7103_2622@uwovax.uwo.ca (Eric Smith) (10/02/90)
A version of MGR for the Atari ST is now available for anonymous FTP from flash.bellcore.com (directory pub/mgr/ATARI) and atari.archive.umich.edu (I don't know what directory -- try newitems). The patches (only) to the Sparc MGR source code are included, and have also been sent to the moderator of comp.sources.atari.st. This version of MGR requires at least a megabyte (it'll probably not run very well in such limited memory), and the MiNT multitasking system. MGR is a networked window system, similar in some ways to the X window system but much simpler (and smaller). You can have multiple processes running in different windows on the screen. Each window can have 2 different menus attached to it, and processes can specify actions to be taken when events occur (such as a mouse button press, window being covered/uncovered, menu selection, or window resize request). In many respects, MGR is similar to GEM, but it has a very different look and feel (menus pop up at the current mouse cursor position, for example) and it is *not* GEM compatible; running GEM programs in an MGR window will at best produce confusion, and at worst will crash the system. (I think it would be possible to write a GEM emulator to translate AES/VDI calls into MGR escape sequences; I invite interested programmers to give this a try -- the payoff would be multitasking, network capable GEM). Ordinary TOS programs that know about TERM and TERMCAP can run in MGR windows without change. Unfortunately, most TOS programs (including gulam) have VT52 escape codes hard wired in. A vt52 terminal emulator is included to allow these programs to run, but they will be slowed down. Also, it isn't possible to set up an 80x25 window on a medium resolution screen with the supplied fonts (on a monochrome screen there's room to spare). Included in the atarimgr.zoo file are the mgr executable, source code for the MGR library, some sample fonts and icons, and a few demo programs. An accompanying file (called mgrdemos.zoo or ataridemos.zoo, depending on where you find it) contains many more demo programs, and some more icons. Even more fonts and icons, and the original source code relative to which the atari patches were made, may be found in the file sparcmgr.tar.Z on flash.bellcore.com. As mentioned above, MGR requires at least 1 megabyte (2 or more is highly recommended) and MiNT. It works in any resolution, but all output is in black and white (color MGR is possible, I just haven't tried it yet). Output to/from the screen is done with line A calls, so it *should* work with unusual (i.e. large) screens; with a program like MGR, the bigger the screen the better. I would *not* recommend it for use in low resolution. MGR is copyright Bellcore (Bell Communications Research). It may be distributed freely, but may not be sold for profit. The author is Steven A. Uhler; he's done a very nice job. -- Eric R. Smith email: Dept. of Mathematics ersmith@uwovax.uwo.ca University of Western Ontario ersmith@uwovax.bitnet London, Ont. Canada N6A 5B7 ph: (519) 661-3638