Sun XVR-300 x8 Graphics Accelerator User’s Guide

This chapter provides Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator hardware and software installation information.

• Before Installation
• Installing the Hardware
• Sun XVR-300 x8 Graphics Accelerator Software
• Installing the Software
• Default Console Display
• Man Pages

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Before Installation

Refer to the Solaris Handbook for Sun Peripherals that corresponds to your Solaris Operating System. The handbook describes how to shut down the system safely before installing any internal cards and how to reboot your system after installation.

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Installing the Hardware

Refer to the hardware installation documentation provided with your Sun system for instructions on accessing your system and installing Sun PCI-Express graphics cards. Your system platform documentation also provides removal procedures.

To find the most recent information on supported systems for the Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator, and additional specifications, go to:

http://www.sun.com/desktop/products/graphics/xvr300/

Supported Systems and PCI-Express Slots

TABLE 2-1 lists the maximum number of Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerators for each Sun system supported. (The Sun XVR-300 x8 Solaris drivers also support the Sun XVR-300 graphics accelerator.)

For information on cabling DVI and HD15 (VGA) type monitor video ports, see Appendix A.

Notes

Note 1

The Sun Ultra 25 system requires OpenBoot PROM (OBP) version 4.25.7, patch 124412-01 or later, if using PCI-E slot number 0. The Sun Ultra 45 system requires OBP version 4.25.4, patch 124411-01 or later, if using PCI-E slot number 0. If you are using the Sun XVR-300 x8 board in a Sun Fire V445 system, OBP 4.25.9, patch 124413-01 or later is required.

Note 2

If installing a Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator in a Sun Fire V215, Sun Fire V245, or Sun Fire V445 system, refer to the system Release Notes for specific instructions and considerations.

Note 3

For this platform, a graphics console is supported after installing both Solaris 10 patches 137111-01 (or later) and 124149-09 (or later) on Solaris 10 8/07 or Solaris 10 5/08 operating systems. No patch is needed for Solaris 10 10/08, or later, operating system.

Your system might require replacing the Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator full-height bracket with a low-profile bracket. The low-profile bracket is included in the installation kit.

1. Remove the two hexagon screws that secure the mounting bracket to the board assembly and set them aside (FIGURE 2-1).

Use a 1/8-inch hexagon socket screwdriver.

FIGURE 2-1 Replacing the I/O Bracket

2. Remove the full-height bracket by sliding the bracket off the board assembly DMS-59 video port connector.

3. Install the low-profile bracket by placing it on the board assembly in the same orientation.

4. Secure the bracket to the board assembly by replacing the two hexagon screws and tightening them.

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Sun XVR-300 x8 Graphics Accelerator Software

The Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator software is bundled with the Solaris 9 9/05 HW and Solaris 10 11/06 Operating Systems. The minimum Solaris Operating System version required is Solaris 9 9/05 HW or Solaris 10 1/06 Operating Systems.

Install the Sun XVR-300 x8 software from the CD-ROM provided with your Sun
XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator installation kit. TABLE 2-2 lists the Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator CD-ROM directories:

Software Packages

Software Package Locations

The Sun XVR-300 x8 software packages are located in the directories listed in TABLE 2-3.

Software Package Names

TABLE 2-4 lists the Sun XVR-300 x8 software package names and descriptions.

Sun OpenGL for Solaris Software

The Sun OpenGL 1.5 for Solaris software supports the Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator through software implementation.

If you require Sun OpenGL for Solaris to run certain applications, download the Sun OpenGL 1.3 for Solaris software from the following site:

http://wwws.sun.com/software/graphics/opengl/download.html

Sun OpenGL 1.3 for Solaris Patches

TABLE 2-6 lists the Sun OpenGL 1.3 for Solaris software patches required.

Download these patches from the following site:

http://sunsolve.sun.com

Updated versions of Sun OpenGL for Solaris are located at:

http://wwws.sun.com/software/graphics/opengl/

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Installing the Software

1. After installing a Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator into your system, boot your system at the ok prompt:

ok boot

2. Log in as superuser.

3. Insert the Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator CD-ROM into the drive.

• If the drive is already mounted, type the following, and go to Step 4:


# cd /cdrom/cdrom0


• If the CD-ROM is not already mounted, type:


# mount -F hsfs -O -o ro /dev/dsk/c0t6d0s0 /cdrom # cd /cdrom

4. Run the installation script. Type:

# ./install

The following Sun Entitlement information is displayed:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. (“Sun”) ENTITLEMENT for SOFTWARE
 
Licensee/Company: Entity receiving Software
 
Effective Date:  Date Sun delivers the Software to You.
 
Software: “Software” means all software provided to You to be used with
the Host.
 
Host: The hardware product described in the Software’s documentation
with which the Software is intended to be used.
.
.
.
Do you accept the license agreement? [y/n]: y

At the end of the licensing agreement information, you are asked to accept it.

5. Type y and Return, to accept the license agreement.

The following is displayed.

In this example, using the Solaris 10 Operating System, the following is displayed:

Installing SUNWnfb SUNWnfbcf SUNWnfbw SUNWnfbmn for Solaris 10 ...
*** Installation of drivers is complete.
 
To uninstall this software, use the ’uninstall’ script on this CDROM, or
the following script:
        /var/tmp/xvr-300x8.uninstall
 
A log of this installation can be found at:
        /var/tmp/xvr-300x8.install.2007.10.09
 
To configure a Sun XVR-300 x8 accelerator, use the fbconfig
utility.  See the fbconfig(1m) and SUNWnfb_config(1m) manual
pages for more details.
 
*** IMPORTANT NOTE! ***
This system must be rebooted for the new software to take effect.
 
Reboot this system as soon as possible using the shutdown command and the
’boot -r’ PROM command (see the shutdown(1M) and boot(1M) manual
pages for more details).

You can use the following command to check if the Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator is already on your system. Type:

# /usr/bin/pkginfo | grep SUNWnfb

6. Do a reconfiguration reboot of your system at the ok prompt to complete the installation:

ok boot -r

To use the Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator as a console, type at a Solaris prompt:

# eeprom output-device=screen 
# eeprom input-device=keyboard
# reboot -- -r

This reboot creates the symbolic link /dev/fb -> fbs/nfb0. After the reboot, the window system login appears on the monitor connected to the graphics card cable video 1. If you did not set the OpenBoot configuration variables as described in this step (output-device, input-device), the symbolic link is not created and the window system will not start. You can resolve this by manually creating the link /bin/ln -s fbs/nfb0 /dev/fb as root and rebooting the Solaris OS.

To query the current state from Solaris, type:

# eeprom | grep put 

If the screen and keyboard is already set, there is no need to change the input and output devices.

If you have a mouse and keyboard attached, you should be presented with a graphics console after rebooting.

1. Log in as superuser.

2. Insert the Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator CD-ROM into the drive.

• If the drive is already mounted, type the following, and go to Step 3:


# cd /cdrom/cdrom0


• If the CD-ROM is not already mounted, type:


# mount -F hsfs -O -o ro /dev/dsk/c0t6d0s0 /cdrom # cd /cdrom

3. To remove Sun XVR-300 x8 software, type:

#./uninstall

In this example, the following is displayed.

Removal of Sun XVR-300 x8 Graphics Accelerator software is complete.
A log of this removal is at:
        /var/tmp/xvr-300x8.uninstall.2007.09.29

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Default Console Display

1. At the ok prompt, type:

ok show-displays

The following shows how to set the console device:

a) /pci@1f,700000/SUNW,XVR-300@0
b) /pci@1e,600000/pci@0/pci@8/SUNW,XVR-300@0
q) NO SELECTION 
Enter Selection, q to quit:

2. Select the graphics accelerator you want to be the default console display.

In this example, you would select b for the Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator.

Enter Selection, q to quit: b
 
/pci@1e,600000/pci@0/pci@8/SUNW,XVR-300@0 has been selected.
Type ^Y ( Control-Y ) to insert it in the command line.
e.g. ok nvalias mydev ^Y
	 for creating devalias mydev for 
/pci@1e,600000/SUNW,XVR-300@5

3. Create an alias name for the Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator device.

This example shows mydev as the alias device name.

ok nvalias mydev

Press Control-Y, then Return.

4. Set the device you selected to be the console device.

ok setenv output-device mydev

5. Store the alias name that you have created.

ok setenv use-nvramrc? true

6. Reset the output-device environment:

ok reset-all

7. Connect your monitor cable to the Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator on your system back panel.

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Man Pages

The Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator man pages describe how you can query and set frame buffer attributes such as screen resolutions and visual configurations.

Use the fbconfig(1M) man page for configuring all Sun graphics accelerators.
SUNWnfb_config(1M) contains Sun XVR-300 x8 device-specific configuration information. To get a list of all graphics devices on your system, type:

host% fbconfig -list

This example shows a list of graphics devices displayed:

  Device-Filename              Specific Config Program
  ---------------              -----------------------
  /dev/fbs/nfb0                SUNWnfb_config

  Use the fbconfig -help option to display the attributes and parameters information of the man page.

host% fbconfig -dev nfb0 -help

  To access the fbconfig man page, type:

host% man fbconfig

  To access the Sun XVR-300 x8 graphics accelerator man page, type:

host% man SUNWnfb_config

Sun XVR-300 x8 Graphics Accelerator User’s Guide

820-3107-11

Copyright © 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.