NAME

x11perf - X11 server performance test program

SYNOPSIS

x11perf [-option ...]

DESCRIPTION

The x11perf program runs one or more performance tests and reports timings of the operations. 

Many graphics benchmarks assume that the graphics device is used to display the output of a single fancy graphics application, and that the user gets his work done on some other device, like a terminal.  Such benchmarks usually measure drawing speed for lines, polygons, text, etc. 

Since workstations are not used as standalone graphics engines, but as super-terminals, x11perf measures window management performance as well as traditional graphics performace.  x11perf includes benchmarks for the time it takes to create and map windows (as when you start up an application); to map a pre-existing set of windows onto the screen (as when you deiconify an application or pop up a menu); and to rearrange windows (as when you slosh windows to and fro trying to find the one you want). 

x11perf also measures graphics performance for operations not normally used in standalone graphics displays, but are nonetheless used frequently by X applications.  Such operations include CopyPlane (used by the DEC PostScript previewer), scrolling (used in text windows), and various stipples and tiles (used for CAD and half-toning, respectively). 

x11perf DOES NOT attempt to whittle down measurements to a single “HeXStones” number.  We consider such numbers to be uninformative at best and misleading at worst.  x11perf should be used to analyze particular strengths and weaknesses of servers, and is most useful when used by a server writer who wants to analyze and improve a server.  While it can be used as a benchmark, it was written and is intended as a performance testing tool.  Some servers which are very fast for certain applications can be very slow for others.  No single number or small set of numbers are sufficient to characterize how an X implementation will perform on all applications.  However, by knowledge of your favorite application, you may be able to use the numbers x11perf reports to predict its performance on a given X implementation. 

For repeatable results, x11perf should be run using a local connection on a freshly-started server.  The default configuration runs each test 5 times, in order to see if each trial takes approximately the same amount of time.  Strange glitches should be examined; if non-repeatable one might chalk them up to daemons and network traffic.  Each trial is run for 5 seconds, in order to reduce random time differences.  The number of objects processed per second is displayed to 3 significant digits, but you’ll be lucky on most UNIX system if the numbers are actually consistent to 2 digits.  You should make sure the cursor is NOT in the test window during runs of x11perf .  (A prize to people who correctly explain why!!). 

The current program is mostly the responsibility of Joel McCormack.  It is based upon the x11perf developed by Phil Karlton, Susan Angebranndt, and Chris Kent, who wanted to assess performance differences between various servers.  Mary Walker, Todd Newman, and several tests were added in order to write and tune the PMAX (DECStation 3100) servers.  For a general release to the world, x11perf was rewritten to ease making comparisons between widely varying machines, to cover most important X functionality (the notable exception being wide lines), and to exercise graphics operations in as many different orientations and alignments as possible. 

Before running a test, x11perf determines what the round trip time to the server is.  By default it automatically calibrates the number of repetitions of each test, so that each should take approximately the same length of time to run across servers of widely differing speeds.  However, since each test must be run to completion at least once, some slow servers may take a very long time, particularly on the window moving and resizing tests. 

OPTIONS

x11perf is solely Xlib based, and accepts the options listed below:

−display host:dpy
Specifies which display to use.

−sync Runs the tests in synchronous mode.  Normally only useful for debugging x11perf . 

−pack Runs rectangle tests so that they pack rectangles right next to each other.  This makes it easy to debug server code for stipples and tiles...if the pattern looks ugly, you’ve got alignment problems. 

−repeat <n> Repeats each test n times (by default each test is run 5 times). 

−time <s> Specifies how long in seconds each test should be run (default 5 seconds). 

−all Runs all tests.  This may take a while. 

−range <test1>[,<test2>]
Runs all the tests starting from the specified name test1 until the name test2, including both the specified tests. The testnames should be one of the options starting from -dot. (eg) -range line100 will peform the tests from the 100 pixel line test, and go on till the last test, -range line100,dline10 will do the tests from line100 to dline10. 

−labels Generates just the descriptive labels for each test.  See x11perfcomp for more details. 

−fg color Specifies the foreground color to use. 

−bg color Specifies the background color to use. 

−xor Use GXxor mode to draw, rather than GXcopy.  This option only affects graphics benchmarks in which the graphics function is actually used. 

−both First use GXcopy, then use GXxor mode to draw.  This option only affects graphics benchmarks in which the graphics function is actually used. 

−dot Dot. 

−rect1 1x1 solid-filled rectangle. 

−rect10 10x10 solid-filled rectangle. 

−rect100 100x100 solid-filled rectangle. 

−rect500 500x500 solid-filled rectangle. 

−srect1 1x1 transparent stippled rectangle, 8x8 stipple pattern. 

−srect10 10x10 transparent stippled rectangle, 8x8 stipple pattern. 

−srect100 100x100 transparent stippled rectangle, 8x8 stipple pattern. 

−srect500 500x500 transparent stippled rectangle, 8x8 stipple pattern. 

−osrect 1x1 opaque stippled rectangle, 8x8 stipple pattern. 

−osrect10 10x10 opaque stippled rectangle, 8x8 stipple pattern. 

−osrect100 100x100 opaque stippled rectangle, 8x8 stipple pattern. 

−osrect500 500x500 opaque stippled rectangle, 8x8 stipple pattern. 

−tilerect1 1x1 tiled rectangle, 4x4 tile pattern. 

−tilerect10 10x10 tiled rectangle, 4x4 tile pattern. 

−tilerect100 100x100 tiled rectangle, 4x4 tile pattern. 

−tilerect500 500x500 tiled rectangle, 4x4 tile pattern. 

−bigtilerect1 1x1 tiled rectangle, 161x145 tile pattern. 

−bigtilerect10
10x10 tiled rectangle, 161x145 tile pattern.

−bigtilerect100
100x100 tiled rectangle, 161x145 tile pattern.

−bigtilerect500
500x500 tiled rectangle, 161x145 tile pattern.

−seg1 1-pixel line segment. 

−seg10 10-pixel line segment. 

−seg100 100-pixel line segment. 

−seg500 500-pixel line segment. 

−seg100c1 100-pixel line segment (1 obscuring rectangle). 

−seg100c2 100-pixel line segment (2 obscuring rectangles). 

−seg100c3 100-pixel line segment (3 obscuring rectangles). 

−dseg10 10-pixel dashed segment (3 on, 2 off). 

−dseg100 100-pixel dashed segment (3 on, 2 off). 

−ddseg100 100-pixel double-dashed segment (3 fg, 2 bg). 

−line1 1-pixel line. 

−line10 10-pixel line. 

−line100 100-pixel line. 

−line500 500-pixel line. 

−dline10 10-pixel dashed line (3 on, 2 off). 

−dline100 100-pixel dashed line (3 on, 2 off). 

−ddline100 100-pixel double-dashed line (3 fg, 2 bg). 

−wline10 10-pixel line, line width 1. 

−wline100 100-pixel line, line width 10. 

−wline500 500-pixel line, line width 50. 

−wdline100 100-pixel dashed line, line width 10 (30 on, 20 off). 

−wddline100 100-pixel double-dashed line, line width 10 (30 fg, 20 bg). 

−circle1 1-pixel diameter circle. 

−circle10 10-pixel diameter circle. 

−circle100 100-pixel diameter circle. 

−circle500 500-pixel diameter circle. 

−dcircle100 100-pixel diameter dashed circle (3 on, 2 off). 

−dcircle100 100-pixel diameter double-dashed circle (3 fg, 2 bg). 

−wcircle10 10-pixel diameter circle, line width 1. 

−wcircle100 100-pixel diameter circle, line width 10. 

−wcircle500 500-pixel diameter circle, line width 50. 

−wdcircle100 100-pixel diameter dashed circle, line width 10 (30 on, 20 off). 

−wddcircle100
100-pixel diameter double-dashed circle, line width 10 (30 fg, 20 bg).

−pcircle10 10-pixel diameter partial circle, orientation and arc angle evenly distributed. 

−pcircle100 100-pixel diameter partial circle, orientation and arc angle evenly distributed. 

−fcircle1 1-pixel diameter filled circle. 

−fcircle10 10-pixel diameter filled circle. 

−fcircle100 100-pixel diameter filled circle. 

−fcircle500 500-pixel diameter filled circle. 

−fcpcircle10 10-pixel diameter partial filled circle, chord fill. 

−fcpcircle100 100-pixel diameter partial filled circle, chord fill. 

−fspcircle10 10-pixel diameter partial filled circle, pie slice fill. 

−fspcircle100 100-pixel diameter partial filled circle, pie slice fill. 

−ellipse10 10-pixel diameter ellipse. 

−ellipse100 100-pixel diameter ellipse. 

−ellipse500 500-pixel diameter ellipse. 

−dellipse100 100-pixel diameter dashed ellipse (3 on, 2 off). 

−ddellipse100
100-pixel diameter double-dashed ellipse (3 fg, 2 bg).

−wellipse10 10-pixel diameter ellipse, line width 1. 

−wellipse100 100-pixel diameter ellipse, line width 10. 

−wellipse500 500-pixel diameter ellipse, line width 50. 

−wdellipse100
100-pixel diameter dashed ellipse, line width 10 (30 on, 20 off).

−wddellipse100
100-pixel diameter double-dashed ellipse, line width 10 (30 fg, 20 bg). −pellipse10 10-pixel diameter partial ellipse. 

−pellipse100 100-pixel diameter partial ellipse. 

−fellipse10 10-pixel diameter filled ellipse. 

−fellipse100 100-pixel diameter filled ellipse. 

−fellipse500 500-pixel diameter filled ellipse. 

−fcpellipse10 10-pixel diameter partial filled ellipse, chord fill. 

−fcpellipse100
100-pixel diameter partial filled ellipse, chord fill.

−fspellipse10 10-pixel diameter partial filled ellipse, pie slice fill. 

−fspellipse100
100-pixel diameter partial filled ellipse, pie slice fill.

−triangle1 Fill 1-pixel/side triangle. 

−triangle10 Fill 10-pixel/side triangle. 

−triangle100 Fill 100-pixel/side triangle. 

−trap10 Fill 10x10 trapezoid. 

−trap100 Fill 100x100 trapezoid. 

−strap10 Fill 10x10 transparent stippled trapezoid, 8x8 stipple pattern. 

−strap100 Fill 100x100 transparent stippled trapezoid, 8x8 stipple pattern. 

−ostrap10 Fill 10x10 opaque stippled trapezoid, 8x8 stipple pattern. 

−ostrap100 Fill 100x100 opaque stippled trapezoid, 8x8 stipple pattern. 

−tiletrap10 Fill 10x10 tiled trapezoid, 4x4 tile pattern. 

−tiletrap100 Fill 100x100 tiled trapezoid, 4x4 tile pattern. 

−complex10 Fill 10-pixel/side complex polygon. 

−complex100 Fill 100-pixel/side complex polygons. 

−ftext Character in 80-char line (6x13). 

−tr10text Character in 80-char line (Times-Roman 10). 

−tr24text Character in 30-char line (Times-Roman 24). 

−polytext Character in 20/40/20 line (6x13, Times-Roman 10, 6x13). 

−fitext Character in 80-char image line (6x13). 

−tr10itext Character in 80-char image line (Times-Roman 10). 

−tr24itext Character in 30-char image line (Times-Roman 24). 

−scroll10 Scroll 10x10 pixels. 

−scroll100 Scroll 100x100 pixels. 

−scroll500 Scroll 500x500 pixels. 

−copyarea10 Copy 10x10 square. 

−copyarea100
Copy 100x100 square.

−copyarea500
Copy 500x500 square.

−copypix10 Copy 10x10 square from pixmap. 

−copypix100 Copy 100x100 square from pixmap. 

−copypix500 Copy 500x500 square from pixmap. 

−copyplane10
Copy 10x10 1-bit deep plane.

−copyplane100
Copy 100x100 1-bit deep plane.

−copyplane500
Copy 500x500 1-bit deep plane.

−putimage10 PutImage 10x10 square. 

−putimage100
PutImage 100x100 square.

−putimage500
PutImage 500x500 square. #ifdef MITSHM

−shmput10 PutImage 10x10 square, MIT shared memory extension. 

−shmput100 PutImage 100x100 square, MIT shared memory extension. 

−shmput500 PutImage 500x500 square, MIT shared memory extension.  #endif

−getimage10 GetImage 10x10 square. 

−getimage100
GetImage 100x100 square.

−getimage500
GetImage 500x500 square.

−noop X protocol NoOperation. 

−atom GetAtomName. 

−prop GetProperty. 

−gc Change graphics context. 

−create Create and map subwindows. 

−ucreate Create unmapped window. 

−map Map window via parent. 

−unmap Unmap window via parent. 

−destroy Destroy window via parent. 

−popup Hide/expose window via popup. 

−move Move window. 

−umove Moved unmapped window. 

−movetree Move window via parent. 

−resize Resize window. 

−uresize Resize unmapped window. 

−circulate Circulate window. 

−ucirculate Circulate Unmapped window. 

X DEFAULTS

There are no X defaults used by this program. 

SEE ALSO

X(1), xbench(1), x11perfcomp(1)

BUGS

We hope not. 

COPYRIGHT

Copyright 1988, 1989 Digital Equipment Corporation. 
See X(1) for a full statement of rights and permissions. 

AUTHORS

Joel McCormack
Phil Karlton
Susan Angebranndt
Chris Kent

March 13, 1992