[comp.windows.x] frame buffer problem

len@schur.math.nwu.edu (Len Evens) (08/29/90)

I have a Sun 3/110 on which I am running X-windows.  This machine
has a color graphics card, and a grey scale monitor.  The color
graphics frame buffer hardware has developed a problem which
yields a pattern of vertical lines running through most of
my screen.  The vmunix kernel contains drivers both for
color graphics (listed in the boot messages as)
cgfour0 at obmem 0xff000000 pri 4
and b&w (listed as)
bwtwo0 at obmem 0xff000000
The normal console uses the pure b&w mode, and there is no problem
with it.
Also, running sunview with the option -overlay_only eliminates the
problem.   I would like to be able to do the same
with X-windows.   I have experimented with choosing colors, but
I can not eliminate the problem that way.  Can anyone suggest
a way to avoid the color graphics frame buffer?


Leonard Evens      len@math.nwu.edu      708-491-5537
Dept. of Mathematics, Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL 60208
	Any help would be appreciated.

if I make everything just black or white.

Leonard Evens      len@math.nwu.edu      708-491-5537
Dept. of Mathematics, Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL 60208

mouse@LARRY.MCRCIM.MCGILL.EDU (08/30/90)

> I have a Sun 3/110 on which I am running X-windows.
(I assume you mean the X Window System[%].)
> This machine has [cg4 hardware], and a grey scale monitor.
> The color graphics frame buffer hardware has developed a problem
> which yields a pattern of vertical lines running through most of my
> screen.
> The normal console uses the pure b&w mode, and there is no problem
> with it.
> Also, running sunview with the option -overlay_only eliminates the
> problem.   I would like to be able to do the same with X-windows.   I
> have experimented with choosing colors, but I can not eliminate the
> problem that way.  Can anyone suggest a way to avoid the color
> graphics frame buffer?

You don't say what release of X you are running.  The MIT R4 Sun server
has an option -mono which either makes the monochrome screen the
default or eliminates the color screen entirely, I forget which.  You
could also use -dev /dev/bwtwo0 (or bwtwo1, I forget which is overlay
and which is overlay enable).

I would also say it's time to call the field circus...er, service types.

[%] Not to be snarky; it's just that I keep seeing this error and it
    eventually grated enough to provoke a response.  As the R4
    mit/README-R4 file says,

			 It's a window system named X,
			  not a system named X Window.

					der Mouse

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			new: mouse@larry.mcrcim.mcgill.edu