info on
this project?
>
> > I've had an .xserverrc setup for some time. I can go to the console
> > login and start openwin manually and I can run ximtool fine. What
> > I'd like to be able to do is start from the CDE login screen (the xserver
> > is already running) and run ximtool from my normal cde session. I
> > tried the modification of the /usr/dt/config/Xservers, i.e. the original
> > file looked like:
> >
> > :0 Local local_uid@console root /usr/openwin/bin/Xsun :0 -nobanner
> > -dev /dev/ffb0 defdepth 24
> >
> > which I changed to
> >
> > :0 Local local_uid@console root /usr/openwin/bin/Xsun :0 -nobanner
> > -dev /dev/ffb0 defdepth 8 defClass PseudoColor
> >
> > However, when I do this I get an error: 'Cannot open console :0' - I'm
> > > not sure if this is the exact error message - I didn't log it and I'd
> > have to kill this message to verify it... The upshot is that the cde
> > login screen doesn't come up when I make the change to Xservers.
>
> A reboot would probably fix this but a more elegant solution might
> be to use the command
>
> # /usr/dt/bin/dtconfig -reset
>
> to reset the dtlogin program. Where I get fuzzy is how/if a .xserverrc file
> trumps the server started by dtlogin. Note that for other systems using
> XDM the file to be changed is /usr/X11/lib/xdm/Xservers (or for Sun
> /usr/openwin/lib/xdm/Xservers).
The factory default for /usr/dt/config/Xservers should look like:
:0 Local local_uid@console root /usr/openwin/bin/Xsun :0 -nobanner
Notice that there is no specification about which framebuffer to use
or which visual depth. This is because the rest of the software and
hardware is set to figure all of that out and the /usr/dt directories
are often shared among many Suns with varying hardware displays.
Definitely issue the dtconfig -reset command as recommended above
or if all else fails, reboot. :)
If you do need to modify CDE settings for a computer, it is
suggested that copies of the relevant /usr/dt files be placed
in /etc/dt and then modified. The files in /etc/dt over-ride
the files in /usr/dt (although some conflicts do occur). This will
1). keep copies of the original code and 2). allow customization
for individual computers while sharing the main, large /usr/dt.
The Xservers file usually only needs modification if you plan to
use multiple monitors and graphics framebuffers (multi-head) and
you want to order which displays are left, right, above, or below
others. (If you can afford multiple monitors, they are great and
extremely easy to do!)
Try moving your .xserverrc file to some random file (e.g. .foo )
so that you are hopefully using all the default settings.
In addition, there are some settings that may have been modified for
the Creator3D card. First, to see the settings, try typing:
/usr/sbin/ffbconfig -propt -prconf
Here's my output for one Creator3D:
--- Hardware Configuration for /dev/fbs/ffb0 ---
Type: double-buffered FFB2+ with Z-buffer
Board: rev 2 (Vertical)
PROM Information: @(#)ffb2p.fth 2.9 98/07/14
FBC: version 0x3241906d
DAC: Brooktree 9070, version 1 (Pac2)
3DRAM: Mitsubishi 130a, version 1
EDID Data: Available - EDID version 1 revision 1
Monitor Sense ID: 6 (Sun 30x23cm RGB color monitor)
Monitor possible resolutions: 1024x768x60, 1024x768x70, 1024x768x75,
1024x768x77, 1152x900x66, 1152x900x76, 640x480x60
Current resolution setting: 1152x900x76
--- OpenWindows Configuration for /dev/fbs/ffb0 ---
OWconfig: machine
Video Mode: NONE
Default Visual: Non-Linear Normal Visual
Visual Ordering: Linear Visuals are last
Overlay Visuals are last
OpenGL Visual Expansion: enabled
Server Overlay Visuals: enabled
Extended Overlay: enabled
Underlay WIDs: 64 (not configurable)
Overlay WIDs: 4 (not configurable)
Gamma Correction Value: 2.220000
Gamma Correction Table: Available
Notice the Extended Overlay is enabled and that Overlay Visuals are
last (allows default 24-bit, but 8-bit if the program asks for it).
Settings may be modified through the ffbconfig command:
/usr/sbin/ffbconfig -defoverlay true
/usr/sbin/ffbconfig -overlayorder last
Or, the all encompassing:
/usr/sbin/ffbconfig -default
> Hope this helps, perhaps somebody else can followup with a more
> informed suggestion.
>
> Cheers,
> -Mike
>
Hopefully, I've covered all the possible changes that might have
been made to the Ultra 60 system and added some helpful commentary.
bye,
craig
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Craig W. McMurtry
Pick a title:
A) Graduate Student - PhD Candidate in Astrophysics
B) System & Network Administrator - Sun ScholarPAC contact
C) Teaching Assistant
D) Research Assistant
Box 3905 (postal) / 16th & Gibbon (shipping - UPS, FedEX)
Physics & Astronomy Department
University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY 82071-3905
phone: 1-307-766-2859 1-307-766-6150
fax: 1-307-766-2652
email: craigmc@tana.irastro.uwyo.edu
www: http://www.irastro.uwyo.edu/people/cmc/
Where to find me: Physical Sciences Bldg rooms 102,104,105
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Mike Fitzpatrick wrote on Apr 28, 2000
> I am glad to see that there is progress being made with the DS9 successor. > Mike - where can I find more info on this project? The successor to SAOtng (which is based on XImtool) is called DS9 and work is in progress (is done?) to add the IIS display protocol to it so it can be used as an image display server for IRAF. DS9 will work under 24-bit visuals. For more information about this or to get the program see ftp://sao-ftp.harvard.edu:/pub/rd/ds9 or contact saord@cfa.harvard.edu. They also have a web page with more information at http://hea-www.harvard.edu/RD/ds9/. I just checked and the IIS stuff does seem to be working now. -Mike
misselt@dirty.phys.lsu.edu wrote on May 01, 2000
Hello - I just wanted to follow up breifly and thank Mike and Craig for their help with this. I finally to things working correctly. > The factory default for /usr/dt/config/Xservers should look like: > :0 Local local_uid@console root /usr/openwin/bin/Xsun :0 -nobanner This, combined with a dtconfig did the trick. > /usr/sbin/ffbconfig -propt -prconf > Here's my output for one Creator3D: <Delete Config info> > Notice the Extended Overlay is enabled and that Overlay Visuals are > last (allows default 24-bit, but 8-bit if the program asks for it). I just wanted to point out that, prior to the reset, my ffbconfig returned essentially the same output as this, save some details of the monitor size and resolution. I had checked this previously and was quite confused since the extended overlay was enabled. When I was trying to solve my problem, I had read this to mean that there was 8 bit support - this was in large part my confusion on the matter. I wasn't sure what the problem was, but assumed I was misinterpreting the documentation I was reading. Anyway, Thanks alot again Mike and Craig for your help on this. Best Regards, -Karl
Last post on May 01, 2000