Question:

I'm using Grass5b7 binaries on SuSE 6.3. When starting a monitor with d.mon I get weird colors on my entire screen whenever the monitor is the active window. I tried giving different values for nlev but for any value I give I always get the same message:

  using default visual which is PseudoColor
  ncolors: 256
  Graphics driver [x0] started
What do I need to do ?

Answer: GRASS is greedy for colors, so greedy that it often won't run under enlightenment, gnome, KDE, or along with other open applications. As a short term fix for this need GRASS uses a private colormap. This will appear as an animated palette, when your mouse enters the monitor window the palette changes so the colors in the window are correct. When your mouse leaves the window the palette changes so the colors outside of the window are correct.

If you change your display depth in /etc/X11/XF86Config (or use Xconfigurator) to 16 or 24 or 32 depth the symptom (changing colors) will go away.

Otherwise hang in there, eventually you will be able to choose fewer colors in favor of a non animated palette.

Added Wed May 24 2000


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