[comp.unix.xenix] x-window on PC

simnet@ssc-vax.UUCP (Mark R Poulson) (10/31/89)

I'm looking for ways to develop X-Windows application software and run it on 
an IBM PC or compatible (possibly under the Xenix OS).  My final product 
should also need to be portable e.g. to a SUN.  Any idea or comment will be
greatly appreciated.

A. Hsu

satam@ecs.umass.edu (11/10/89)

Well, I am looking for that and infact I have contacted SCO people
regarding the same. They have sent me some info regarding whether
they support X-Windows and from which vendor etc.
Also, keep me informed about the replies you get. I tried invoking
the discussions on comp.unix.i386 as well on comp.unix.xenix, but
with little respone.

-satam
satam@ecs.umass.edu

madd@world.std.com (jim frost) (11/12/89)

simnet@ssc-vax.UUCP (Mark R Poulson) writes:
>I'm looking for ways to develop X-Windows application software and run it on 
>an IBM PC or compatible (possibly under the Xenix OS).  My final product 
>should also need to be portable e.g. to a SUN.  Any idea or comment will be
>greatly appreciated.

Well-written X applications are highly portable, so that shouldn't be
a major problem.  If you make use of UNIX-flavor-dependent functions,
such as tty control, it's a little harder.  This kind of thing is
generally unnecessary under X.

If you want to do this, I recommend using Interactive Systems Corp's
386/ix instead of Xenix.  They have the best 386 X windows I've ever
seen, period.  ESIX's X had poor performance relative to Interactive
even though they were running on exactly the same hardware.  Xenix,
last I heard, was still R2.  Xenix also uses the flaky Microsoft
compiler.  Pcc isn't great but it's fairly reliable.

If you want to write X applications on a 8086 or 80286 machine, good
luck.  There are fairly useful servers that run on those machines but
no good systems to run servers and clients.

jim frost
software tool & die     "The World" Public Access Unix for the '90s
madd@std.com            +1 617-739-WRLD  24hrs {3,12,24}00bps

chasm@attctc.Dallas.TX.US (Charles Marslett) (11/14/89)

In article <1989Nov11.175220.25696@world.std.com>, madd@world.std.com (jim frost) writes:
> simnet@ssc-vax.UUCP (Mark R Poulson) writes:
> >I'm looking for ways to develop X-Windows application software and run it on 
> >an IBM PC or compatible (possibly under the Xenix OS).  My final product 
> >should also need to be portable e.g. to a SUN.  Any idea or comment will be
> >greatly appreciated.
> 
> Well-written X applications are highly portable, so that shouldn't be
> a major problem.  If you make use of UNIX-flavor-dependent functions,
> such as tty control, it's a little harder.  This kind of thing is
> generally unnecessary under X.
> 
> If you want to do this, I recommend using Interactive Systems Corp's
> 386/ix instead of Xenix.  They have the best 386 X windows I've ever
> seen, period.  ESIX's X had poor performance relative to Interactive
> even though they were running on exactly the same hardware.  Xenix,
> last I heard, was still R2.  Xenix also uses the flaky Microsoft
> compiler.  Pcc isn't great but it's fairly reliable.

As a corollary, I have been trying to get support from any of the Unix
vendors for 256-color X-windows drivers.  None offered to provide them,
but Interactive has been working diligently, and has been testing my code
for me against their applications, so I am very pleased with their
support for X11.

On the other hand, I have tried several times to discuss what I have to do
to support X11 in 8-plane mode, and I have yet to talk to the same person
twice at SCO (and I haven't really tried to talk to anyone at Everex yet).

In general, I think Interactive is much more committed to Xwindows than
the other vendors.

[And our 256-color 800x600 and 1024x768 drivers will work there, too;^)]

> jim frost
> software tool & die     "The World" Public Access Unix for the '90s
> madd@std.com            +1 617-739-WRLD  24hrs {3,12,24}00bps

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jimr@vpnet.UUCP (Jim Rendant) (11/21/89)

It would be nice to see thw Xwindow system for xenix. MIT has 90 meg of
source and when it is compiled it is only 70 meg. Ram is no problem if you
have 9+ meg of ram. It really would be nice to see a uniform graphics
interface through out the unix world.