Customizing Display Devices for AIX Common Desktop Environment

AIX Version 4.3 System Management Guide: Operating System and Devices

Customizing Display Devices for AIX Common Desktop Environment

You can configure AIX Common Desktop Environment Login Manager to run on systems with two or more display devices.

When a system includes multiple displays, the following configuration requirements must be met:

A server must be started on each display.
No Windows mode must be configured for each display.

It may be necessary or desirable to use different dtlogin resources for each display.

It may also be necessary or desirable to use different systemwide environment variables for each display device.

Starting the Server on Each Display Device

If the /etc/dt/config/Xservers file does not exist, copy the /usr/dt/config/Xservers file to the /etc/dt/config directory.
If you have to copy Xservers to /etc/dt/config, you must change the Dtlogin.servers: line in /etc/dt/config/Xconfig to:
```
Dtlogin*servers: /etc/dt/config/Xservers
```
Edit /etc/dt/config/Xservers to start an X server on each display device.

Syntax

The general syntax for starting the server is:

DisplayName DisplayClass DisplayType [ @ite ] Command

Only displays with an associated Internal Terminal Emulator (ITE) can operate in No Windows mode. No Windows mode temporarily disables the desktop for the display and runs a getty process if one is not already started. This allows you to log in and perform tasks not possible under AIX Common Desktop Environment. When you log out, the desktop is restarted for the display device. If a getty is not already running on a display device, Login Manager starts one when No Windows mode is initiated.

Default configuration

When ite is omitted, display:0 is associated with the ITE (/dev/console).

Specifying a Different Display as ITE

On the ITE display, set ITE to the character device.
On all other displays, set ITE to none.

Examples

The following entries in Xservers start a server on three local displays on sysaaa:0. Display :0 will be the console (ITE).

sysaaa:0 Local local /usr/bin/X11/X :0
sysaaa:1 Local local /usr/bin/X11/X :1
sysaaa:2 Local local /usr/bin/X11/X :2

On host sysbbb, the bitmap display :0 is not the ITE; the ITE is associated with device /dev/ttyi1. The following entries in Xservers start servers on the two bitmap displays with No Windows Mode enabled on :1.

sysaaa:0 Local local@none /usr/bin/X11/X :0
sysaaa:1 Local local@ttyi1 /usr/bin/X11/X :1

Specifying the Display Name in `Xconfig'

You cannot use regular hostname:0 syntax for the display name in /etc/opt/dt/Xconfig.

Use underscore in place of the colon.
In a fully qualified host name, use underscores in place of the periods.

Example

Dtlogin.claaa_0.resource: value
Dtlogin.sysaaa_prsm_ld_edu_0.resource: value

Using Different Login Manager Resources for Each Display

If the /etc/dt/config/Xconfig file does not exist, copy the /usr/dt/config/Xconfig file to the /etc/dt/config directory.
Use the resources resource in /etc/dt/config/Xconfig to specify a different resource file for each display (this file will be the equivalent to /etc/opt/dt/Xresources):
```
Dtlogin.DisplayName.resources: path/file 
```
Create each of the resource files specified in Xconfig.
In each file, place the dtlogin resources for that display.

Example

The following lines in Xconfig specify different resource files for three displays:

Dtlogin.sysaaa_0.resources: /etc/opt/dt/Xresources0
Dtlogin.sysaaa_1.resources: /etc/opt/dt/Xresources1
Dtlogin.sysaaa_2.resources: /etc/opt/dt/Xresources2

Running Different Scripts for Each Display

If the /etc/dt/config/Xconfig file does not exist, copy the /usr/dt/config/Xconfig file to the /etc/dt/config directory.
Use the startup, reset, and setup resources in /etc/dt/config/Xconfig to specify different scripts for each display (these files are run instead of Xstartup, Xreset, and Xsetup. file):
```
Dtlogin*DisplayName*sarttup: /path/file
Dtlogin*DisplayName*startup: /path/file
Dtlogin*DisplayName*startup: /path/file
```

The startup script is run as root after the user has logged in, before the AIX Common Desktop Environment session is started.

The script /etc/dt/config/Xreset can be used to reverse the setting made in Xstartup. Xreset runs when the user logs out.

Example

The following lines in Xconfig specify different scripts for two displays.

Dtlogin.sysaaa_0*startup:   /etc/opt/dt/Xstartup0
Dtlogin.sysaaa_1*startup:    /etc/opt/dt/Xstartup1
Dtlogin.sysaaa_0*setup:      /etc/opt/dt/Xsetup0
Dtlogin.sysaaa_1*setup:      /etc/opt/dt/Xsetup1
Dtlogin.sysaaa_0*reset:      /etc/opt/dt/Xreset0
Dtlogin.sysaaa_1*reset:      /etc/opt/dt/Xreset1

Setting Different Systemwide Environment Variables for Each Display

If the /etc/dt/config/Xconfig file does not exist, copy the /usr/dt/config/Xconfig file to the /etc/dt/config directory.
Set the environment resource in /etc/dt/config/Xconfig separately for each display:
```
Dtlogin*DisplayName*environment: value
```

The following points apply to environment variables for each display:

Separate variable assignments with a space or tab.
Do not use the environment resource to set TZ and LANG.
There is no shell processing within Xconfig.

Example

The following lines in Xconfig set variables for two displays.

Dtlogin*syshere_0*environment:EDITOR=vi SB_DISPLAY_ADDR=0xB00000
Dtlogin*syshere_1*environment: EDITOR=emacs \
         SB_DISPLAY_ADDR=0xB00000