C H A P T E R 5 |
Configuring Multiple Frame Buffers |
This chapter describes procedures for setting up multiple frame buffers.
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.
:0 Local local_uid@console root /usr/openwin/bin/Xsun -dev /dev/fbs/ifb0 defdepth 24 -dev /dev/fbs/ifb1 defdepth 24 |
: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.
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
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 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.
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.
# cd /etc/dt/config # vi + Xservers |
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 |
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.
Copyright © 2003, Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.