Subject: Re: X11 on monochrome sun3
To: Bob Beck <beck@obtuse.com>
From: Tom Trebisky <tom@kofa.as.arizona.edu>
List: port-sun3
Date: 06/01/1997 10:05:36
> > I am just in the middle of trying to set up Gordon Ross's X11R6 for
> > sun3 distribution (from arch/sun3/x11r6).  I am running on a 3/260
> > and using a hi-res monitor on the monochrome framebuffer.  Typing
> > "xinit" just torques the upper part of the screen out of shape and
> > I have to rlogin from another machine and kill the Xserver.  So,
> > I have 2 questions:
> > 
> > 1) Any idea what is wrong?  My theory is that is is treating this
> > like a standard 1152x900 framebuffer (but the 3/260 only does
> > the 1600x1100 monochrome),
> 
> 	Your theory is probably right. I have a schwack of 1600x1100
> 3/60's. The quick fix is /dev/bwtwo0. Check the device. Major 27 Minor 0 is
> the low res, Major 27 Minor 1 is hi res :

Hmmm, this is under NetBSD?

I did find an answer to my problem -- namely a quick hack to
arch/sun3/dev/bw2.c - in one of the initialization routines (match, attach?)
there is code to set framebuffer width/height/type.  The thinking apparently 
was that only a 3/60 with the switch set could have a 1600x1280 monochrome.
I added a case for a 3/260 and now Bob's my uncle and I am running X
just fine (incidently, the device probe line on kernel boot does show
the detected resolution).

The 4/260 also supports only a hi-res monitor, so this fix will need to
make its way to the sparc port as well.  The driver could check the eeprom
byte that is used to flag a hi-res monitor.

> > I suppose most folks use color framebuffers and monitors :-<
> > 
> 	Pah! defeats the pupose.  Color is a fuzzy as a PC monitor.  I
> haven't found a $3000 21 inch monitor yet that'll beat my nice old
> mono Sun3 head for eye-searing-cut-through-48-hours-awake
> crispness. Color is for web wanking.  mono is for writing code.
> Gimme a Mono Sun 3 and an expresso machine any day :-)   

Absolutely -- I don't even know if there is a 1600x1280 color monitor
anywhere, and the 1152x900 mono are more than adequate.  And there is
a good technical reason why they are sharper -- no shadow mask in the
tube to have funky alignment problems (and only one electron gun).  The
electron beam paints on the inside of the tube -- there is no dot pitch
for a monochrome tube.

The main trouble with the 1600x1280 is finding a font big enough to be
able to read without strain!  :-)

Not that color doesn't have its place of course.

-- 
	Tom Trebisky			Steward Observatory
	ttrebisky@as.arizona.edu	University of Arizona
	http://kofa.as.arizona.edu/	Tucson, Arizona 85721
					(520) 621-5135