usenet@mcdchg.UUCP (12/03/87)
[Note that this article is cross-posted between comp.sys.ibm.pc and comp.unix, a moderated newsgroup. Please be aware of this and make sure that replies are going to Mr. Schmitz. Followups that go to comp.unix may be summarized by the moderator if there's a big response. I'd encourage Mr. Schmitz to submit a summary of the replies he gets. Also, I believe that such a thing exists internally to AT&T for their PC 6300, using the same UNIX interface as the 5620 DMD terminal (layers), but I may be mistaken. -mod] I'm dreaming of a multi-window terminal emulation system for a PC connected via modem to a Unix system. The user sitting at the PC would be able to maintain a terminal session in each of the windows, switching back and forth between them as desired. Ideally, multiple windows could be displayed simultaneously and the contents of a window could be updated if output occurred in it even while input was being typed to a different window. The idea is for something with the feel of Suntools. As I imagine it, such an emulation system would need to consist of a program to run on the PC and a program to run under Unix, forking off processes for each of the windows in the emulation. Does anybody know of anything resembling this? Any comments on either my dream or my idea of how it might work? -- Tom Schmitz ARPA: schmitz@zeus.cs.umn.edu 2111 21st Avenue South UUCP: ...!rutgers!umn-cs!schmitz Minneapolis, MN 55404 CSNET: schmitz%zeus%umn-cs.arpa@relay.cs.net (612) 340-1855 -- Ron Heiby usenet@mcdchg.UUCP Moderator: comp.newprod & comp.unix
modunix@mcdchg.UUCP (comp.unix Moderator) (01/07/88)
Here are the responses that I received to the query from schmitz@zeus.cs.umn.edu: >I'm dreaming of a multi-window terminal emulation system for a PC >connected via modem to a Unix system. >The idea is for something with the feel >of Suntools. >Does anybody know of anything resembling this? Any comments on either >my dream or my idea of how it might work? Most respondents suggested "uw", but there are a couple of other suggestions at the end. -- Ron Heiby usenet@mcdchg.UUCP Moderator: comp.newprod & comp.unix ---------- From: schwartz@gondor.psu.edu (Scott E. Schwartz) Organization: Penn State University, University Park, PA About a year or so ago a package called "uw", unix windows, was posted to the net. It did exactly what is being asked for, and did a very very good job of it. The package included a number of modules that run on the unix end (including the uw server, of course, and a library with a well documented interface so you could write your own uw stuff), and a terminal emulator (to say the least) that ran on a Macintosh. I don't think the package made any special assumptions (on the unix end, anyway) about what kind of machine was on the terminal end. The mac worked great since apple's carefully crafted window libraries could be used to do all the dirty work. Maybe microsoft windows could be an adequate platform on the pc for this. Frankly I'm surprised that many more sites don't use uw with mac's instead of world war I surplus vt100's :-) (well, you get the idea) It beats all the dumb terminals I've ever used hands down, and probably costs less, to boot. Also, there has been talk on comp.windows.x that some company has ported x10.4 to an ibm-pc. If that is the case, it's probably they way to go, if you don't mind paying for the port. DISCLAIMER: I don't know for a fact that this is available or even exists. Query comp.windows.x for more. -- Scott Schwartz schwartz@gondor.psu.edu ---------- From: Peter J. M. Baker <harvard!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!uvicctr!pjmbaker> Organization: University of Victoria, Victoria B.C. What you are talking about has been implemented very nicely by a fellow named John Brunner. His implementation include as server that runs on unix (very similar to the suntools server) and a client that runs on a Mac (it has also been ported to the Atari ST). What you get on the mac end is up to 7 windows, each capable of running a csh or whatever you want (a la shelltool). Each window can emulate one an ADM31, ANSI, TEK4010. The source for the Unix end is typically distributed. The source for the Mac/Atari (client) end is not, however I think you could get it from Mr. Brunner if you wanted to port it to the PC. The protocol seems fairly efficient (I use it over a 1200 baud modem line) and typically have 4 or 5 active windows. Hope this helps. BTW, the server is called 'uw' and the shelltool-like program is called 'uwtool'. Peter Baker Peter Baker, University of Victoria USENET: {alberta,seismo,utai,uw-beaver,watmath}!ubc-vision!uvicctr!pjmbaker BITNET : pjmbaker@uvunix.bitnet ---------- From: gatech!rutgers!lll-crg.llnl.gov!well!hoptoad!sunny (Sunny Kirsten) Organization: Astral Consultants, Marin County, CA What you're looking for is Unix Windows... it consists of server software which runs on the UNIX host, and an application which runs on your "pc" doing multiple windows, and the two programs communicate with each other over the single serial line you dialed-up on, multiplexing the chars for each window. It's currently implemented for the Macintosh, so what you need is to port the Macintosh code over to the PC. The whole thing is public domain, and was distributed over USENET. Try grepping around the net and your disks for "uw" or "UW". Sunny -- This view of 1 astral reality is courtesy of: Sunny Kirsten, Astral Consultants (415)457-7555 (voice) 233 Humboldt St., San Rafael, CA 94901 GEnie: astral (415)457-7705 (modem) USENET: {ihnp4,lll-crg,nsc,ptsfa,ucsfcgl,frog,sun,well}!hoptoad!astral!sunny ---------- From: peter@sugar.UUCP (Peter da Silva) Organization: Sugar Land UNIX - Houston, TX It's called "uw", and it exists for the Mac, Amiga, and Atari-ST. There is a host-side program for BSD, and there's supposed to be an SV version too, but I don't know where. Let me know if you find it. -- -- Peter da Silva `-_-' ...!hoptoad!academ!uhnix1!sugar!peter -- Disclaimer: These U aren't mere opinions... these are *values*. [uw was also suggested by Eric Freeman. -mod] ---------- From: Dale Gass <gatech!rutgers!mimsy.umd.edu!uunet!dalcsug!dalegass> I believe a package called 'uw' (micro windows or something like that) exists for the Mac, which will allow (with the appropriate uw terminal program running) multiple shells running simulataneously in different windows on your screen. It is certainly possible to come up with the same thing on the PC end, no doubt. All that would be needed would be the corresponding software for the PC, and the same driver on the unix end... Another package, called 'window' allows multiple windows with any terminal. It chops the screen up (using curses) and has a shell running in each window. Has a few disadvantages, as each window is not recognized as a valid user (so talk failes), but overall is pretty neat. I believe the way these programs work is by spawning shells, having their stdin/stdout reopened as a socket, which is connected to the main window program, which handles all the windowing, screen updating, etc.. -dalegass@dalcsug ---------- From: uwmcsd1!CCV.BBN.COM!kgregory Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambdridge MA Well, SCO has just such a thing for Xenix. It makes the host do all of the windowing work (including clipping &c), and (I guess) updates the windows via ANSI control sequences. I saw it runing at Unix Expo, on a standard Vt220. Looked pretty good - fast, even - but that was no doubt on a 9600 (or perhaps 19.2) comm line. So far, they are shipping for '286 Xenix, but not '386. -kdg ---------- From: gatech!rutgers!pyr.gatech.edu!joel (Joel Rives) Organization: Office of Computing Services, Georgia Tech The type of multi-window interface that you are looking for may very well be the Xwindows system developed at MIT. There is source available for the IBM PC as well as the Amiga. It may be available for other micos as well but I am unaware of the fact. Joel Rives