[comp.sys.dec] how to use a Sun workstation as a X-server for VAX/VMS

ton@ruuinf.cs.ruu.nl (Ton Kloks) (12/12/89)

Subject:        How to use a Sun workstation as a X-server for VAX/VMS.
Sun:            Running SunOS 4.0.3 and X11 release 3 from MIT.
Vax:            Running VAX/VMS 5.1-1, including DECwindows.
Communication:  Ethernet

Trying to connect two different machines running different operating
systems shouldn't be a problem any more, they told me. Just use X-windows.

So I tried to use the Sun 3/80 on my desk as a X-server. It performs
quite well as a server for an Unix-based minisuper. As a matter of
fact, I have to do much work on the VAX, so I need a way of communication
between the VAX and the Sun. To achieve that, I installed the Sun DNI
software to extent the Sun networking capabilities with DECnet.
The Sun DNI software runs almost perfectly.

But now the installation of the MIT release 3 of X11. During the installation
the compiler was looking for two files which should be in /usr/include/netdnet
called : dn.h and dnetdb.h. There wasn't a directory called netdnet.
So I did create that directory myself, copied the file dni.h as netdnet/dn.h
and created a dummy dnetdb.h.
I wasn't very surprised that is didn't help much. But I did reduce the number
of error messages from the make process. There is only one error message
remaining, namely : ld: undefined symbol (_dnet_conn).

Does anybody know how to proceed from this point ?
There must be a way (accoording to the switch being able to set for DECnet
communication in teh X software build procedure).
There are some files missing, and they are not supplied with the X release
and also not with the Sun DNI software package.


Please post mail to : TNOFELR6@HDETUD53.BITNET
              or to : ton@cs.ruu.nl
Thanks in advance.
J. Bakuwel

tihor@acf4.NYU.EDU (Stephen Tihor) (12/13/89)

Sounds like X11 has the stubs for DECnet and that SUN/DNI does not ship
the same interface and compatible libraries.

marbru@auto-trol.UUCP (Martin Brunecky) (12/15/89)

In article <2153@ruuinf.cs.ruu.nl> ton@ruuinf.cs.ruu.nl (Ton Kloks) writes:
>
>Subject:        How to use a Sun workstation as a X-server for VAX/VMS.
>Sun:            Running SunOS 4.0.3 and X11 release 3 from MIT.
>Vax:            Running VAX/VMS 5.1-1, including DECwindows.
>Communication:  Ethernet
>
>Trying to connect two different machines running different operating
>systems shouldn't be a problem any more, they told me. Just use X-windows.
>
	Don't want to discourage you. But. The DECwindows server
	available with VMS 5.1 (DECwindows 1.0) seemed to have some
        problems with bytes swapping on the protocol from/to machines
        such as Sun4 (I never tried Sun3). Basically, I could not get
    	beyond creating simple windows. However, rummor has it that
	the next release of DECwindows (VMS 5.3 ???) does not have that
  	problem. Plus, it supports TCP/IP transport, so You don't have
 	to worry about DECNET. However, you need TCP/IP transport on VMS
	side. The products comes with support for VMS's UCX TCP/IP, and
	documentation how to write transport layer for other (3rd) party
	TCP/IP implementations (at least that has been said at DECUS).
	By the way, the next release of UCX has telnet, and does work
  	between Sun and VMS.

-- 
###############################################################################
Martin Brunecky, Auto-trol Technology Corporation,
12500 North Washington Street, Denver, CO-80241-2404
(303) 252-2499                                        ncar!ico!auto-trol!marbru

michaud@decvax.dec.com (Jeff Michaud) (12/15/89)

> Subject:        How to use a Sun workstation as a X-server for VAX/VMS.
> Sun:            Running SunOS 4.0.3 and X11 release 3 from MIT.
> Vax:            Running VAX/VMS 5.1-1, including DECwindows.
> Communication:  Ethernet
> 
> I installed the Sun DNI
> software to extent the Sun networking capabilities with DECnet.
> But now the installation of the MIT release 3 of X11. During the installation
> the compiler was looking for two files which should be in
/usr/include/netdnet
> called : dn.h and dnetdb.h. There wasn't a directory called netdnet.
> remaining, namely : ld: undefined symbol (_dnet_conn).
> There are some files missing, and they are not supplied with the X release
> and also not with the Sun DNI software package.

	<netdnet/dn.h>, <netdnet/dnetdb.h> and dnet_conn(3dn) are
	DECnet-ULTRIX include files and subroutines (ie. they are
	specific to DECnet-ULTRIX's implementation of DECnet).

	dnet_conn(3dn) is used to establish a connection to a
	specified remote node/object.  Just replace the call
	to dnet_conn(3dn) with SunLink DNI's equiv routine
	(or set of library/socket calls).

	In the interm (ie. before you modify the X sources) if you
	need to pop up windows between your VMS systems running
	DECnet and your Sun system's running TCP/IP, and you have
	a nearby DECnet-ULTRIX node running V3.0 or later, install
	the unsupported subset and then take a look at the README
	file in the /usr/examples/decnet/gatethru directory.  It
	will tell you how to use the example program in that directory
	as a transport level bridge between DECnet and TCP/IP for
	the purpose of talking X11.

/--------------------------------------------------------------\
|Jeff Michaud    michaud@decwrl.dec.com  michaud@decvax.dec.com|
|DECnet-ULTRIX   #include <standard/disclaimer.h>              |
\--------------------------------------------------------------/