[rescue] What (dual head) graphics for AIX 4.x?

[Jochen Kunz]

Hi.

Now that I got that mystical AIX 4.3.2 for my Bull Escala T604e [1]
I am thinking of using it as my main workstation. Currently I am using
an Alpha PWS 500au with Tru64 for this purpose. I wane try somthing
new after playing Tru64 for over a year and I have no AIX knowledge. 
Somthing I wane change. 

As the Escala has only a poor Cirrus VGA chip[2] for graphics on its
system planar, I need somthing better. I want at least 1280 x 1024 
with 24 bitplanes. Two of them, i.e. dual head configuration. 
I need good 2D performance for the usual day to day work. 
I have SGIs for 3D stuff. ;-)

Has anyone experience with a dual head configuration on AIX 4?
Does AIX combine the two heads in one screen, i.e. $DISPLAY=:0.0 with
2560 x 1024 or do I get two screens, :0.0 and :0.1 with 1280 x 1024 
each? Or can I choose between this two ways? 
Any recommendation for what graphic cards I should look for?
(I need strings to feed the ePay search engine. ;-) )
Reasonible prices? 
Anything else to think about? 

Or should I forget AIX and get a dual head Octane?
I would need at least a 300 MHz R12k Octane to come on par and R12k 
Octanes are still quite expensive. 

[1] Dual PPC604e 360 MHz installed (can take up to four CPUs), 512 MB 
RAM (can take up to 3 GB in 24 DIMMs, 265 Bit + ECC memory interface), 
two independent 64 Bit 33 MHz PCI buses, three wide SCSI buses with 
hot plug drive bays. X-bar interconnect for CPU / RAM / IO.
Or in short: Lots of "omts". ;-)

[2] Currently unused. I use serial console at the moment.
-- 



tsch|_,
          Jochen

Homepage: http://www.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de/~jkunz