IRIX and Software

I'm trying to place an image in illustrator but the place dialog box is being centered on a dual head system. As you can see its half on the left and half on the right. The prob is the drop downs aren't being filled, I get the drop down box but they're empty. This happens on the shut down system box and most other boxes/windows. In illustrator I can't move it either, It snaps back.

I spent some time tonight with the iPad and found this. This is what I was looking for - can't wait to make the change.

To launch an application in a specific location, add the “-geometry” option to the command line. For example, the following command opens a window with the upper left hand corner of the window 30 pixels from the left of the screen and 200 pixels from the top of the screen.

xterm -geometry +30+200

To place a window on the second display, add 1024 to the second number. For example:

xterm -geometry +30+1224

You can also set this X resource in $HOME/.Xdefaults. For example, the following command forces all xwsh windows to open with the upper left hand corner of the window 30 pixels from the left of the screen and 200 pixels from the top of the screen.

XWsh*geometry: +30+200

XWsh is the application's Classname.

Also, you can use the Window Setting Control Panel to set window locations explicitly or to their last (continuous) positions before logout. To do this, from the Toolchest choose Desktop > Customize > Windows.

I still haven't been able to make this change. The info above works for opening new shells at specific locations but the OS is still treating both monitors as one. In the Dual Head Installation Guide it states: During an interactive session with the Windows Manager, you can use the DISPLAY environment variable to control the head on which newly started graphics programs run. When the DISPLAY variable is set to :0.0, programs you start run on head 0 (the primary head); when it is set to :0.1, programs you start run on head 1. Where is this variable to be changed? It sounds like mine is set to a single head.

They mean the environment variable $DISPLAY -- as in:

I'm not sure changing that will help, but from a terminal window you could try setting it manually, then running Illustrator from the command line. Worst case it doesn't change the behavior, but perhaps if it starts with 0.1 it won't query for 0.0 and expand to use both...

Thanks, smj. It doesn't sound like much but it's a real b***h in illustrator (which I use quite a bit). Currently all dialog windows open dead center of the displays together as one so half the window is center left on the right monitor and center right on the left (see above image). For some reason with illustrator I can't move the window (I can in Photoshop though) and the drop downs in that window are buggy - are empty. All my system windows open half and half as well. The shut down window, dat dialog window.... All open in the center.

I wish I had some advice to give you! I suspect that making Illustrator obey normal X conventions (like Xresources) is a fool's errand, because it is not a native X application. It was ported with something called Quorum Latitude, which lets you compile Mac applications on Unix machines. So the application itself may not understand X displays enough to know what to do in this case.

The lone Illustrator release that Adobe did for IRIX is notoriously buggy, I agree with robespierre you might have hit upon one of the unresolvable bugs. Illustrator won't start at all on systems using VPro graphics, it hangs before even getting the splash screen up...

I suspect the OP uses a Dual channel, not a real dual-head configuration. In dual channel mode there is one continuous desktop so the dialog windows appear in the middle of it - right where the desktop splits. Lame, Just another reason why I'm getting rid of my DCD.

vishnu wrote: Illustrator won't start at all on systems using VPro graphics, it hangs before even getting the splash screen up...

beg to differ, monsewer


I had a similar problem on the O350 tho, but with PhotoShop. I am mistrusting the DPSNXagent thingy but who knows ...

vishnu wrote: Illustrator won't start at all on systems using VPro graphics, it hangs before even getting the splash screen up...

Have you already been there, done that in regards to ensuring all the required symlinks to dpsnx.agent are in place? (that post mentions IR graphics, but I had to do the same thing to get Illustrator running on the VPro systems).

vishnu wrote: The lone Illustrator release that Adobe did for IRIX is notoriously buggy, I agree with robespierre you might have hit upon one of the unresolvable bugs. Illustrator won't start at all on systems using VPro graphics, it hangs before even getting the splash screen up...

This isn't just an illustrator issue, all my windows open in the center. Every time I shut it down I have to move the Shut Down dialog window cause it's centered. Almost everything opens centered.

Just playing around with it, the Desktop Environment Setup window, System shut down, Restart, infosearch, Display Properties... all open centered. But things like Audio Control, Icon catalog, new shells... open fine.

hamei wrote: I had a similar problem on the O350 tho, but with PhotoShop. I am mistrusting the DPSNXagent thingy but who knows ...

recondas wrote: Have you already been there, done that in regards to ensuring all the required symlinks to dpsnx.agent are in place? (that post mentions IR graphics, but I had to do the same thing to get Illustrator running on the VPro systems).

You guys are a regular education! Thanks for the info I'll give it a try as soon as I get to the homestead. The lone Octane we still have here at work doesn't have Illustrator installed...

I suspect the OP uses a Dual channel, not a real dual-head configuration. In dual channel mode there is one continuous desktop so the dialog windows appear in the middle of it - right where the desktop splits. Lame, Just another reason why I'm getting rid of my DCD.

The DCD issue is very annoying, is an X extension/architectural issue, and could be addressed in theory by means of an X11 proxy at the expense of direct-rendering (ie. you have to suck it up and use work-arounds/app defaults).

You guys are a regular education! Thanks for the info I'll give it a try as soon as I get to the homestead. The lone Octane we still have here at work doesn't have Illustrator installed...

I think after IRIX 6.5.22 you have to use the Adobe-provided DPS from the Illustrator CD.

Axatax_ wrote:

You guys are a regular education! Thanks for the info I'll give it a try as soon as I get to the homestead. The lone Octane we still have here at work doesn't have Illustrator installed...

I think after IRIX 6.5.22 you have to use the Adobe-provided DPS from the Illustrator CD.

I guess that's why they call it the blues...

One problem is that unless the application was compiled to use NXagent, it will only work when a true DPS extension is present. This might have something to do with the font problem also...

robespierre wrote: This might have something to do with the font problem also...

My problem with fonts, anyway, is opposite to this. They work perfect in Display Postscript apps but crash X. My DPS apps have not worked this well in years. Give that DPSNXAgent thingy the boot !

Gotta try installing a scalable font or two in just X and see what happens.

SGI moved to x.org from whatever they were using somewhere in the 6.5 series. I'll bet that's why DPS was sh*tcanned -- it's just not part of x.org.

I, surprisingly, have no font issues. Okay, an occasional panic but relatively stable for the most part. The damn centered windows though.......

Just curious, No one else drives two monitors?

Vladio wrote: I, surprisingly, have no font issues. Okay, an occasional panic ...

Hmm. DPSNX ? Shouldn't get panics.

No one else drives two monitors?

Did that for quite a while but they were both on the same panel so it didn't matter. The dcd is two channels but only one head so you don't have the same kind of control you would over a dual-head setup. Plus Illustrious wasn't really written as an Irix application, it's a cheapass port of an Apple program, so ... you may have to just drag the menus where you like after they pop up.

This is where Inkscape should come in, you could actually fix it or get it fixed. But it's such an abortion that that's out of the question

You could start work on it tho, if you got bored