Table of Contents

## Name

x11perf - X11 server performance test program

## Syntax

x11perf [ -option ... ]

## Description

The x11perf program runs one or more performance tests and reports how fast an X server can execute the tests.

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 to map bitmaps into pixels), scrolling (used in text windows), and various stipples and tiles (used for CAD and color half-toning, respectively).

x11perf should be used to analyze particular strengths and weaknesses of servers, and is most useful to a server writer who wants to analyze and improve a server. x11perf is meant to comprehensively exercise just about every X11 operation you can perform; it does not purport to be a representative sample of the operations that X11 applications actually use. While it can be used as a benchmark, it was written and is intended as a performance testing tool.

As such, x11perf DOES NOT whittle down measurements to a single ``HeXStones'' or ``MeXops'' number. We consider such numbers to be uninformative at best and misleading at worst. 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.

That said, you might also want to look at x11perfcomp(1) , a program to compare the outputs of different x11perf runs. You provide a list of files containing results from x11perf, and it lays them out in a nice tabular format.

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. x11perf moves the cursor out of the test window; you should be careful not to bump the mouse and move it back into the window. (A prize to people who correctly explain why!!).

Before running a test, x11perf determines what the round trip time to the server is, and factors this out of the final timing reported. It ensures that the server has actually performed the work requested by fetching a pixel back from the test window, which means that servers talking to graphics accelerators can't claim that they are done, while in the meantime the accelerator is painting madly.

By default x11perf 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, and on the arc drawing tests.

All timing reports are for the smallest object involved. For example, the line tests use a PolyLine request to paint several lines at once, but report how many lines per second the server can paint, not how many PolyLine requests per second. Text tests paint a line of characters, but report on the number of characters per second. Some window tests map, unmap, or move a single parent window, but report on how many children windows per second the server can map, unmap, or move.

The current program is mostly the responsibility of Joel McCormack. It is based upon the x11perf developed by Phil Karlton, Susan Angebranndt, Chris Kent, Mary Walker, and Todd Newman, who wanted to assess performance differences between various servers. 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 (and unimportant) X functionality, and to exercise graphics operations in as many different orientations and alignments as possible.

## 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 specified. See x11perfcomp for more details.
-fg color-or-pixel
  Specifies the foreground color or pixel value to use.
-bg color-or-pixel
  Specifies the background color or pixel value to use.
-clips default
  Default number of clip windows.
-ddbg color-or-pixel
  Specifies the color or pixel value to use for drawing the odd segments of a DoubleDashed line or arc. This will default to the bg color.
-rop <rop0 rop1 ...>
  Use specified raster ops (default is GXcopy). This option only affects graphics benchmarks in which the graphics function is actually used.
-pm <pm0 pm1 ...>
  Use specified planemasks (default is ~0). This option only affects graphics benchmarks in which the planemask is actually used.
-depth <depth>
  Use a visual with <depth> planes per pixel (default is the default visual).
-vclass <vclass>
  Use a visual with of class <vclass>. <vclass> can be StaticGray, GrayScale, StaticColor, PseudoColor, TrueColor, or DirectColor. (default is the default visual).
-reps <n>
  Specify the repetion count (Default is number that takes aprox. 5 seconds)
-subs <s0 s1 ...>
  Specify the number of sub windows to use in the Window tests. Default is 4, 16, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 200.
-v1.2
  Perform only x11perf Version 1.2 tests using Version 1.2 semantics.
-v1.3
  Perform only x11perf Version 1.3 tests using Version 1.3 semantics.
-su
  Set the save_under window attribute to True on all windows created by x11perf. Default is False.
-bs <backing_store_hint>
  Set the backing_store window attribute to the given value on all windows created by x11perf. <backing_store_hint> can be WhenMapped or Always. Default is NotUseful.
-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.
-osrect1
  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.
-oddsrect1
  1x1 transparent stippled rectangle, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddsrect10
  10x10 transparent stippled rectangle, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddsrect100
  100x100 transparent stippled rectangle, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddsrect500
  500x500 transparent stippled rectangle, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddosrect1
  1x1 opaque stippled rectangle, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddosrect10
  10x10 opaque stippled rectangle, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddosrect100
  100x100 opaque stippled rectangle, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddosrect500
  500x500 opaque stippled rectangle, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddtilerect1
  1x1 tiled rectangle, 17x15 tile pattern.
-oddtilerect10
  10x10 tiled rectangle, 17x15 tile pattern.
-oddtilerect100
  100x100 tiled rectangle, 17x15 tile pattern.
-oddtilerect500
  500x500 tiled rectangle, 17x15 tile pattern.
-bigsrect1
  1x1 stippled rectangle, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigsrect10
  10x10 stippled rectangle, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigsrect100
  100x100 stippled rectangle, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigsrect500
  500x500 stippled rectangle, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigosrect1
  1x1 opaque stippled rectangle, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigosrect10
  10x10 opaque stippled rectangle, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigosrect100
  100x100 opaque stippled rectangle, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigosrect500
  500x500 opaque stippled rectangle, 161x145 stipple 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.
-eschertilerect1
  1x1 tiled rectangle, 215x208 tile pattern.
-eschertilerect10
  10x10 tiled rectangle, 215x208 tile pattern.
-eschertilerect100
  100x100 tiled rectangle, 215x208 tile pattern.
-eschertilerect500
  500x500 tiled rectangle, 215x208 tile pattern.
-seg1
  1-pixel thin line segment.
-seg10
  10-pixel thin line segment.
-seg100
  100-pixel thin line segment.
-seg500
  500-pixel thin line segment.
-seg100c1
  100-pixel thin line segment (1 obscuring rectangle).
-seg100c2
  100-pixel thin line segment (2 obscuring rectangles).
-seg100c3
  100-pixel thin line segment (3 obscuring rectangles).
-dseg10
  10-pixel thin dashed segment (3 on, 2 off).
-dseg100
  100-pixel thin dashed segment (3 on, 2 off).
-ddseg100
  100-pixel thin double-dashed segment (3 fg, 2 bg).
-hseg10
  10-pixel thin horizontal line segment.
-hseg100
  100-pixel thin horizontal line segment.
-hseg500
  500-pixel thin horizontal line segment.
-vseg10
  10-pixel thin vertical line segment.
-vseg100
  100-pixel thin vertical line segment.
-vseg500
  500-pixel thin vertical line segment.
-whseg10
  10-pixel wide horizontal line segment.
-whseg100
  100-pixel wide horizontal line segment.
-whseg500
  500-pixel wide horizontal line segment.
-wvseg10
  10-pixel wide vertical line segment.
-wvseg100
  100-pixel wide vertical line segment.
-wvseg500
  500-pixel wide vertical line segment.
-line1
  1-pixel thin (width 0) line.
-line10
  10-pixel thin line.
-line100
  100-pixel thin line.
-line500
  500-pixel thin line.
-dline10
  10-pixel thin dashed line (3 on, 2 off).
-dline100
  100-pixel thin dashed line (3 on, 2 off).
-ddline100
  100-pixel thin 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).
-orect10
  10x10 thin rectangle outline.
-orect100
  100-pixel thin vertical line segment.
-orect500
  500-pixel thin vertical line segment.
-worect10
  10x10 wide rectangle outline.
-worect100
  100-pixel wide vertical line segment.
-worect500
  500-pixel wide vertical line segment.
-circle1
  1-pixel diameter thin (line width 0) circle.
-circle10
  10-pixel diameter thin circle.
-circle100
  100-pixel diameter thin circle.
-circle500
  500-pixel diameter thin circle.
-dcircle100
  100-pixel diameter thin dashed circle (3 on, 2 off).
-ddcircle100
  100-pixel diameter thin 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 thin partial circle, orientation and arc angle evenly distributed.
-pcircle100
  100-pixel diameter thin partial circle.
-wpcircle10
  10-pixel diameter wide partial circle.
-wpcircle100
  100-pixel diameter wide partial circle.
-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, orientation and arc angle evenly distributed.
-fcpcircle100
  100-pixel diameter partial filled circle, chord fill.
-fspcircle10
  10-pixel diameter partial filled circle, pie slice fill, orientation and arc angle evenly distributed.
-fspcircle100
  100-pixel diameter partial filled circle, pie slice fill.
-ellipse10
  10-pixel diameter thin (line width 0) ellipse, major and minor axis sizes evenly distributed.
-ellipse100
  100-pixel diameter thin ellipse.
-ellipse500
  500-pixel diameter thin ellipse.
-dellipse100
  100-pixel diameter thin dashed ellipse (3 on, 2 off).
-ddellipse100
  100-pixel diameter thin 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 thin partial ellipse.
-pellipse100
  100-pixel diameter thin partial ellipse.
-wpellipse10
  10-pixel diameter wide partial ellipse.
-wpellipse100
  100-pixel diameter wide 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.
-trap1
  Fill 1x1 trapezoid.
-trap10
  Fill 10x10 trapezoid.
-trap100
  Fill 100x100 trapezoid.
-trap300
  Fill 300x300 trapezoid.
-strap1
  Fill 1x1 transparent stippled trapezoid, 8x8 stipple pattern.
-strap10
  Fill 10x10 transparent stippled trapezoid, 8x8 stipple pattern.
-strap100
  Fill 100x100 transparent stippled trapezoid, 8x8 stipple pattern.
-strap300
  Fill 300x300 transparent stippled trapezoid, 8x8 stipple pattern.
-ostrap1
  Fill 10x10 opaque stippled trapezoid, 8x8 stipple pattern.
-ostrap10
  Fill 10x10 opaque stippled trapezoid, 8x8 stipple pattern.
-ostrap100
  Fill 100x100 opaque stippled trapezoid, 8x8 stipple pattern.
-ostrap300
  Fill 300x300 opaque stippled trapezoid, 8x8 stipple pattern.
-tiletrap1
  Fill 10x10 tiled trapezoid, 4x4 tile pattern.
-tiletrap10
  Fill 10x10 tiled trapezoid, 4x4 tile pattern.
-tiletrap100
  Fill 100x100 tiled trapezoid, 4x4 tile pattern.
-tiletrap300
  Fill 300x300 tiled trapezoid, 4x4 tile pattern.
-oddstrap1
  Fill 1x1 transparent stippled trapezoid, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddstrap10
  Fill 10x10 transparent stippled trapezoid, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddstrap100
  Fill 100x100 transparent stippled trapezoid, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddstrap300
  Fill 300x300 transparent stippled trapezoid, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddostrap1
  Fill 10x10 opaque stippled trapezoid, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddostrap10
  Fill 10x10 opaque stippled trapezoid, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddostrap100
  Fill 100x100 opaque stippled trapezoid, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddostrap300
  Fill 300x300 opaque stippled trapezoid, 17x15 stipple pattern.
-oddtiletrap1
  Fill 10x10 tiled trapezoid, 17x15 tile pattern.
-oddtiletrap10
  Fill 10x10 tiled trapezoid, 17x15 tile pattern.
-oddtiletrap100
  Fill 100x100 tiled trapezoid, 17x15 tile pattern.
-oddtiletrap300
  Fill 300x300 tiled trapezoid, 17x15 tile pattern.
-bigstrap1
  Fill 1x1 transparent stippled trapezoid, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigstrap10
  Fill 10x10 transparent stippled trapezoid, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigstrap100
  Fill 100x100 transparent stippled trapezoid, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigstrap300
  Fill 300x300 transparent stippled trapezoid, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigostrap1
  Fill 10x10 opaque stippled trapezoid, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigostrap10
  Fill 10x10 opaque stippled trapezoid, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigostrap100
  Fill 100x100 opaque stippled trapezoid, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigostrap300
  Fill 300x300 opaque stippled trapezoid, 161x145 stipple pattern.
-bigtiletrap1
  Fill 10x10 tiled trapezoid, 161x145 tile pattern.
-bigtiletrap10
  Fill 10x10 tiled trapezoid, 161x145 tile pattern.
-bigtiletrap100
  Fill 100x100 tiled trapezoid, 161x145 tile pattern.
-bigtiletrap300
  Fill 300x300 tiled trapezoid, 161x145 tile pattern.
-eschertiletrap1
  Fill 1x1 tiled trapezoid, 216x208 tile pattern.
-eschertiletrap10
  Fill 10x10 tiled trapezoid, 216x208 tile pattern.
-eschertiletrap100
  Fill 100x100 tiled trapezoid, 216x208 tile pattern.
-eschertiletrap300
  Fill 300x300 tiled trapezoid, 216x208 tile pattern.
-complex10
  Fill 10-pixel/side complex polygon.
-complex100
  Fill 100-pixel/side complex polygon.
-64poly10convex
  Fill 10x10 convex 64-gon.
-64poly100convex
  Fill 100x100 convex 64-gon.
-64poly10complex
  Fill 10x10 complex 64-gon.
-64poly100complex
  Fill 100x100 complex 64-gon.
-ftext
  Character in 80-char line (6x13).
-f8text
  Character in 70-char line (8x13).
-f9text
  Character in 60-char line (9x15).
-f14text16
  2-byte character in 40-char line (k14).
-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).
-polytext16
  2-byte character in 7/14/7 line (k14, k24).
-fitext
  Character in 80-char image line (6x13).
-f8itext
  Character in 70-char image line (8x13).
-f9itext
  Character in 60-char image line (9x15).
-f14itext16
  2-byte character in 40-char image line (k14).
-f24itext16
  2-byte character in 23-char image line (k24).
-tr10itext
  Character in 80-char image line (Times-Roman 10).
-tr24itext
  Character in 30-char image line (Times-Roman 24).
-scroll10
  Scroll 10x10 pixels vertically.
-scroll100
  Scroll 100x100 pixels vertically.
-scroll500
  Scroll 500x500 pixels vertically.
-copywinwin10
  Copy 10x10 square from window to window.
-copywinwin100
  Copy 100x100 square from window to window.
-copywinwin500
  Copy 500x500 square from window to window.
-copypixwin10
  Copy 10x10 square from pixmap to window.
-copypixwin100
  Copy 100x100 square from pixmap to window.
-copypixwin500
  Copy 500x500 square from pixmap to window.
-copywinpix10
  Copy 10x10 square from window to pixmap.
-copywinpix100
  Copy 100x100 square from window to pixmap.
-copywinpix500
  Copy 500x500 square from window to pixmap.
-copypixpix10
  Copy 10x10 square from pixmap to pixmap.
-copypixpix100
  Copy 100x100 square from pixmap to pixmap.
-copypixpix500
  Copy 500x500 square from pixmap to 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.
-putimagexy10
  PutImage XY format 10x10 square.
-putimagexy100
  PutImage XY format 100x100 square.
-putimagexy500
  PutImage XY format 500x500 square.
-shmput10
  PutImage 10x10 square, MIT shared memory extension.
-shmput100
  PutImage 100x100 square, MIT shared memory extension.
-shmput500
  PutImage 500x500 square, MIT shared memory extension.
-shmputxy10
  PutImage XY format 10x10 square, MIT shared memory extension.
-shmputxy100
  PutImage XY format 100x100 square, MIT shared memory extension.
-shmputxy500
  PutImage XY format 500x500 square, MIT shared memory extension.
-getimage10
  GetImage 10x10 square.
-getimage100
  GetImage 100x100 square.
-getimage500
  GetImage 500x500 square.
-getimagexy10
  GetImage XY format 10x10 square.
-getimagexy100
  GetImage XY format 100x100 square.
-getimagexy500
  GetImage XY format 500x500 square.
-noop
  X protocol NoOperation.
-atom
  GetAtomName.
-pointer
  QueryPointer.
-prop
  GetProperty.
-gc
  Change graphics context.
-create
  Create child window and map using MapSubwindows.
-ucreate
  Create unmapped window.
-map
  Map child window via MapWindow on parent.
-unmap
  Unmap child window via UnmapWindow on parent.
-destroy
  Destroy child window via DestroyWindow parent.
-popup
  Hide/expose window via Map/Unmap popup window.
-move
  Move window.
-umove
  Moved unmapped window.
-movetree
  Move window via MoveWindow on parent.
-resize
  Resize window.
-uresize
  Resize unmapped window.
-circulate
  Circulate lowest window to top.
-ucirculate
  Circulate unmapped window to top.

## X Defaults

There are no X defaults used by this program.

## See Also

X(7) , xbench(1) , x11perfcomp(1)

## Authors

Joel McCormack
Phil Karlton
Susan Angebranndt
Chris Kent
Keith Packard
Graeme Gill

Table of Contents

- Name
- Syntax
- Description
- Options
- X Defaults
- See Also
- Authors