When will HP support X Virtual Frame Buffer (Xvbf) -> Now !

[Alex Glennie]

just install the latest Xserver cumulative patch

PHSS_23546 (11.xx) or PHSS_23535 (10.20)

Defect Description:
PHSS_23546:
Resolution:
- JAGad34310: ER: Supported virtual framebuffer wanted

[Kenneth Platz]

Alex,

Yep, you're right. I found this in the /usr/lib/X11/Xserver/info/screens/hp file:

# ServerMode
# This server option places the X server in either "XPrint",
# "XVideo", or "XVfb" (Virtual Frame Buffer) mode; "XVideo" is the
# default behavior. X Print is an X extension supporting management
# of networked printers. Virtual Frame Buffer mode runs a server
# which requires no display hardware or physical input devices;
# it emulates a dumb framebuffer by using virtual memory.
# Use of the "XPrint" or "XVfb" modes disables the normal video
# output mode of the X server. It is necessary to start two
# X servers to have one of those functionalities together with
# video output. To do this run each invocation with a different
# display identifier. You may run 3 separate servers if all 3
# functionalities are desired.
#
# A server running in XVfb mode recognizes additional
# command-line arguments; see the man page for Xserver(1).

[Stefan Farrelly]

Wow, unbelieveable. I shall run around the office cheering with my hands raised:-)

Now, what does Xvbf do in simple terms for the uninitiated ??

[Kenneth Platz · Accepted solution]

Stephen,

Xvfb, or "X Virtual Frame Buffer" is an X server that draws to an area of memory instead of drawing to an actual screen.

Why is this useful, you may ask? Well, the X server has a number of useful capabilities that do not involve actually drawing to the screen. In fact, there are a number of applications out there that will open up a connection to the X server, tell the X server to render to a pixmap, convert that pixmap to some useful other format, such as JPEG, GIF, or PNG (several Web- and Java- based applications do this). In the past, the only *supported* means of doing this was to purchase a graphics card for your server and run an X server on that graphics card.

[Alex Glennie]

Stefan ..... install the patch then man xvbf ;)

However have a read of XWINKBRC00004791 it explains all.

The reason for the post .....daily emails asking for the pre-compiled binaries since I inadvertantly left a copy of my email address on this site.

[Paul Kapelanski]

I downloaded & installed PHSS_23546, but I don't see /sbin/init.d/xvfb. Wasn't this binary supposed to be created after installing the patch?

[Alex Glennie]

No- but I think it was an oversight ! you could use the info in the TKB doc : XWINKBRC00004791 and choose to use it's starup config scripts ? from doc .....


How to acquire and install the Xvfb server

Xvfb can be downloaded in SD (Software Depot) format from the following FTP site:

FTP Site
:
hprc.external.hp.com (192.170.19.51)
User ID
:
xgraphic
Password
:
xgraphic
HP-UX 10.20
Depot
:
10.20/Xvfb.depot.gz
HP-UX 11.00
Depot
:
11.00/Xvfb-11.depot.gz

[Paul Kapelanski]

I have that document, and I went to the download site but that Xvfb-11.depot.gz file is no longer there. I thought maybe they removed it because it was now incorporated in the patch. Do you know any other sites where it may be? I already tried a Google search, but no luck so far.

This is what I can see in the 11.00 subdirectory:
B6268AA.removed
big_cursor.pcf.gz
lsof64.gz
motif_libs.tar.gz
setmon_1.7.gz
tusc.gz
xev.gz