gannon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (02/21/89)
Has anybody seen any of the X11 servers that have been rumored to have been ported to the Mac? Do they work with multiple monitors? Do they run under Multifinder? under AUX? Are they really available or is it all "real soon now". Thanks for any info. Dennis Gannon Dept. of CS Indiana University
erc@pai.UUCP (Eric Johnson) (02/21/89)
In article <3600038@iuvax>, gannon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu writes: > > Has anybody seen any of the X11 servers that have been > rumored to have been ported to the Mac? Do they work > with multiple monitors? Do they run under Multifinder? > under AUX? Are they really available or is it all > "real soon now". A/UX (at least what I am using) runs an X11 R2 server (only in monochrome). The generic (MIT X Consortium) release of X11 R3 contains the server customizations necessary for (others exist but don't come with the generic release): * Sun * Apollo * DEC * HP * IBM (RT) * Macintosh (MacII, under A/UX) [This seems to imply a heavy Apple commitment to the X Window System] I have seen X running on a Cray supercomputer (displaying its output on an Apollo and a DEC) -- which highlights one of the great strengths of X: network transparency. According to the docs, X11 R3 will run in color on the Mac II. Unfortunately, I don't have enough disk space on the Mac II to compile the generic R3, so I don't know if this works in color or not. Speaking generically, X11 should work with multiple monitors (called screens in X parlance). X11, being network-transparent, also works over multiple workstation servers (called displays in X11). White Pines (and another company I forgot) have announced X servers to run under MacOS. Two big problems for running X under MacOS will be 1) X11 eats RAM big time. (The X11 R3 notes said 4 MB were the absolute minimum under A/UX.) 2) X11 is designed under the assumption that hundreds (or thousands) of windows may be open on one screen at a time. I must say that running X11 under A/UX is great fun, even with a 13" monitor (color monitor running X in monochrome). It is very fast and has a snappy feel -- much better than the Suns in house (although most of the Suns are running with 8-bit color). For more information on X, see comp.windows.x (and comp.sources.x). > > Thanks for any info. Hope this helps. > Dennis Gannon > Dept. of CS > Indiana University -Eric -- Eric F. Johnson | Phone +1 612-894-0313 | Are we Prime Automation,Inc | UUCP: bungia!pai!erc | having 12201 Wood Lake Drive | UUCP: sun!tundra!pai!erc | fun Burnsville, MN 55337 USA | DOMAIN: erc@pai.mn.org | yet?
peters@Apple.COM (Steve Peters) (02/23/89)
In article <3600038@iuvax> gannon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu writes: > >Has anybody seen any of the X11 servers that have been >rumored to have been ported to the Mac? Do they work >with multiple monitors? Do they run under Multifinder? >under AUX? Are they really available or is it all >"real soon now". > Apple will ship its X11R3 product for A/UX in March (1989). The server will support 1-bit and 8-bit deep frame buffers, multiple screens, backing store and save unders. The graphics code has undergone substantial optimization. X11R3 will run on both A/UX 1.0 and A/UX 1.1, however A/UX 1.0 allows just a single monochrome screen. Apple has contributed sources for a single screen, monochrome server to the MIT X Consortium. These appear on the X11R3 distribution which has been publicly available since October. comp.windows.x regularly announces ftp (and other) sites where this distribution may be obtained. Steve Peters A/UX X Project Leader Apple Computer, Inc.
STORKEL@RICE.BITNET (Scott Storkel) (03/19/89)
The X11R3 tape that you get from MIT includes support for X under A/UX. I
haven't had the time to actually get it running, so that's about all I can
tell you. Several companies are working on X servers that will run under the
MacOS but as far as I know these products are still vaporware.
Scott Storkel
Macintosh Software Development
Rice University