X11PERF(1)

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

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