








                     Information for Solaris for x86 Users

                                 David Holland

                                  25 Feb 1998



1.  What is XFree86

XFree86 is a port of X11R6.3 that supports several versions of Intel-based
Unix.  It is derived from X386 1.2 which was the X server distributed with
X11R5.  This release consists of many new features and performance improvements
as well as many bug fixes.  The release is available as source patches against
the X Consortium code, as well as binary distributions for many architectures.

The sources for XFree86 are available by anonymous ftp from:

     ftp://ftp.XFree86.org/pub/XFree86/current


Solaris binaries for XFree86 are available for anonymous ftp from:

     ftp://ftp.XFree86.org/pub/XFree86/current/binaries/Solaris


2.  Solaris for x86, versions on which XFree86 3.3.3 has been tested

XFree86 3.3.2 has been actively tested on:

   o Solaris 2.5.1 for x86

   o Solaris 2.6 for x86


3.  The VT-switching sub-system in Solaris x86

The virtual terminal sub-system is a undocumented, and unsupported feature of
Solaris x86. Therefore if you use Virtual Terminals, you do so at YOUR OWN
RISK.

The virtual terminals of Solaris work basically the same way as most other
Intel based SVR4 VT sub-systems.  However, there are a number of limitations
documented below.

First, if you are running a Solaris 2.4 x86 system, and you want VT's, you will
have to create the necessary devices first, so become root.

First verify the chanmux device driver's major number is 100:





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          # grep -i chanmux /etc/name_to_major
          chanmux 100
          #


If the number after 'chanmux' is anything but 100, I would suggest you immedi-
ately abort your attempt to create virtual terminals, and learn to live without
them.



However, if it is 100, then as root type the following commands to create the
maximum allowable number of virtual terminals.

          # cd /dev
          # mknod vt01 c 100 1
          # mknod vt02 c 100 2
          # mknod vt03 c 100 3
          # mknod vt04 c 100 4
          # mknod vt05 c 100 5
          # mknod vt06 c 100 6
          # mknod vt07 c 100 7


There is no need for a reconfiguration boot.

Secondly, for both 2.1, and 2.4 x86 systems, add a few lines to the inittab to
enable logins on them.

(Note, do NOT make a mistake here, you could lock yourself out of the system)

     --------------------->Snip Snip<-----------------------------------------------
     v1:234:respawn:/usr/lib/saf/ttymon -g -h -p "`uname -n` VT01 login: " -T AT386 -d /dev/vt01 -l console
     v2:234:respawn:/usr/lib/saf/ttymon -g -h -p "`uname -n` VT02 login: " -T AT386 -d /dev/vt02 -l console
     v3:234:respawn:/usr/lib/saf/ttymon -g -h -p "`uname -n` VT03 login: " -T AT386 -d /dev/vt03 -l console
     v4:234:respawn:/usr/lib/saf/ttymon -g -h -p "`uname -n` VT04 login: " -T AT386 -d /dev/vt04 -l console
     ---------------------->End Here<-----------------------------------------------


These four lines enable four VT's on Alt-SysReq-F1 through Alt-SysReq-F4.

Then execute the command 'init q' to immediately enable the virtual terminals.

The keys used for VT switching are as follows:

     Alt-SysReq-F1 through Alt-SysReq-F7 enable VT screens 1-7 respec-
     tively (if the VT is active).

     Alt-SysReq-n enables the next active VT screen.

     Alt-SysReq-p enables the previous active VT screen.

     Alt-SysReq-h returns to the console.









Information for Solaris for x86 Users                                         3



If you are using virtual terminals, you must leave at least one free for use by
the Xserver.

Limitations of the virtual terminal sub-system under Solaris x86:

There are only a total of 8 available VT's (7 normal VT's + 1 console) not the
usual 15. If you have all 8 allocated, and you attempt to allocate a additional
VT you will panic the system. (This bug is worked around in the Solaris XFree86
Xserver.)

From a programming stand point, they work pretty much as documented in the AT&T
Unix System V/386 Release 4 Integrated Software Development Guide, however a
number of ioctl() calls are broken.


4.  Notes for building XFree86 on Solaris x86

  1.  The majority of all modifications you will need to make are now in
      ~xc/config/cf/xf86site.def.


  2.  Both Gcc, and ProWorks are supported by XFree86. Gcc-2.5.8 or gcc-2.7.2.3
      are suggested, Gcc-2.6.0 is known not to work.  You also need to set Has-
      Gcc2 correctly in ~xc/config/cf/xf86site.def.

      You should also make certain your version of GCC predefines `sun'.  2.4.5
      is known NOT to by default.  If needed edit /usr/local/lib/gcc-
      lib/*/*/specs, and modify the *predefines: line.

      Note: A Threaded Xlib compiled with GCC has subtle problems.  It'll work
      98% of the time, however clients will occasionally exhibit strange hangs.
      Most notably image viewers such as xv-3.10 exhibit this problem.

      It is recommended that you set ThreadedX in ~xc/config/cf/sun.cf to NO,
      if you are using GCC.  ProWorks does not have this problem.

  3.   To build XFree86 with gcc you need gcc and (optionally) c++filt from
      GNU binutils. Don't install gas or ld from GNU binutils, use the one pro-
      vided by Sun.

      With XFree86 3.3.2, you will need to setup a /opt/SUNWspro/bin directory
      containing symbolic links named cc, CC, and c++filt pointing respectively
      to the actual gcc, g++ and c++filt commands.

  4.  If you don't have c++filt or if you have troubles in making World with
      c++filt, you need to set UseExportLists to NO in ~xc/config/cf/host.def.



  5.  If you are using ProWorks to compile the XFree86 distribution, you need
      to modify your PATH appropriately so the ProWorks tools are available.
      Normally, they should be in /opt/SUNWspro/bin










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  6.  You MUST put /usr/ccs/bin at the front of your PATH. There are known
      problems with some GNU replacements for the utilities found there. So the
      /usr/ccs/bin versions of these programs must be found before any other
      possible GNU versions. (Most notably GNU 'ar' does not work during the
      build).

  7.  If you wish to use the "memory aperture" feature of the S3, and Mach32
      servers, you need to compile, and install the Solaris x86 aperture driver
      for memory mapped I/O support.  This driver is REQUIRED for the I128,
      P9000 and Mach 64 servers.

      You  need to set HasSolx86apertureDrv to YES in ~xc/con-
      fig/cf/xf86site.def.

       to enable the aperture driver.

      Under Solaris 2.5 and later, there's a system driver (/dev/xsvc that pro-
      vides this functionality. It will be detected automatically by the
      server, so you don't need to install the driver.

      For Solaris 2.1 and 2.4, the source for this driver is included in
      ~xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/etc/apSolx86.shar.  Building, and
      installing the driver is relatively straight forward. Please read its
      accompanying README file.


5.  Notes for running XFree86 on Solaris x86

  1.  If you have not made the Virtual Terminal devices, you will need to spec-
      ify the terminal device to run the Xserver on.  The correct device is
      vt00 so your xinit command would look like so:

                     xinit -- vt00


      If you have made the virtual terminal devices you do not need to specify
      the VT to run the Xserver on.

      To be able to run XF86Setup, you must at least create /dev/vt01. Other-
      wise XF86Setup won't start.

  2.  For Solaris you will probably want to set your LD_LIBRARY_PATH to
      /usr/X11R6/lib:/usr/openwin/lib:/usr/dt/lib.  Including /usr/X11R6/lib in
      your LD_LIBRARY_PATH is probably not necessary, however it doesn't hurt.
      :)

      Including /usr/openwin/lib in the LD_LIBRARY_PATH is recommended because
      some Sun supplied binaries were not compiled with LD_RUN_PATH set prop-
      erly at compile time.

      Motif and CDE applications may require /usr/dt/lib in your
      LD_LIBRARY_PATH too.










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  3.  Xqueue is NOT supported under Solaris.  The includes necessary for Xqueue
      are available, however the driver does not seem to be in the kernel. (Go
      figure)

  4.  If you want to use xdm with Solaris, extract the files from the shar file
      in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/etc/XdmConf.svr4 into a temporary directory. The
      README file tells where the individual files need to be installed.  Be
      sure to read through each file and make any site-specific changes that
      you need.


6.  Known bugs, and work arounds with Solaris x86

  1.  The Solaris 2.1 for x86 OpenWindows filemgr does not work against a X11R5
      Xserver, it probably will also not work against a X11R6 Xserver.
      Attempting to 'Drag and Drop' a file causes the filemgr to abort with a
      'X error'

      Solaris 2.4 does not have this problem.

      There is no known work around.


7.  Bug Notification

Bug reports need to be sent to XFree86@XFree86.org, or posted to the comp.win-
dows.x.i386unix newsgroup.  Questions or comments about the Solaris support, or
the Solaris distribution need to be made to davidh@use.com, or danson@lgc.com.

     Generated from XFree86: xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/doc/sgml/SOLX86.sgml,v 3.12.2.7 1998/11/07 13:37:49 dawes Exp $





     $XConsortium: SOLX86.sgml /main/7 1996/10/28 05:43:28 kaleb $


























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                                   CONTENTS



1. What is XFree86 .......................................................... 1

2. Solaris for x86, versions on which XFree86 3.3.3 has been tested ......... 1

3. The VT-switching sub-system in Solaris x86 ............................... 1

4. Notes for building XFree86 on Solaris x86 ................................ 3

5. Notes for running XFree86 on Solaris x86 ................................. 4

6. Known bugs, and work arounds with Solaris x86 ............................ 5

7. Bug Notification ......................................................... 5







































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$XFree86: xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/doc/README.SOLX86,v 3.20.2.9 1998/11/14 06:46:54 dawes Exp $
