How to change the resolution of your sun box? How to change it remotely?

/usr/sbin/m64config <-- changes the resolution of the PCX graphics card
/usr/sbin/fbconfig <-- changes the resolution of an Elite m3 (likely m6 as well) graphics card

WARNING: Changing the screen mode to a non-supported setting COULD DAMAGE YOUR MONITOR! These instructions work for me but may not for you - use at your own risk!

Examples

Show me some help:
 m64config -help
 fbconf -help

Output the current configuration and supported resolutions:
 m64config -prconf

This will immediately change the PCX graphics card to use the described resolution:
 m64config -res 1024x768x75 now nocheck noconfirm

This will immediately change the Elite graphics card to use the described resolution and colour bit depth:
 fbconfig -depth 24 -res 1152x900x66 now nocheck noconfirm

FAQs

1. What do I do if my screen is corrupt after changing the display? - log out and back in or reboot;
2. What do I do if I change my resolution to an unsupported value? - always use the -prconf switch to check the valid resolutions for your device, however see below for a neat get out of jail card:

Changing the resolution remotely

Just imagine... you are busy testing version 1.0 of ReallyExcellentApp and need to perform a test on a different screen resolution. You perform:

fbconfig -res 1600x1200x85

and *bzzzt* your monitor is just showing static. What can you do?

Well, assuming you need access to what's on-screen try the following remote recovery method:

1. On a second computer open up a shell prompt and: ssh -l
2. One you have established an ssh connection type: su
3. Enter your password and now type: /usr/sbin/fbconfig -res 1024x768x75 now nocheck noconfirm
4. This will set the resolution back to a displayable value.
5. Breathe out *phew!* You can now recover your test data.

Setting the resolution remotely allows you greater control over client computers when configuring for automated tests.

I'd like to introduce you to a term I just made up: "CV Testing".

To me this is a term used when someone applies for a job and hasn't read their CV. Comments such as:
        "Does my CV say that?", or
        "I've never heard of it" (but it's on your CV...)
are probably not the best way to get a job.

Unfortunately some of the interviews for potential testers that I've been involved in over the years have gone this way, which is a shame, as an otherwise good candidate is let down by what appears to be pure fabrication, given that anything written on their CV is "fair game" in an interview. This includes hobbies and interests... "so Mr X tell me about your experiences in the world of supercharged snail racing?"

I decided I needed to up my Sun Solaris knowledge (call me a geek if u will) for "potential testing purposes"...honest.

Anyway, if you are in the UK and are on the look out for a cheap but fully functional Sun box to learn more about these computers take a look at ebay and user ID tima441. I managed to pick up a fully functioning box for a very good price from Tim:

Sun Ultra 10  440mhz SPARC-IIi
1024mb RAM (the faster 50ns variety)
9.1gb HDD
Elite3D m3 gfx

Do go say hi - he seems to be a great chap; very helpful and sourced me just what I needed.

Now can someone explain why Sun keyboards have the Control and Caps Lock buttons swapped around?

Shameless plug... Ethical WebSites <-- That's me:)

Developing web sites is my second job (Testing is first ofc!)

Having my foot in both the development and test camps has really helped me understand the issues that both sides of the coin can face.

Have you noticed that there are plenty of schools teaching "Computer Science" but none that I know of teach "Testing Science"? (Let me know if I am wrong.)

After several years of professional testing experience in a variety of companies I remember back to an interview at a previous company in which I was asked "Why do you want to be a Tester? .. You clearly are intelligent enough to be a Developer" - grrrrr! Funnily enough I took the job, and spent the next 18 months re-educating the management of the company:

1. Testing is no different from any other science because Test Engineers use established scientific methodologies (planning, hypothesising, testing through experimentation, documenting results, peer reviews, etc);
2. Test Engineers have equal ability to the Software Engineers that they work with - you know it, I know it... but there are still many that don't;)
3. Test Professionals are (or should be!) trained to the same high and exacting standards as other Professionals.
   

I strongly see testing as a science. I know that many also see it as an art form, but to be honest the same could be said of development. Why am I a Test Engineer? Because IMHO I have the opportunity to practice the traditional scientific process that I was educated in as a part of my university degree (BSc (hons) Environmental Science in case you wondered).

I am a Tester and I am a Scientist - cool :)

I found this great article at sunmanagers.org that let me export my new Sun box's X-Windows desktop via Xsession to my iMac - yep the whole thing appears in real-time on the glorious 1440x900 display.

However it took some time to get working. My revised instructions are below:

1. On the Mac open System Preferences | Sharing
2. Check SSH to allow such packets through your firewall
3. Load X11 on the Mac (Applications | Utilities | X11)
4. Open two terminal windows from the Applications menu
5. In window one enter in sequence, pressing enter at the end of each line:

bash
rm /tmp/.X0-lock (I found Xquartz would fail to start if I did not remove this file first on each occasion)
y
export DISPLAY=:0.0
/usr/X11R6/bin/Xquartz -xinerama

6. Wait till the following is shown:

Screen 0 added: 1440x900 @ (0,0)
Screen 0 placed at X11 coordinate (0,0)

7. Now in the second terminal window enter:

bash
ssh -l [username] -X [ip] (eg: ssh -l jsmith -X 192.168.0.2)
[enter your password]
/usr/dt/bin/Xsession

The Solaris desktop should now open on your Mac - if this takes more than about 2 minutes (I typically find it takes ~30 seconds) then quit X11 and try again. If you are still stuck feel free to email me, colin[at]ethicalwebsites.com and I'll try to help.

You will be logged into the desktop with the same user you specified in the ssh command, and have all associated permissions.

This has been tested on Mac OS X 10.4.5 on PowerPC and Sun Solaris 10 on SPARC.

If you are a Test Engineer and reading this, this is a great way to save on all those messy KVMs to be able to access any *nix (Solaris, Unix, BSD, Linux...) box and get a nice GUI to play with:)

A series of blog entries describing how to perform various tasks on Sun Solaris.

These are written in a more conversational style than the average man page to aid those less familiar with the platform to be able to apply some useful techniques to solving every day problems.

All suggestions are provided AS IS. The reader accepts all liability for any mistakes in the instructions and code examples.

Please message me if you spot any errors!

Yes, keeping true to the traditions of Testing my first entry is a simple test of this new (and seemingly great) blog tool provided by SQA Forums / SQA Blogs .com