Flashing colors when using XFree86 with IC5.0

Hi,

before I start reading about and trying to find the techfile that
control what colors are being used with icms in default startup, I
would like to know if this would help with my problem at all.

I use a pc with linux and xfree86 and a standard graphics card as a
front-end to solaris and ic50. With standard setup I have the flashing
color problem that many describe in this newsgroup. So far I have got
the impression that theonly way to solve this problem is to buy a
Matrox card and Accelerated X. Is it not possible to modify the tech
file to only use colors that do not blink? I am currently mostly using
awd in stand alone mode and do not have the problem that a techfile
has to be 100% compatible with the implementing technology, main goal
for now is to be able to use a hi-res monitor to inspect analog
signals.

will modifying the techfile solve the problem?

 

I use nVidia card and drivers without this problem. I have installed
IC50 on three different configurations. MX440 card is good and cost
effective. 8MByte ST128 has background colour problem(Outside of
IC50). FX5200 is more expensive than MX440 and on Linux offers the
same performance because 8x AGP is not available yet.

I recommend Suse 8.2 with MX440 graphics card and default drivers set
to 24 bit colour mode.

I use Solaris on a Sun and can't offer any suggestions on a PC.

JNB

 

You can modify the definitions in a file named "display.drf" so that
there are no blinking colours or markers.

Here is an example from a "display.drf" we have changed.

( display markerWarn X solid blinkYellow
blinkYellow X )
to:
( display markerWarn X solid yellow
yellow X )

We changed all definitions that included blink to non blink colours. And
it works fine for us.

/Andreas

/Andreas

 

Actually, with IC5.0 all you need to do is change your root visual to
24-plane TrueColor.

The Matrox card and Accelerated-X is only necessary if you want to avoid
color flashing with IC4.4.6 or previous. If you set your root visual to
24-plane TrueColor, with XFree86 you won't be able to run IC4.4.6, but
IC5.0 will run.

-Pete Zakel
()

"Religion isn't knowing the answers; it's knowing there are answers."

 

Sorry, but this is not true. Pete knows best because he implemented it!

Only IC50 and above support 24 plane visuals directly (even if there is no
8 plane pseudocolor visual). IC442->IC446 support 24 plane root windows provided
that the X server supports an 8 plane pseudocolor visual.
xfree86 doesn't (at least this used to be true, I'm assuming it still is)
provide 8 plane psuedocolor visuals when in 24 plane root window mode, so
if you're using IC446 with it, you need to switch to 8 plane root window - and
that's when you end up with the color flashing.

Regards,

Andrew.

 

Without access to the actual linux box I have to ask if the "TrueColor"
mentioned above is the key to the problem. I have xfree86 4.2 that comes
with apt-get dist-upgrade in debian unstable/testing /and/ I had to change
the settings to 24 bit in order to get IC to run at all ( I had 16-bit to
save memory, but then IC50 doesn't start.)

For the record, on http://www.xfree86.org/4.2.1/XF86Config.5.html in the
section on Visual, TrueColor is listed as one of the alternatives. I know
that I don't have that option set on the linux workstation, yet ...

 

As a developer on the edge I cannot emphasize enough that debian is better
if you have a fast connection to the 'net. Suse live from selling upgrades,
thus every now and then you need to do a reinstall in case you want to have
the latest kde. I used Suse from 6.0 to 7.3 and then I didn't want to buy a
DVD-player just to install.

If you can live with CDE 1.4 and the extremely low utilization of an
excelent CRT monitor, then I agree. I have some years of experience with
Sun, and the only reason to buy was that the in-house tool run on it (and
later Cadence) ...

 

Well, no luck. The Visual "TrueColor" is default, so I already had
true-color display. Color are still flashing. Turning back to backup
solution with X-Win32 and pseudocolors, *sigh*

 

Are you *sure* 24-bit TrueColor is the root visual? You should verify with
xdpyinfo. You can also use xwininfo to check the visual being used by DFII
windows.

-Pete Zakel
()

"The hearing ear is always found close to the speaking tongue, a custom
whereof the memory of man runneth not howsomever to the contrary, nohow."

 

Could you please talk a little bit more on this issue. Why Debian is
better? Most of the EDA vendor standardize on RH.
Thanx

 

I have it working an a redhat 7.2 laptop with a 24 bit root visual.
I upgraded to xfree 4.3 and use olvwm. The graphics adapter is a ATI
Radeon Mobility M6L. It is slow when scolling through a layout. It
works for a second and then stops for half a second, if I'm trying to
run through that.

I already tried:
setenv XTAPPPEEKEVENT_SKIPTIMER 1
But that didn't change.

If I go remotly to a Sun the same problem occurs...
I therefore think that somethings wrong with the graphics adapter
setup?

Maybee someone could comment on the following settings out of
XF86Config
Section "Module"
Load "GLcore"
Load "dbe"
Load "extmod"
Load "fbdevhw"
Load "pex5"
Load "dri"
Load "glx"
Load "pex5"
Load "record"
Load "xie"
EndSection

Regards, Harald