[comp.sys.hp] Using PCs as X-Windows clients with HP Workstations

cad@msn015.misemi (Cad Users) (01/16/89)

We have a number of HP 9000/350's and 9000/330's networked together running
HP's EE and mechanical DesignCenter software. To ease the user load on the
systems we decided to hook some PC's running HP's (FTP's ?) NS-ARPA Services
to the LAN and use them to do routine sys admin tasks etc. What we would
ultimately like to do is use these PC's as X-Window clients of our workstations
to allow multiple tasking etc. (Clearly superior to the single session VT100
emulation we presently have. )

What I would like to know is if anybody has any experience with software that
will allow us to do this. HP's PC/X was supposed to allow this but it does
not seem to be out yet. (I heard that it will not run under 640 K). Has anyone
used Locus' software with 9000/350's ? Any comments would be appreciated.


Alan Nakamoto
Mitel Corporation
Kanata, Ontario

scf@statware.UUCP (Steve Fullerton) (01/18/89)

In article <438@msn015.misemi> cad@msn015.misemi (Cad Users) writes:
>...
>to the LAN and use them to do routine sys admin tasks etc. What we would
>ultimately like to do is use these PC's as X-Window clients of our workstations
>to allow multiple tasking etc. (Clearly superior to the single session VT100
>emulation we presently have. )

I have heard through the grapevine that HP's PC/X product is in the
toilet due to performance (or lack of) problems.  If this is true, then
it is a real shame as I and lots of others were looking forward to this
product.

-- 
Steve Fullerton                        Statware, Inc.
scf%statware.uucp@cs.orst.edu          260 SW Madison Ave, Suite 109
orstcs!statware!scf                    Corvallis, OR  97333
                                       503/753-5382

ricky@hpurvmc.HP.COM ( Ricky Young (SE) ) (01/18/89)

The concept of using a PC as an X11 display is nice, however the PC
architecture does not lend itself to this type of networked environment.
The best bet right now is an X-terminal.  There are several on the market
right now at about $2k.  The PC will be more of a hinderance than a help.
The PC's performance is less than desireable and even the X-terminals
are no speed demons.  Good luck....

scotty@ziggy.UUCP (Scott Drysdale) (01/21/89)

In article <80003@hpurvmc.HP.COM> ricky@hpurvmc.HP.COM ( Ricky Young (SE) ) writes:
>The concept of using a PC as an X11 display is nice, however the PC
>architecture does not lend itself to this type of networked environment.
>The best bet right now is an X-terminal.  There are several on the market
>right now at about $2k.  The PC will be more of a hinderance than a help.
>The PC's performance is less than desireable and even the X-terminals
>are no speed demons.  Good luck....

the commodore amiga is something you should check out (68K based machine with
multitasking OS and pretty good graphics).  there is a version of X11 for the
amiga, and ethernet cards are also available (they work with NFS to suns, so
why not H-PUX?)

an amiga 500 can be had for around $700, plus a color monitor ($350), plus
the ethernet card ($300?  not sure) and the X11 software.

  --Scotty

Telecommunications Techniques Corp.

jbvb@ftp.COM (James Van Bokkelen) (01/26/89)

In article <1108@statware.UUCP>, scf@statware.UUCP (Steve Fullerton) writes:
> I have heard through the grapevine that HP's PC/X product is in the
> toilet due to performance (or lack of) problems.  If this is true, then
> it is a real shame as I and lots of others were looking forward to this
> product.

I've seen the product (we at FTP worked with HP on its development), and
it appeared to work quite well (we don't use X much in-house, so we haven't
really beaten it to death).  If there is anything to criticize about the
performance, it is probably the fault of the standard HP PC Ethernet
interface, which is an OEM version of the 3Com 3C501.  This card has only
one packet buffer, so it will miss a few when a fast Unix box bombards
it with a stream of short packets.  There is also some variation in the
quality of TCP retransmit algorithms among various versions of HP/UX.
Bad algorithms in an older version of HP/UX could combine with high packet
loss rates to make the product look pretty bad.

I was using it on a much newer/faster PC Ethernet card, so it looked
fine to me.  Of course, we were also using AT-compatibles, so it might
also need more computes than an XT can provide.

James VanBokkelen
FTP Software Inc.

jbayer@ispi.UUCP (Jonathan Bayer) (01/30/89)

In article <80003@hpurvmc.HP.COM> ricky@hpurvmc.HP.COM ( Ricky Young (SE) ) writes:
>The concept of using a PC as an X11 display is nice, however the PC
>architecture does not lend itself to this type of networked environment.
>The best bet right now is an X-terminal.  There are several on the market
>right now at about $2k.  The PC will be more of a hinderance than a help.
>The PC's performance is less than desireable and even the X-terminals
>are no speed demons.  Good luck....

If you are talking about a 4.77 Mhz PC I would agree with you. 
However, the price of a high speed 286 or a low end 386 is pretty low
these days, and when you add in either an EGA or a VGA card with a
moniter you will have a pretty decent machine.  The total cost for a
floppy based 286 system using a VGA card should be under $ 2000.  Add in
a hard disk for $ 400, and you have an X11 terminal, plus a PC to play
with. 

JB
-- 
Jonathan Bayer			      Beware: The light at the end of the
Intelligent Software Products, Inc.	      tunnel may be an oncoming dragon
19 Virginia Ave.				...uunet!ispi!jbayer
Rockville Centre, NY 11570  (516) 766-2867    jbayer@ispi

pete@sun360.CTC.Nixdorf.De (pete delany) (02/09/89)

Test news article from a PC running X11R3
and xrn news server.

Pete Delaney - Nixdorf UCC	| pete@NIXCTC.DE		Prefered Addr
Loffel Strasse 3		| pyramid!nixctc!pete		UUCP from Calf
7000 Stuttgart 70		| pete@RELAY.HUJI.AC.IL		Backup Address
West Germany			| Phone: +49 (711) 7685-128

pete@sun360.CTC.Nixdorf.De (pete delany) (02/09/89)

In article <80003@hpurvmc.HP.COM>, ricky@hpurvmc.HP.COM ( Ricky Young (SE) ) writes:
> 
> The concept of using a PC as an X11 display is nice, however the PC
> architecture does not lend itself to this type of networked environment.
> The best bet right now is an X-terminal.  There are several on the market
> right now at about $2k.  The PC will be more of a hinderance than a help.
> The PC's performance is less than desireable and even the X-terminals
> are no speed demons.  Good luck....

PC running X seems to work, but it is very limited.  In 640k you
are limited two just a few windows and a window manager.  I am
currently xrn on the  pyramid/Targon-35 and X-Sight on the Nixdorf PC.
The 6x10 font seems to work well with xrn and the color screen performace
is similar to the sun3/60.  A VGA graphics card would improve things a lot.

In general though I agree that the PC is too limited for X11,
the interactive systems 386/IX product with a MATROX screen
would be preferable for real work.
 

Pete Delaney - Nixdorf UCC	| pete@NIXCTC.DE		Prefered Addr
Loffel Strasse 3		| pyramid!nixctc!pete		UUCP from Calf
7000 Stuttgart 70		| pete@RELAY.HUJI.AC.IL		Backup Address
West Germany			| Phone: +49 (711) 7685-128