VGX and setmonitor(3g)

[Kurt Akeley]

In article <9008020229.AA22321 at chem.chem.ucsd.edu>, sdempsey at UCSD.EDU
(Steve Dempsey) writes:
|> system: 4D/340VGX
|> OS:	IRIX 3.3
|> 
|> I have just discovered (the hard way) that calling setmonitor on VGX
|> machines is dangerous.  The bug is documented at the very end of
|> of the setmonitor(3g) man page, and I quote:
|> 
|>     BUGS
|> 	IRIS-4D VGX models may hang the graphics pipe, resulting in failure of
|> 	all running programs including the window manager, when setmonitor is
|> 	called while other graphics processes are running.
|> 
|> This bug is NOT mentioned in the 3.3 release notes, or in the 1.0 StereoView
|> release notes.
|> 
|> Needless to say, this has put a damper on my attempts to use
StereoView on our
|> new 340VGX.  There seems to be a catch-22 situation here, since I can't
|> reliably call 'setmonitor' when graphics are running, yet there is always
|> some graphics process running.  The questions:
|> 
|> 1. Will this bug be fixed in the real 3.3 (3.3.1) IRIX release that's
|>    supposed to arrive any day now?

Yes!  This bug is corrected in the 3.3.1 release.

|> 
|> 2. Is it known when it's 'safe' to call setmonitor on VGX machines?

While running 3.3.0 it is safe only when no other program is actually doing
graphics.  Since this is hard to insure, it really is never safe.

|>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------
|> Steve Dempsey						       (619) 534-0208
|> Dept. of Chemistry Computer Facility, B-014	   INTERNET:   sdempsey at ucsd.edu
|> University of Calif. at San Diego		     BITNET:   sdempsey at ucsd
|> La Jolla, CA 92093				       UUCP:   ucsd!sdempsey

-- kurt