mc@moc.jpl.nasa.gov (Mike Caplinger) (01/10/91)
Read on the net today that Sun has removed all the GX include files from 4.1.1 "to discourage reverse-engineering of the hardware." Kind of makes the "open systems" concept seem like lying marketing hype, doesn't it? Anyway, I also read that Sun is distributing "run-time support" for XGL (their low-level graphics library that supports the GX hardware graphics) bundled with 4.1.1. Does this mean that they give you shareable libraries but no include files? How long is it going to take to reverse-engineer those? Or have they come up with some other abomination to make it impossible to link against specified libraries? They were happy to sell me the GX but if I want to use it, well, that's an extra $1000 for XGL... Mike Caplinger, ASU/Caltech Mars Observer Camera Project mc@moc.jpl.nasa.gov
dav@genisco.gtc.com (David L. Markowitz) (01/15/91)
> Read on the net today that Sun has removed all the GX include files from > 4.1.1 "to discourage reverse-engineering of the hardware." Kind of makes > the "open systems" concept seem like lying marketing hype, doesn't it? Not particularly. Graphics is one of the few "value added" things they haven't given away. > Anyway, I also read that Sun is distributing "run-time support" for XGL > (their low-level graphics library that supports the GX hardware graphics) This is incorrect. XGL is NOT "their low-level graphics library that supports the GX", it is a low-level graphics library (GL) that works on X (hence XGL). It is a replacement for pixrect, which doesn't grok network-extensible window systems. > bundled with 4.1.1. Does this mean that they give you shareable libraries > but no include files? How long is it going to take to reverse-engineer > those? Or have they come up with some other abomination to make it > impossible to link against specified libraries? They were happy to sell > me the GX but if I want to use it, well, that's an extra $1000 for XGL... All of Sun's software (Sunview, Open Windows, PHIGS+, GKS) are accelerated by the GX. You don't need XGL unless you want a low-level graphics library for X or Open Windows. Maybe you should check your attitude at the door before assuming Sun has it in for you based on spotty info in net.rumors.sun-wants-your-money. David L. Markowitz Genisco Technology Corporation dav@gtc.com
dd@mips.com (01/19/91)
In article dav@genisco.gtc.com (David L. Markowitz) writes: >This is incorrect. XGL is NOT "their low-level graphics library that >supports the GX", it is a low-level graphics library (GL) that works on X >(hence XGL). It is a replacement for pixrect, which doesn't grok >network-extensible window systems. This isn't correct either. XGL includes raster graphics functions, but it is primarily a 3D graphics library similar in scope to SGI GL. It is not a replacement for pixrects, and the comment about "network-extensible window systems" is misleading. XGL applications can fall back to X protocol requests if running remotely, or with an X server other than xnews, but this mode is often too slow to be useful. David DiGiacomo, MIPS Computer Systems, Sunnyvale, CA dd@mips.com