SVR5 SCO OpenServer 5, and AIX 5L

x11perf(1Mcert)

x11perf -- test performance of graphic adapter driver on specific system hardware

Synopsis

x11perf [-all] [-range <test1> [,<test2>]] [-display <host:display>] [-sync] [-time <sec>] [-repeat <iterations>] [-pack] [-labels] [-fg] [-bg] [-clips <default>] [-ddbg] [-pm <pm0 pm1 ...>] [-depth <depth>] [-vclass <class>] [-reps <num>] [-subs <s0 s1 ...>] [-su] [-bs <backing_store_hint>] [-<test_name>] [-rop <raster_ops>] [-v1.2] [-v1.3]

Description

x11perf tests the relative speed of your graphic adapter driver on a specific graphic adapter and computer combination. Use it to verify incremental performance improvements when an acceleration routine is added or tuned. Use x11perf with xbench(1Mcert) for flooding the graphic adapter card with drawing requests.

Options

The following options can be supplied in any order:

-all: Run all tests.
-range <test1> [,<test2>]: Similar to -all, but do <test1> to <test2>
-display <host:display>: X server to contact.
-sync: Run the tests in synchronous mode.
-time <sec>: Number of seconds each iteration should run; default value is 5.
-repeat <num>: number of iterations to run; default value is 5.
-pack: Pack rectangles right next to each other.
-labels: Generate test labels for use by fillblnk.
-fg: Foreground color to use.
-bg: Background color to use.
-clips <default>: Number of clip windows per test.
-ddbg: Background color to use for DoubleDash.
-pm <pm0 pm1 ...>: Use the specified planemasks to draw; default is ~0.
-depth <depth>: Use a visual with <depth> planes per pixel.
-vclass <class>: Visual class to use; default is root.
-reps <num>: Fix the rep count; default is auto scale.
-subs <s0 s1 ...>: List of the number of sub-windows to use.
-su: Request save unders on windows.
-bs <backing_store_hint>: Specify a hint for backing store. Valid values are WhenMapped, Always, and NotUseful (default).
-<test_name>: Specify individual tets. For a complete list of valid names, run x11perf with no arguments.
-rop <raster_ops>: raster ops to use. Valid values are GXcopy and GXxor. The default is Gxcopy; the most common usage is to specify both.
-v1.2: Perform only v1.2 tests using old semantics.
-v1.3: Perform only v1.3 tests using old semantics.

Usage

x11perf(1Mcert) is the officially preferred tool for measuring X server performance. x11perf attempts to run through most of the X drawing operations and characterizes how many of these operations the X server can perform in a given period of time. x11perf allows the user to specify a number of important Graphics Context (GC) modifications including colors, planemask, and GXcopy and GXxor (the two main raster ops used by X clients). When undertaking a server port using the link kit, the driver writer typically investigates x11perf output to determine areas where the X server has inadequate performance.

x11perf includes tools that allow you to compare every drawing operation against an x11perf run from another X server to find out where differences exist between servers. x11perf can also be used to classify X server performance in general areas such as terminal emulation, or drawing many large objects, or many small objects.

Note that x11perf takes a significant amount of time, even when run with small values for -time and -repeat.

x11perf can also be run using RunTests(1Mcert).

Example

The following command line runs x11perf quickly, as a first pass integrity check of the X server with your driver configured:

   x11perf -all -time 1 -repeat 2 -rop GXcopy GXxor

If that quick run works properly, run x11perf for a longer stress test of the X server with the following command:

   x11perf -all -time 3 -repeat 3 -rop GXcopy GXxor

To run x11perf through the RunTests(1Mcert) test harness:

SVR5 and SCO OpenServer 5

   $ cd /usr/xlink/Xserver/tests/x11perf
   $ ./RunTests -q           # for the quick run
   $ ./RunTests              # for the thorough test

Results are archived in the ./results file in the tests/x11perf directory.

AIX 5L

   $ cd <test_archive>/x11perf
   $cp /usr/ddk/src/native/nfb/tools/x11perf/x11perf .
   $cp /usr/ddk/src/native/nfb/tools/x11perf/RunTests .
   $ ./RunTests -q		# for the quick run
   $ ./RunTests		# for the thorough test

<test_archive> is usually a subdirectory to the <working_directory> where the source code is developed but can be any directory on the system. Results are archived in the ./results file in the <test_archive>/x11perf directory.

Installation

The x11perf test is included in the xtests package that can be downloaded from the HDK homepage or installed from the HDK CD-ROM.

Version applicability

NFB graphical drivers for SVR5 and SCO OpenServer 5, and AIX 5L.

Differences between versions

The SCO OpenServer 5 syntax is:

cd /xtests/xperf/x11perf.SCO
RunTests
[rm summary*]
make -k summary

References

RunTests(1Mcert), xbench(1Mcert)

``Performance testing'' in Developing NFB graphics adapter drivers
``NFB driver coding guidelines'' in Developing NFB graphics adapter drivers