m64config(1M) System Administration Commands m64config(1M)
NAME
m64config, SUNWm64_config - configure the M64 Graphics Accelerator
SYNOPSIS
/usr/sbin/m64config [-defaults] [-depth 8 | 24 | 32] [-dev device-filename] [-file machine | system] [-prconf] [-propt] [ -res video-mode
[now | try] [noconfirm | nocheck ] ]
/usr/sbin/m64config [-prconf] [-propt]
/usr/sbin/m64config [-help] [ -res ?]
DESCRIPTION
m64config configures the M64 Graphics Accelerator and some of the X11 window system defaults for M64.
The first form of m64config stores the specified options in the OWconfig file. These options will be used to initialize the M64 device the
next time the window system is run on that device. Updating options in the OWconfig file provides persistence of these options across win-
dow system sessions and system reboots.
The second and third forms which invoke only the -prconf, -propt, -help, and -res ? options do not update the OWconfig file. Additionally,
for the third form all other options are ignored.
Options may be specified for only one M64 device at a time. Specifying options for multiple M64 devices requires multiple invocations of
m64config.
Only M64-specific options can be specified through m64config. The normal window system options for specifying default depth, default visual
class and so forth are still specified as device modifiers on the openwin command line. See the OpenWindows Desktop Reference Manual for
details.
The user can also specify the OWconfig file that is to be updated. By default, the machine-specific file in the /etc/openwin directory tree
is updated. The -file option can be used to specify an alternate file to use. For example, the system-global OWconfig file in the
/usr/openwin directory tree can be updated instead.
Both of these standard OWconfig files can only be written by root. Consequently, the m64config program, which is owned by the root user,
always runs with setuid root permission.
OPTIONS
-defaults
Resets all option values to their default values.
-depth 8 | 24 | 32
Sets the depth (bits per pixel) on the device. Possible values are 8, 24, or 32 (where 32 uses 24 bits per pixel). Log out of the cur-
rent window system session and log back in for the change to take effect. 24 or 32 enables TrueColor graphics in the window system, at
the expense of screen resolution.
The 32 setting enables simultaneous 8- and 24-bit color windows on m64 devices that support it. With setting 32, -propt shows depth 32
and -prconf shows depth 24. To check window depth, use the xwininfo utility. The xwininfo utility is usually shipped in the package
containing frame buffer software (such as SUNWxwplt).
The maximum resolution that is available with 24 bits per pixel depends on the amount of memory installed on the PGX card. For 2-MB PGX
cards, the maximum available resolution is 800x600. For 4-MB cards, it is 1152x900. For 8-MB cards, it is 1920x1080. If there is not
enough memory for the specified combination of resolution and depth, m64config displays an error message and exits.
-dev device-filename
Specifies the M64 special file. If not specified, m64config will try /dev/fbs/m640 through /dev/fbs/m648 until one is found.
-file machine|system
Specifies which OWconfig file to update. If machine, the machine-specific OWconfig file in the /etc/openwin directory tree is used. If
system, the global OWconfig file in the /usr/openwin directory tree is used. If the file does not exist, it is created. This option has
no effect unless other options are specified. The default is machine.
-help
Prints a list of the m64config command line options, along with a brief explanation of each.
-prconf
Prints the M64 hardware configuration. The following is a typical display using the -prconf option:
--- Hardware Configuration for /dev/fbs/m640 ---
ASIC: version 0x41004754
DAC: version 0x0
PROM: version 0x0
Card possible resolutions: 640x480x60, 800x600x75, 1024x768x60
1024x768x70, 1024x768x75, 1280x1024x75, 1280x1024x76
1280x1024x60, 1152x900x66, 1152x900x76, 1280x1024x67
960x680x112S, 960x680x108S, 640x480x60i, 768x575x50i
1280x800x76, 1440x900x76, 1600x1000x66, 1600x1000x76
vga, svga, 1152, 1280, stereo, ntsc, pal
Monitor possible resolutions: 720x400x70, 720x400x85, 640x480x60
640x480x67, 640x480x72, 640x480x75, 800x600x56, 800x600x60
800x600x72, 800x600x75, 832x624x75, 1024x768x85, 1024x768x60
1024x768x70, 1024x768x75, 1280x1024x75, 1280x1024x76,
1152x900x66, 1152x900x76, 1280x1024x67, 960x680x112S
vga, svga, 1152, 1280, stereo
Possible depths: 8, 24
Current resolution setting: 1280x1024x76
Current depth: 8
-propt
Prints the current values of all M64 options in the OWconfig file specified by the -file option for the device specified by the -dev
option. Prints the values of options as they will be in the OWconfig file after the call to m64config completes. The following is a
typical display using the -propt option:
--- OpenWindows Configuration for /dev/fbs/m640 ---
OWconfig: machine
Video Mode: not set
Depth: 8
-res video-mode [ now | try [ noconfirm | nocheck ]]
Specifies the video mode used to drive the monitor connected to the specified M64 device. Video modes are built-in. video-mode has the
format of widthxheightxrate. width is the screen width in pixels, height is the screen height in pixels, and rate is the vertical fre-
quency of the screen refresh. As a convenience, -res also accepts formats with @ preceding the refresh rate instead of x. For example,
1280x1024@76.
A list of valid video modes is obtained by issuing the following command: m64config -res '?'. Note that the ? must be quoted. Not all
resolutions are supported by both the video board and by the monitor. m64config will not permit you to set a resolution the board does
not support, and will request confirmation before setting a resolution the monitor does not support.
Symbolic names
For convenience, some video modes have symbolic names defined for them. Instead of the form widthxheightxrate, one of these names may
be supplied as the argument to -res. The meaning of the symbolic name none is that when the window system is run the screen resolution
will be the video mode that is currently programmed in the device.
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
|Name Corresponding Video Mode |
|svga 1024x768x60 |
|1152 1152x900x76 |
|1280 1280x1024x76 |
|none (video mode currently pro- |
| grammed in device) |
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
The -res option also accepts additional sub-options immediately following the video mode specification. Any or all of these may be
present.
nocheck If present, the normal error checking based on the monitor sense code will be suspended. The video mode specified by
the user will be accepted regardless of whether it is appropriate for the currently attached monitor. This option is
useful if a different monitor is to be connected to the M64 device. Use of this option implies noconfirm as well.
noconfirm Using the -res option, the user could potentially put the system into an unusable state, a state where there is no
video output. This can happen if there is ambiguity in the monitor sense codes for the particular code read. To reduce
the chance of this, the default behavior of m64config is to print a warning message to this effect and to prompt the
user to find out if it is okay to continue. The noconfirm option instructs m64config to bypass this confirmation and to
program the requested video mode anyway. This option is useful when m64config is being run from a shell script.
now If present, not only will the video mode be updated in the OWconfig file, but the M64 device will be immediately pro-
grammed to display this video mode. (This is useful for changing the video mode before starting the window system).
It is inadvisable to use this sub-option with m64config while the configured device is being used (for example, while
running the window system); unpredictable results may occur. To run m64config with the now sub-option, first bring the
window system down. If the now sub-option is used within a window system session, the video mode will be changed imme-
diately, but the width and height of the affected screen won't change until the window system is exited and reentered
again. Consequently, this usage is strongly discouraged.
try If present, the specified video mode will be programmed on a trial basis. The user will be asked to confirm the video
mode by typing y within 10 seconds. Or the user may terminate the trial before 10 seconds are up by typing any charac-
ter. Any character other than 'y' or carriage return is considered a no and the previous video mode will be restored
and m64config will not change the video mode in the OWconfig file (other options specified will still take effect). If
a carriage return is typed, the user is prompted for a yes or no answer on whether to keep the new video mode.
This sub-option should not be used with m64config while the configured device is being used (for example, while running
the window system) as unpredictable results may occur. To run m64config with the try sub-option, the window system
should be brought down first.
DEFAULTS
For a given invocation of m64config command line if an option does not appear on the command line, the corresponding OWconfig option is not
updated; it retains its previous value.
When the window system is run, if an M64 option has never been specified by m64config, a default value is used. The option defaults are as
follows:
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
|Option Default |
|-dev /dev/fbs/m640 |
|-file machine |
|-res none |
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
The default for the -res option of none means that when the window system is run the screen resolution will be the video mode that is cur-
rently programmed in the device.
This provides compatibility for users who are used to specifying the device resolution through the PROM. On some devices (for example, GX)
this is the only way of specifying the video mode. This means that the PROM ultimately determines the default M64 video mode.
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Switching the Monitor Type
The following example switches the monitor type to the maximum resolution of 1280 x 1024 at 76 Hz:
example% /usr/sbin/m64config -res 1280x1024x76
FILES
/dev/fbs/m640 device special file
/etc/openwin/server/etc/OWconfig system config file (creates or updates the file)
/usr/lib/fbconfig/SUNWm64_config symbolic link to usr/sbin/m64config
ATTRIBUTES
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
|Availability |SUNWm64cf |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
SEE ALSO
attributes(5), m64(7D)
OpenWindows Desktop Reference Manual
SunOS 5.10 8 Apr 2004 m64config(1M)