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I finally bought a new workstaion. I decided on
OpenBSD
, so bought from a vendor listed on their website,
ASA Computers
, since they said they could deliver a box with obsd installed.
I threw 'em a curve, though. I will be using it to do a lot
of network monitoring while I work, and I already keep a zillion
windows open, so I decided that now is the time to finally
switch to flat panels, and configure a triple head X display
using three,
ViewSonic VG810s LCD's.
I also decided that since this would be my personal workstation,
and since I can push a system pretty hard, I opted for a few
extras:
- 3ghz Pentium 4
- Intel 856PERL motherboard
- 1gb RAM
- 160gb 7200RPM IDE disk
- DVD-RW
- (3) ATI Video cards
- Intel GigE NIC in addition to the one on the mobo
Even with all this, the price from ASA was very reasonable.
I dealt with Abhi, and and engineer, Dinesh. Both were extremely
patient and helpful. Unfortunately, they couldn't find a card
that would do triple-head under OpenBSD 3.4. We finally gave up,
and I told 'em to just drop in three el cheapo PCI video cards,
and I'd finish up the X configuration.
I was impressed by the fact that, although I told Abhi that I was
willing to pay for their time trying to get the video working - they
had spent days on it, they reduced the price when they
removed the fancy triple-output video card. Abhi said, "Since we
didn't get it working, we're not going to charge you." This is my
first time dealing with these folks, and already I'm really
impressed by their customer service!
I was slightly disappointed when the box actually arrived... It
was a bare minimum obsd install, X wasn't configured, the onboard
sound wasn't recognized, and there were messages about one of the
USB devices not configured. I played with it for about an hour, then
blew it away and tried
FreeBSD 4.9.
It had issues with the second
NIC, and the sound. Besides, it reminded me of linux with the polluted
process table full of kernel processes. Sheesh, add kernel modules,
and it starts looking like another version of Unix written by
Windoze programmers.
I next tried
NetBSD 1.6.2.
More problems. There were several other things about the OS that
I didn't like. Oh well... Time to have a go at OpenBSD 3.5...
The install was wicked fast, so I spent an entire Saturday
configuring the new box. I had to disable the onboard sound, and
install a card, but X configured quickly, and everything seems to
work just fine.
Well, almost everything. Notice below that one of
the USB devices isn't recognized, and neither is the firewire
controller. Sigh. Glad I don't own any firewire devices. Then, too,
obsd doesn't utilize the hyperthreading in the cpu. Luckily, you couldn't
tell by me. It's way faster than the 2.4ghz P4 laptop I use at work all day.
Here's the dmesg output:
OpenBSD 3.5 (GENERIC) #34: Mon Mar 29 12:24:55 MST 2004
deraadt@i386.openbsd.org:/usr/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/GENERIC
cpu0: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz ("GenuineIntel" 686-class) 3 GHz
cpu0: FPU,V86,DE,PSE,TSC,MSR,PAE,MCE,CX8,APIC,SEP,MTRR,PGE,MCA,CMOV,PAT,PSE36,CFLUSH,ACPI,MMX,FXSR,SSE,SSE2,SS,HTT,TM,SBF,CNXT-ID
real mem = 1072414720 (1047280K)
avail mem = 989081600 (965900K)
using 4278 buffers containing 53723136 bytes (52464K) of memory
mainbus0 (root)
bios0 at mainbus0: AT/286+(00) BIOS, date 08/28/03, BIOS32 rev. 0 @ 0xf0010
apm0 at bios0: Power Management spec V1.2
apm0: AC on, battery charge unknown
pcibios0 at bios0: rev. 2.1 @ 0xf0000/0x10000
pcibios0: PCI IRQ Routing Table rev. 1.0 @ 0xf3d20/224 (12 entries)
pcibios0: PCI Interrupt Router at 000:31:0 ("Intel 82801EB/ER LPC" rev 0x00)
pcibios0: PCI bus #3 is the last bus
WARNING: can't reserve area for BIOS PROM.
bios0: ROM list: 0xc0000/0x8000 0xc8000/0x1800 0xc9800/0x1000
pci0 at mainbus0 bus 0: configuration mode 1 (no bios)
pchb0 at pci0 dev 0 function 0 "Intel 82865G/PE/P CPU-I/0-1" rev 0x02
ppb0 at pci0 dev 1 function 0 "Intel 82865G/PE/P CPU-AGP" rev 0x02
pci1 at ppb0 bus 1
ppb1 at pci0 dev 3 function 0 "Intel 82865G/PE/P CPU-CSA" rev 0x02
pci2 at ppb1 bus 2
em0 at pci2 dev 1 function 0 "Intel PRO/1000 (82547EI)" rev 0x00: irq 5, address: 00:0c:f1:ad:cb:2d
uhci0 at pci0 dev 29 function 0 "Intel 82801EB/ER USB" rev 0x02: irq 9
usb0 at uhci0: USB revision 1.0
uhub0 at usb0
uhub0: Intel UHCI root hub, class 9/0, rev 1.00/1.00, addr 1
uhub0: 2 ports with 2 removable, self powered
uhci1 at pci0 dev 29 function 1 "Intel 82801EB/ER USB" rev 0x02: irq 3
usb1 at uhci1: USB revision 1.0
uhub1 at usb1
uhub1: Intel UHCI root hub, class 9/0, rev 1.00/1.00, addr 1
uhub1: 2 ports with 2 removable, self powered
uhci2 at pci0 dev 29 function 2 "Intel 82801EB/ER USB" rev 0x02: irq 5
usb2 at uhci2: USB revision 1.0
uhub2 at usb2
uhub2: Intel UHCI root hub, class 9/0, rev 1.00/1.00, addr 1
uhub2: 2 ports with 2 removable, self powered
uhci3 at pci0 dev 29 function 3 "Intel 82801EB/ER USB" rev 0x02: irq 9
usb3 at uhci3: USB revision 1.0
uhub3 at usb3
uhub3: Intel UHCI root hub, class 9/0, rev 1.00/1.00, addr 1
uhub3: 2 ports with 2 removable, self powered
"Intel 82801EB/ER USB" rev 0x02 at pci0 dev 29 function 7 not configured
ppb2 at pci0 dev 30 function 0 "Intel 82801BA AGP" rev 0xc2
pci3 at ppb2 bus 3
vga1 at pci3 dev 0 function 0 "ATI Rage XL" rev 0x27
wsdisplay0 at vga1: console (80x25, vt100 emulation)
wsdisplay0: screen 1-5 added (80x25, vt100 emulation)
"ATI Rage XL" rev 0x27 at pci3 dev 1 function 0 not configured
"ATI Rage XL" rev 0x27 at pci3 dev 2 function 0 not configured
eap0 at pci3 dev 3 function 0 "Ensoniq AudioPCI97" rev 0x08: irq 3
ac97: codec id 0x43525913 (Cirrus Logic CS4297A rev 3)
ac97: codec features headphone, 20 bit DAC, 18 bit ADC, Crystal Semi 3D
audio0 at eap0
fxp0 at pci3 dev 4 function 0 "Intel 82557" rev 0x0c: irq 5, address 00:03:47:e3:ca:91
inphy0 at fxp0 phy 1: i82555 10/100 media interface, rev. 4
"AT&T/Lucent FW322 1394" rev 0x61 at pci3 dev 7 function 0 not configured
pcib0 at pci0 dev 31 function 0 "Intel 82801EB/ER LPC" rev 0x02
pciide0 at pci0 dev 31 function 1 "Intel 82801EB/ER IDE" rev 0x02: DMA, channel 0 configured to compatibility, channel 1 configured to compatibility
atapiscsi0 at pciide0 channel 0 drive 0
scsibus0 at atapiscsi0: 2 targets
cd0 at scsibus0 targ 0 lun 0: SCSI0 5/cdrom removable
cd0(pciide0:0:0): using PIO mode 4, Ultra-DMA mode 2
wd0 at pciide0 channel 1 drive 0:
wd0: 16-sector PIO, LBA48, 152627MB, 312581808 sectors
wd0(pciide0:1:0): using PIO mode 4, Ultra-DMA mode 5
"Intel 82801EB/ER SMBus" rev 0x02 at pci0 dev 31 function 3 not configured
isa0 at pcib0
isadma0 at isa0
pckbc0 at isa0 port 0x60/5
pckbd0 at pckbc0 (kbd slot)
pckbc0: using irq 1 for kbd slot
wskbd0 at pckbd0: console keyboard, using wsdisplay0
pmsi0 at pckbc0 (aux slot)
pckbc0: using irq 12 for aux slot
wsmouse0 at pmsi0 mux 0
pcppi0 at isa0 port 0x61
midi0 at pcppi0:
sysbeep0 at pcppi0
lpt0 at isa0 port 0x378/4 irq 7
npx0 at isa0 port 0xf0/16: using exception 16
pccom0 at isa0 port 0x3f8/8 irq 4: ns16550a, 16 byte fifo
fdc0 at isa0 port 0x3f0/6 irq 6 drq 2
fd0 at fdc0 drive 0: 1.44MB 80 cyl, 2 head, 18 sec
biomask c268 netmask c268 ttymask d2ea
pctr: user-level cycle counter enabled
dkcsum: wd0 matched BIOS disk 80
root on wd0a
rootdev=0x0 rrootdev=0x300 rawdev=0x302
clock: unknown CMOS layout
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Check out this screenshot from a triple-head X system. Working on
a 3840x1024 display is going to spoil me in no time. Click the
image below to get the, huge, full-size version. The XF86Config
contents follows.
![[image]](screenshot.jpg)
Man, X sure has gotten a whole lot easier to configure.
I was surprised to find that glxgears gets 100 to 150 fps!
Here's the XF86Config:
# generated with: X -configure
# dave@grox.net - Mon May 17 21:41:26 EDT 2004
# for (3) ATI Rage XL w/8mb RAM and (3) ViewSonic VG810s LCD's
# **********************************************************************
Section "Module"
Load "dbe" # Double buffer extension
SubSection "extmod"
Option "omit xfree86-dga" # don't initialise the DGA extension
EndSubSection
Load "type1"
Load "speedo"
Load "freetype"
# Load "xtt" # conflicts with freetype
Load "glx"
Load "dri"
EndSection
Section "Files"
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/ghostscript/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/freefont/"
ModulePath "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"
EndSection
Section "ServerFlags"
Option "Xinerama" "True"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard1"
Driver "Keyboard"
Option "AutoRepeat" "500 30"
Option "RightAlt" "Meta"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "wsmouse"
Option "Device" "/dev/wsmouse"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "left"
HorizSync 30 - 82
VertRefresh 50 - 75
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "center"
HorizSync 30 - 82
VertRefresh 50 - 75
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "right"
HorizSync 30 - 82
VertRefresh 50 - 75
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "Standard VGA"
VendorName "Unknown"
BoardName "Unknown"
Driver "ati"
BusID "PCI:3:0:0"
#VideoRam 8192
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "ati"
Driver "ati"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "left"
Driver "ati"
BusID "PCI:3:0:0"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "center"
Driver "ati"
BusID "PCI:3:1:0"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "right"
Driver "ati"
BusID "PCI:3:2:0"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "left"
Device "left"
Monitor "left"
DefaultDepth 24
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "center"
Device "center"
Monitor "center"
DefaultDepth 24
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "right"
Device "right"
Monitor "right"
DefaultDepth 24
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Simple Layout"
Screen 0 "left" 0 0
Screen 1 "center" RightOf "left"
Screen 2 "right" RightOf "center"
InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection
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updated: Mon May 17 21:54:28 EDT 2004
...dave
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Dave's Online Memory
![[image]](screenshot3840x1024.jpg)