1.8.2 Starting with Various Monitor Types

If you have a gray-scale monitor (a non-color monitor with a frame buffer of 8 bits or more) you may want to use the grayvis option when you start up the OpenWindows software. This may improve certain aspects of your OpenWindows display, but it is not required.

To use this option, type the following at the system prompt:

$ cd
$ openwin -dev /dev/fb grayvis

1.8.2.1 SPARC: Starting with Multiple Monitors

Note the following sections concerning "Starting with Multiple Monitors" apply only to SPARC-based machines. These sections require some system administration experience. If you have never configured a system, ask your system administrator for assistance.

To run the OpenWindows environment on multiple screens, you must inform the system of the additional devices and display types you want to run. You can either specify the device options or use the default values available with the openwin script that starts up the OpenWindows software.

Two options are required with the openwin command when you start the software on dual monitors:

$ openwin [ [ -dev device ] [ deviceoptions ] ]

The double brackets indicate that the combination of [ -dev device ] [ deviceoptions ] can be entered more than once on the command line (that is, once per device).

[ -dev device ]

The device command line option specifies the frame buffer device which the server should use for the display, or screen.

If the command line does not show this option, the server uses the default, /dev/fb. Multiple (more than one) occurrences of the -dev option on the command line indicate multiple displays on the same server.

[ deviceoptions ]

The deviceoptions command line option is a list of device modifiers that change the behavior of the device specified in the -devoption.

1.8.2.2 Device Option Examples

This section provides examples of stacked and side-by-side dual-monitor arrangements.

In all examples, the order of the devices is important. The first device specified must be the screen physically placed to the left or top of the second device. The second device specified must be the screen physically placed to the right or bottom of the first device.

[ left ] [ right ]

The following command line instructs the system to start up two displays. The left display is the default frame buffer and the right display is a monochrome. This enables you to move the cursor left and right between the two displays.

$ openwin -dev /dev/fb left -dev /dev/fbs/bwtwo0 right

The following example is equivalent to the previous example. By default, the first device is to the left of the second device listed in the command line.

$ openwin -dev /dev/fb -dev /dev/fbs/bwtwo0

The following command line instructs the system to start up two displays. The right display is the default frame buffer and the left display is a monochrome. This setup enables you to move the cursor left and right between the two displays.

$ openwin -dev /dev/fb right -dev /dev/fbs/bwtwo0 left

[ top ] [ bottom ]

The following command line instructs the system to start up two displays. The top display is a CG6 and the bottom display is a monochrome. This setup enables you to move the cursor up and down between the two displays.

$  openwin -dev /dev/fbs/cgsix0 top -dev /dev/fbs/bwtwo0 bottom

The following example is not equivalent to the previous example. By default, the first device is to the left of the second device listed in the command line.

$   openwin -dev /dev/fbs/cgsix0 -dev /dev/fbs/bwtwo0

The following command line instructs the server to start up two displays. The bottom display is a CG6 and the top display is a monochrome. This setup enables you to move the cursor up and down between the two displays.

$  openwin -dev /dev/fbs/cgsix0 bottom -dev /dev/fbs/bwtwo0 top

1.8.2.3 Miscellaneous Notes

The following are important considerations when you are running multiple screens.

• By default, olwm manages all screens.

• You cannot move windows between screens.