Sun Fire V880z Server and Sun XVR-4000 Graphics Accelerator Installation and User's Guide Table of ContentsPrevious ChapterNext ChapterBook Index


C H A P T E R  5
Configuring Multiple Frame Buffers

This chapter describes procedures for setting up multiple frame buffers.

Configuring Multiple Frame Buffers Through the Xservers File

To run more than one frame buffer, you must modify your /etc/dt/config/Xservers file. The Sun XVR-4000 graphics accelerator device name is zulu (for example, zulu0 and zulu1 for two Sun XVR-4000 graphics accelerator devices). To do this:

1. Become superuser and open the /etc/dt/config/Xservers file. 

# cd /etc/dt/config

# vi + Xservers

If the /etc/dt/config/Xservers file does not exist, create the /etc/dt/config directory and copy the Xservers file from /usr/dt/config/Xservers to /etc/dt/config. 

# mkdir -p /etc/dt/config

# cp /usr/dt/config/Xservers /etc/dt/config

# cd /etc/dt/config

# vi + Xservers

2. Modify the file by adding the device locations for the applicable frame buffers being used.

Enter the Xservers file content in one long line. See the following examples.

This example shows the Xservers configuration file modified for one Sun XVR-500 graphics accelerator and one Sun XVR-4000 graphics accelerator: 

:0 Local local_uid@console root /usr/openwin/bin/Xsun -dev /dev/fbs/ifb0 -dev /dev/fbs/zulu0

This example shows how to remove two Sun XVR-500 graphics accelerators and add one Sun XVR-4000 graphics accelerator in the Xservers configuration file.

  • Old Xservers configuration file with two Sun XVR-500 graphics accelerators: 

    • :0 Local local_uid@console root /usr/openwin/bin/Xsun -dev /dev/fbs/ifb0 defdepth 24 -dev /dev/fbs/ifb1 defdepth 24

  • New Xservers configuration file with one Sun XVR-4000 graphics accelerator: 

    • :0 Local local_uid@console root /usr/openwin/bin/Xsun -dev /dev/fbs/zulu0

Note that the defdepth 24 was removed from the Xservers file so that the
X Window system server does not take performance away from applications.

3. Reboot your system.

  • If you have not completed the reconfiguration reboot (boot -r) since installing the Sun XVR-4000 graphics accelerator hardware, do so now.

Also, refer to the section "How to Initiate a Reconfiguration Boot" in Chapter 2, "Setting Up the System," of the Sun Fire V880 Server Owner's Guide

  • If you edited the Xservers file after completing all the installation steps outlined in Chapter 1, including the reconfiguration reboot (boot -r), simply reboot your system. Type: 

    • host# reboot

See the reboot(1) and shutdown(1M) man pages for more information.


Note - Refer to the proper Xservers(1) man page for more Xservers information.


Xinerama

Xinerama is an X Window system feature available in Solaris 8 system software and subsequent compatible releases for Sun graphics boards including the Sun XVR-4000 graphics accelerator.

Using Xinerama

When the window system is started in Xinerama mode, all windows can be seamlessly moved across screen boundaries, thus creating one large, super high-resolution, virtual display. With Sun OpenGL 1.3 for Solaris or subsequent compatible releases, this functionality is extended to OpenGL applications. No recompilation is necessary for a legacy application to work with Xinerama mode across multiple screens, even if the application was compiled with an older version of Sun OpenGL for Solaris.

1. To enable Xinerama mode (single logical screen) on multiscreen displays, add +xinerama to the Xsun command line in the /usr/dt/config/Xservers file.

As superuser, type: 

# cd /etc/dt/config

# vi + Xservers

2. Modify the Xservers file.

Enter the Xservers file content in one long line: 

:0  Local local_uid@console root /usr/openwin/bin/Xsun +xinerama -dev /dev/fbs/zulu0 -dev /dev/fbs/zulu1


Note - Do not use zulu0a or zulu0b in Xservers while using Xinerama. Xinerama is only supported on the master display device, zulu0. -doublewide or
-doublehigh on zulu0 is the preferred method for enabling both screens on one graphics accelerator.


You can run Xinerama on zulu0 and zulu1 and have both in -doublewide (or -doublehigh) mode to display on four screens.

Sun OpenGL 1.3 for Solaris is part of the installation script when the Sun XVR-4000 graphics accelerator software is installed.

There is some performance degradation when using Xinerama. Two Video Streams Sharing a Large Frame Buffer, in Chapter 6, describes an alternative to Xinerama, useful in some cases, that does not incur this performance penalty.

Restrictions When Using Xinerama

  • Sample density is irrelevant to Xinerama. Therefore, screens of different sample density can be combined using Xinerama.

  • Two screens must have the same visuals to be combined using Xinerama. In practice, this means they must be the same device (family).

  • Two screens that the X Window system thinks are side by side must have the same height to be combined using Xinerama.

  • Two screens that the X Window system thinks are above and below must have the same width to be combined using Xinerama.



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