glxdemo

glxdemo

The glxdemo command is a simple OpenGL/GLX demonstration program used to showcase the capabilities of the OpenGL Extension to the X Window System (GLX). It typically displays a rotating 3D object, such as a gear or a cube, within an X11 window. This command is often part of the mesa-utils package or similar collections of OpenGL utility programs. Its primary purpose is to verify that GLX is correctly configured and functioning properly on a Linux system. It can also be used to assess the performance of the graphics card and drivers. The demonstration provides a visual confirmation that OpenGL is rendering as expected and that the system is utilizing hardware acceleration if available. It can expose issues with OpenGL drivers, X server configuration, or hardware incompatibilities. Glxdemo is a basic test to indicate if OpenGL is running properly.

Please note that it is a very old demo tool and doesn't showcase the abilities of a modern system. It is rather a basic functional test.

The display and performance are highly dependent on available resources and driver configuration. The absence of options makes it inflexible for advanced benchmarking or customization.

The main purpose of glxdemo is to provide a quick and simple test of OpenGL functionality within an X Window System environment. It serves as a basic sanity check to confirm that the GLX extension is properly installed, configured, and that the graphics drivers are operating correctly. It can be helpful in diagnosing issues related to OpenGL rendering or driver compatibility.

If glxdemo fails to run or exhibits incorrect rendering, it often indicates a problem with the OpenGL drivers, the X server configuration, or hardware incompatibilities. Solutions may include updating the graphics drivers, reconfiguring the X server, or ensuring that the graphics hardware meets the minimum requirements for OpenGL rendering.

Glxdemo has been part of the X Window System environment for a long time. It's been distributed alongside GLX implementations, especially within Mesa, the open-source OpenGL implementation. It's a legacy program, not actively developed.

glxinfo(1)