Our original question was:
> Does anyone know of a patch for X11R6 (or X11R5) that adds support for
> the TCX framebuffer (the on-board Sun SparcStation 4 framebuffer)?
The quick answer is that neither MIT X11R5 nor X11R6 support (or will
support in the near future) the TCX frame buffer on the SS4 running
Solaris 2.4. The TCX can be put into cgthree emulation mode, however
(a small program to do this under 2.4 is enclosed below). The best
solution seems to be to make the move to OpenWindows 3.4, since it is
reported to be a pretty stable X11R5 work-alike.
Thanks to the following for their responses:
Bill Reed <reedwv@expu79.stp.xfi.bp.com>
etxjmik@solsta.ericsson.se (Mikael Johansson TX/DK)
Boyd Fletcher <boyd@ccpo.odu.edu>
David G Wiseman <magi@csd.uwo.ca>
Tim Hoffman <timh@momentum.com.au>
Richard Pieri <ratinox@unilab.dfci.harvard.edu>
canuck@masc38.rice.edu (Michael Pearlman)
holland@Synopsys.COM (Rich Holland)
Glenn.Satchell@uniq.com.au (Glenn Satchell-Uniq Professional Services)
Robert E Davis <redavis@mailbox.syr.edu>
Al.Venz@seag.fingerhut.com (Al Venz)
noel@megan.ryerson.ca (Noel Chong)
Mark.McIntosh@Engr.UVic.CA
Jeff Woolsey <woolsey@jlw.com>
A summary of all responses is included below.
Craig
-- Craig D. Rice UNIX Systems Specialist cdr@stolaf.edu Academic Computing Center, St. Olaf College +1 507 646-3631 1510 St. Olaf Avenue +1 507 646-3096 FAX Northfield, MN 55057-1097 USA URL: http://www.stolaf.edu/people/cdr/----- CUT HERE -----
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 1995 17:30:54 +0100 (BST) From: Bill Reed <reedwv@expu79.stp.xfi.bp.com> X-Sender: reedwv@expu79 To: Craig D Rice <cdr@stolaf.edu> Subject: Re: X11R{5,6} support for SparcStation 4 TCX Frame Buffer?
[...] However, I'm a bit of a squirrel, so I've dug it out
B.P. Exploration email: reedwv@expu79.stp.xfi.bp.com Uxbridge One reedwv@txpcap.hou.xwh.bp.com Harefield Road tel: +44 1895 877429 Uxbridge UB8 1PD U.K. fax: +44 1895 877345 --------------------------------------------------------- >From eric@ee.pdx.eduFri May 19 15:55:37 1995 Date: Fri, 05 May 1995 20:23:54 -0700 From: Eric Berggren <eric@ee.pdx.edu> To: sun-managers@eecs.nwu.edu Subject: A/The Sun SparcStation 4/TCX mini-FAQ (preview)
[I'm bringing this up here first (probably not good for a Friday evening) and will likely post this to several newsgroups early next week regarding concerns over the new framebuffer. Since my initial postings to comp.windows.x and some interactions with a couple of pholks on the alias, I've received numerous queries as to my progress dealing with some of the problems we were facing with the new hardware. I expect more and more queries to be hitting the net and this list as the SS4 makes its way into the market. I welcome comments, particularly corrections to mis-information... While I appreciate those who firmly support OpenWindows as the one and only pathway to X windows, I have received plenty, there are reasons for us choosing the latter path (which are briefly described at the end). Thank you.]
I humbly present this mini-FAQ regarding Sun's new line of low-cost/end workstations, the SparcStation 4, and the new TCX graphics framebuffer that's associated with it. It is addressed to those who are considering or have recently purchased one or more of them, or those who are just plain curious. They were found to be unsuitable to our environment, but may work quite well for others. I am therefore being (mostly) objective about this presentation. This mini-FAQ is dated May 5th, 1995 with the latest information available to me (but I doubt is likely to change in the very near future). It is derived from our experiences and exchanges with regional area Sun Microsystems SE's (ie, I do not represent Sun); I also grabbed some numbers from Vikas Jha's article floating around usenet during this time (Subject: _SS5 vs. SS4 (esp. graphics performance)_). This is a one-time effort for me with no intention of further verifying/updating this information with reasons explained below.
We shall begin....
Index:
1 - What is the SparcStation 4 ? 2 - What is the TCX framebuffer ? 3 - Will SunOS 4 run on the SparcStation 4 ? 4 - How is the performance of the TCX rate to other framebuffers ? 5 - Will my MIT X server run under the SparcStation 4 ? 6 - Will "Doom" run on the SparcStation 4 ?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
1: What is the SparcStation 4 ?
In short, it is Sun's new line of low-cost/end workstations. It is modeled after the SparcStation 5 (same architecture), with slight performance improvements (see below) but sporting only a single Sbus slot and a special port for an optional 16-bit audio controller (using the same CS4231 chipset found on the SS5). With a 20" monitor (well, Sun's definition of 20"), it was priced a couple hundred dollars cheaper than the SS5 (even after adding in the audio controller) making it a seemingly attractive line.
CPU PERFORMANCE [vj] ---------------
Performance numbers from SUN:
SS4 SS5(model 70)
(1).SPECint92 59.6 59.6 (2).SPECfp92 46.8 46.8 (3).SPECrate_int92 1414 1352 (4).SPECrate_fp92 1100 1122 (5).MIPS 105.4 100.3 (6).MFLOPS 15.8 13.1
POTENTIAL FOR UPGRADES [vj] ---------------------- SS4 SS5(model 70)
(1).MainMemory: 16-160M 16-256M (2).Max: 535M 2.1G (3).Max.Ext.disk: 28G 56G (4).Packageslots: 1 SBus conn. 3 SBus connectors (5).Serialports: 1 sync 1 async 2 synchronous (5).Audio 16bit(optional) 16bit
2: What is the TCX framebuffer ?
The "TCX" is the standard 8-bit graphics controller hardware that is built-in to the SS4 motherboard. By default, it runs in the standard 1152x900 resolution mode, but can be expanded to support 1280x1024 resolution by adding VSIMM memory to the special socket on the motherboard, alledgedly with no performance degradation. Summarized below :
GRAPHICS CONFIGURATION [vj] ---------------------- SS4 SS5
graph. 8-bit pixel-accelerated (i) Turbo GX 8-bit 1152x900 res standard (8bit 2-D/3-D wireframe, 1280x1024 res optional 1152 x 900). (video memory expansion SIMM required) (ii) Turbo GX 8-bit plus (8bit 2-D/3-D wireframe, 1152 x 900 or 1280 x 1024, double buffering). (iii)24-bit true color graphics, 1152 x 900.
Pixel Accelerator [sun] -----------------
o Feature o Benefit
- On-board pixel accelerator - Speeds screen functions: fills, text, and scrolling - More than twice the screen performance of the CG3 frame buffer used in the SPARCclassic system - 1280 x 1024 video memory expansion - Tailors the system to apps supporting high resolutions - No degradation in performance - Low cost
- Fast video memory interface - Further speeds execution of screen functions
- State-less, single-instruction - Limits graphics circuitry for architecture high performance at a low cost
The capabilities of the TCX are only accessible under Solaris 2 (2.4+), however. This is a new frame buffer that will not be recognized by current applications that directly access the graphics hardware. THIS INCLUDES THE STOCK MIT X SERVER. [there is no plans at this time from the X consortium to expand support for the TCX]. Another interesting note regarding performance from an SE, "(Even when fully-exploited, this device's performance will generally not equal that of higher-end accelerators such as the TGX/TGX+ - particularly for vector-intensive rendering.)"
Running Solaris 1.1.2 (SunOS 4.1.4), "this display presents itself as a "CG3"-type device - an unaccelerated 8-bit frame buffer." [sun]. This is the same controller used by the SparcClassic systems. For comparison, the performance resembles a Tektronix XP18 color X terminal and not far off from a Sun 3/50 running Xkernel.
3: Will SunOS 4 run on the SparcStation 4 ?
SunOS 4 will run on the SS4, but you MUST run SunOS 4.1.4 . Earlier versions, including SunOS 4.1.3_U1, will NOT support the new framebuffer.
Note: there is a caveat running SunOS 4 in that it will only support the TCX running as a CG3 (unaccelarated). (See #2)
4: How is the performance of the TCX rate to other framebuffers ?
I do not have any actual numbers but performance will vary depending on the type of application, and whether you run SunOS 4.1.4 or Solaris 2 (see #2). The following is quoted from an (unnamed) Sun SE:
The SPARCstation 4 built-in display is a low-cost 8-bit frame buffer with hardware support for a class of common windowing operations including text, fills, stipples, and scrolling/"blit"ing. The capabilities of this display are fully exploited by Solaris 2.4 and its X server (Xsun). (Even when fully-exploited, this device's performance will generally not equal that of higher-end accelerators such as the TGX/TGX+ - particularly for vector-intensive rendering.)
5: Will my MIT X server run under the SparcStation 4 ?
The short, direct answer is "NO", the MIT X window server does not support the TCX framebuffer, with no indication at this point from the X consortium that it will be supported anywhere in the near future.
There is an exception to this, however. Since under SunOS 4.1.4, the driver will driver the framebuffer as a CG3, which *is* supported by the MIT X server, one can therefore run the server on an SS4 under SunOS 4. The R5 server requires the JPL "multiscreen" patch to work properly (see #80 in the X FAQ found in the usenet newsgroup, comp.windows.x for availability info; also found via ftp:ftp.x.org/R5contrib/Xsun.multi-screen). As reported by Sun :
All the "R5.Xsun.multi-screen" patches do is clean up Xsun's initialization code so that it recognizes that "/dev/fb" is a "CG3"-type device and it can use its "CG3" ddx code to drive it. This improved initialization code is included in R6 (no patch necessary).
I have not actually tried R6 under SunOS 4 to validate this. This route will NOT work under Solaris 2.4, since the driver does not present a "CG3" :
The patch doesn't add Solaris 2.X native TCX support. R6 doesn't have Solaris 2.X native TCX support. Solaris 2.4 doesn't provide CG3 emulation of TCX (doesn't need it). [sun]
Customers will be expected to simply run the OpenWindows server under Solaris 2 to get the performance and applications they need:
The MIT sample server is just not always going to be an option. That's why vendors ship X server products. If you want to get a feel for what the full performance of this display device is, just run the Solaris 2.4 X server (Xsun). It's very standard and very directly based on MIT X11R5 - with the added value of *full* support for the range of Sun display devices including that of the SS4 (not to mention QA, vendor support, Display PostScript, etc.). [sun]
I let this sit as is....
6: Will "Doom" run on the SparcStation 4 ?
The all important question. Running Solaris 2.4 with the audiocs patch (102125-01) [rev 02 is now available] and OpenWindows, the X version of "Doom" was able to run with good performance. The "DGA" version, however, dumped core for us (as though it was running under a straight X server). I'll leave this to someone else to file a service order.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Regrettably, our labs are still running SunOS 4, given that alot of software won't run and/or is not presently available for Solaris 2. We also run the MIT X server under both SunOS 4 [R5] and Solaris 2 [R6] as numerous software that we have deployed do not properly work under OpenWindows (either 3.0 or 3.4, the X11R5 based server). We will subsequently be returning our entire lot [15+] (and thus, I won't be tracking progress on future SS4 developments). I would advise Sun, however, to re-evaluate their strategy in expecting customers to simply change their applications/work-environments to match theirs just to use new the hardware. But then, we're just a small acedemic shop....
I have concluded....
-eric
-- Eric Berggren | "Parts of this product may be derived from Portland State University | from UNIX and Berkeley 4.3 BSD systems..." eric@ee.pdx.edu | -- Label on Solaris 2.x disk
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To: Craig D Rice <cdr@stolaf.edu> Subject: Re: X11R{5,6} support for SparcStation 4 TCX Frame Buffer? Date: Fri, 11 Aug 1995 08:24:47 -0400 From: Robert E Davis <redavis@mailbox.syr.edu>
>Greetings Sun Managers, > >Does anyone know of a patch for X11R6 (or X11R5) that adds support for >the TCX framebuffer (the on-board Sun SparcStation 4 framebuffer)? > >We find ourselves unpleasantly surprised to find that we cannot run a >standard X server on our new SS4 boxes... Converting to OpenWindows >is an alternative, but... > >Thanks! >Craig
Craig, We had (or should I say 'have') the same problem here. I had hear rumors that X11R6 was supposed to have support for the tcx, but I take it that's not entirely true.
Here's what I got from our local Sun guys. I haven't tried the included program yet due to time constraints. Let me know if it works. :)
Looking forward to your summary... Sorry I couldn't be more help.
-bob
Bob Davis Unix Systems Computing & Media Services Syracuse University Syracuse, New York 13244 [redavis@syr.edu]
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If the customer is running (or can run) Solaris 2.4 and doesn't *need* an X11R6 *server* feature, then there's no problem. The OpenWindows 3.4 Xsun server is standard (R5-based), solid, and has lots of value-add - including Display PostScript and the best SS4 TCX/FSV performance they can get. They can use the X Consortium R6 libraries in this environment if they wish.
If they need an R6 server feature they *can* run the X Consortium R6 server. They will have to put the TCX/FSV display into CG3 emulation mode first via fbio ioctl's (see attached quick and dirty sample program). Treating the TCX/FSV as a dumb frame buffer means losing its pixel-pushing hardware acceleration features. (I've heard that it *may* be possible to get an early-access R6 server from SunSoft.)
Now for the other scenario - SunOS 4.1.4. All you get out of the TCX/FSV in this environment is CG3 emulation. The X Consortium's R6 Xsun works - just build it. For R5, just build the X Consortium's Xsun server after applying the contrib "multi-screen" patches. (ftp.x.org, R5contrib/Xsun.multi-screen/R5.Xsun.multi-screen.tar.Z)
[...Cut here...] #include <stdio.h> #include <unistd.h> #include <stdlib.h> #include <fcntl.h> #include <sys/fbio.h> #include <errno.h>
main(argc,argv) int argc; char *argv[]; { char *fb = "/dev/fb"; int fd; struct fbgattr fbga; int i;
if (argc >= 2) fb = argv[1]; if ((fd = open(fb,O_RDWR)) == -1) { perror("open"); exit(EXIT_FAILURE); } if (ioctl(fd,FBIOGATTR,&fbga) == -1) { perror("ioctl FBIOGATTR"); exit(EXIT_FAILURE); } for (i = 0; i < FB_ATTR_NEMUTYPES; i++) if (fbga.emu_types[i] == FBTYPE_SUN3COLOR) { fbga.sattr.emu_type = FBTYPE_SUN3COLOR; if (ioctl(fd,FBIOSATTR,&fbga.sattr) == -1) { perror("ioctl FBIOSATTR"); exit(EXIT_FAILURE); } printf("%s set to emulate cg3\n",fb); exit(EXIT_SUCCESS); } fprintf(stderr,"cg3 emulation not available for %s\n",fb); exit(EXIT_FAILURE); } [...Cut here...]
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Date: Mon, 14 Aug 95 22:41:47 PDT From: Mark.McIntosh@Engr.UVic.CA To: Craig D Rice <cdr@stolaf.edu> Subject: X11R{5,6} support for SparcStation 4 TCX Frame Buffer?
On Thu, 10 Aug 95 07:30:13 GMT, cdr@stolaf.edu (Craig D Rice) said: >Does anyone know of a patch for X11R6 (or X11R5) that adds support for >the TCX framebuffer (the on-board Sun SparcStation 4 framebuffer)?
We are running SunOS 4.1.4 and I can use the standard X11R6 server on a SS4 with a frame buffer which the boot probe shows as:
SUNW,tcx0 at SBus slot 3 0x800000 and SBus slot 3 0x2000000 and SBus slot 3 0
The "constype" program reports "cg3".
I initially used the GENERIC kernel (worked fine). When I built a custom kernel, I forgot to include the new frame buffer device for the tcx. X then failed to start up (no screens found) until I rebuilt the kernel with the device supported.
I didn't do anything special to have this happen. If you receive information on why you had problems, I'd appreciate a copy since I don't want it to suddenly stop working and not know why!
Thanks, ----- Mark J. McIntosh, <Mark.McIntosh@Engr.UVic.CA>, Programmer/Analyst University of Victoria, Faculty of Engineering - Dean's Office, EOW 248 Box 3055, Victoria, BC, V8W 3P6, CANADA, Voice: 604-721-6049 FAX: 604-721-8676
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From: David G Wiseman <magi@csd.uwo.ca> Subject: Re: X11R{5,6} support for SparcStation 4 TCX Frame Buffer? To: cdr@stolaf.edu Date: Thu, 10 Aug 1995 09:53:44 -0400 (EDT)
>> Does anyone know of a patch for X11R6 (or X11R5) that adds support for >> the TCX framebuffer (the on-board Sun SparcStation 4 framebuffer)? >> >> We find ourselves unpleasantly surprised to find that we cannot run a >> standard X server on our new SS4 boxes... Converting to OpenWindows >> is an alternative, but...
Annoying, isn't it. I've hit the same snag. If you should happen across a fix, please let me know...
There is one way around it, put a "modified" startx in the user's path before /usr/X11/bin/startx which calls /usr/openwin/bin/openwin when on a Sparc 4 and /usr/X11/bin/startx otherwise. This means that MOST of the X11 environment will still be the same (they'll use the X11R[56] binaries and not the openwin ones by default) but you get TCX support... There may also be a few other idiosyncracies that have to be fixed, but the concept does work.
-- magi David Wiseman, Network Manager e-mail: magi@csd.uwo.ca Department of Computer Science The University of Western Ontario fax: +1 519 661 3515 London Ontario Canada N6A 5B7 voice: +1 519 679 2111 x6879 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Remember ladies, when a man's watching TV, he's DOING something.
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From: etxjmik@solsta.ericsson.se (Mikael Johansson TX/DK) Date: Thu, 10 Aug 1995 09:21:01 +0200 To: cdr@stolaf.edu Subject: Re: X11R{5,6} support for SparcStation 4 TCX Frame Buffer?
Hi
I work within Ericsson and we are currently having the same problem and I'm very interested to know how it goes with this subject! The problem is that Sun now has a frame buffer that is not tested/supported by the MIT that made R5/R6, Really stupid but now we already bought several SS4 stations so it's to late now... So if you hear anything could you please send me a note :-)
/Mikael J. Network & System Administration at Ericsson Telecom AB, Karlstad, Sweden
! Mikael Johansson, Ericsson Telecom AB, KS/ETX/TX/DK ! To fly ! ! Lagergrens gata 8, S-652 26 Karlstad, SWEDEN ! away ! ! Phone: +46 54 19 30 37, Mobile: +46 10 281 8175 ! you need ! ! mail: etxjmik@solsta.ericsson.se ! a way! !
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Date: Thu, 10 Aug 1995 09:46:32 -0400 From: Boyd Fletcher <boyd@ccpo.odu.edu> To: Craig D Rice <cdr@stolaf.edu> Subject: X11R{5,6} support for SparcStation 4 TCX Frame Buffer?
Craig D. Rice writes: !! !! Greetings Sun Managers, !! !! Does anyone know of a patch for X11R6 (or X11R5) that adds support for !! the TCX framebuffer (the on-board Sun SparcStation 4 framebuffer)? !! !! We find ourselves unpleasantly surprised to find that we cannot run a !! standard X server on our new SS4 boxes... Converting to OpenWindows !! is an alternative, but... !!
You have to be running SunOS 4.1.4 then X11R5 pl 26 will work on a SPARC 4 (haven't tried R6). I can send you my X Server binaries if you would like. But if you are running Solaris 2.4 (11/95 edition) OpenWindows will work faster than straight MIT X11R{5,6} since it was tuned for the tcx frame buffer.
boyd
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Date: Fri, 11 Aug 1995 10:00:13 -0400 From: Richard Pieri <ratinox@unilab.dfci.harvard.edu> To: Craig D Rice <cdr@stolaf.edu> Subject: Re: X11R{5,6} support for SparcStation 4 TCX Frame Buffer?
>>>>> "Craig" == Craig D Rice <cdr@stolaf.edu> writes:
Craig> We find ourselves unpleasantly surprised to find that we cannot Craig> run a standard X server on our new SS4 boxes... Converting to Craig> OpenWindows is an alternative, but...
OpenWindows 3.x is MIT X11R5 with Display PostScript and a few Sun hardware specific accelerations.
-- Richard Pieri/Information Services \ If you're not receiving enough attention, <ratinox@unilab.dfci.harvard.edu> \ try knocking over some very expensive http://www.dfci.harvard.edu/~ratinox \ antique lamps. -A cat's guide to life
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Date: Fri, 11 Aug 1995 19:05:15 +1000 From: Glenn.Satchell@uniq.com.au (Glenn Satchell - Uniq Professional Services) To: cdr@stolaf.edu Subject: Re: X11R{5,6} support for SparcStation 4 TCX Frame Buffer?
If you run Solaris 2.3 or 2.4 you are getting a pretty much standard X11R5 server (with the Postscript extensions and a few other bits thrown in). Even our most anti-openwin user finds the Openwin 3.4 server to be standard enough for him (although he uses a different window manager).
Of course if you're running SunOS 4.1.x then none of this is any joy to you at all. :-(
regards, -- Glenn Satchell glenn@uniq.com.au | There's a fine line Uniq Professional Services Pty Ltd ACN 056 279 335 | between fishing and PO Box 70, Paddington, NSW 2021, (Sydney) Australia | standing on the shore Phone 02 380 6360 Pager 016 287 000 Fax 02 380 6416 | looking like an idiot.
> From sun-managers-request@uniq.com.au Fri Aug 11 18:28 EST 1995 > To: sun-managers@eecs.nwu.edu > Subject: X11R{5,6} support for SparcStation 4 TCX Frame Buffer? > Date: Wed, 09 Aug 1995 14:56:47 -0500 > From: Craig D Rice <cdr@stolaf.edu> > Reply-To: Craig D Rice <cdr@stolaf.edu> > X-Lines: 18 > > > Greetings Sun Managers, > > Does anyone know of a patch for X11R6 (or X11R5) that adds support for > the TCX framebuffer (the on-board Sun SparcStation 4 framebuffer)? > > We find ourselves unpleasantly surprised to find that we cannot run a > standard X server on our new SS4 boxes... Converting to OpenWindows > is an alternative, but... > > Thanks! > Craig > -- > Craig D. Rice UNIX Systems Specialist > cdr@stolaf.edu Academic Computing Center, St. Olaf College > +1 507 646-3631 1510 St. Olaf Avenue > +1 507 646-3096 FAX Northfield, MN 55057-1097 USA > URL: http://www.stolaf.edu/people/cdr/ >
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