Uuunet@vicorp.com (UUNET) (11/04/90)
[Last changed: 03 Nov 90]
This article and one following contain the answers to some Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ) often seen in comp.windows.x. It is posted to help reduce
volume in this newsgroup and to provide hard-to-find information of general
interest. [Sorry to mail this one; others will usually be posted.]
Please redistribute this article!
This article includes answers to the following questions. Ones marked with
a + indicate questions new to this issue; those with changes of content since
the last issue are marked by *:
0)* Where can I obtain X11R4?
1)* Where can I obtain patches to X11R4?
2)* Where can I obtain X11R3 source?
3)* Where can I obtain Motif?
4) Where can I obtain toolkits implementing Open Look?
5)* Where can I obtain other X sources?
6) What is the xstuff mail-archive?
7) Where can I find books/articles on X that are good for beginners?
8)* What courses on X are available?
9) Is there a skeleton X program available?
10) What are these common abbreviations?
11) What is the ICCCM?
12)* What is XUG?
13)+ What is AFUX?
14) What is EXUG?
15) What is the X Consortium and how do I join?
16) What is xpert?
17) What other X-related public mailing lists exist?
18) What conferences on X are coming up?
19)* What is the current state of the world in X terminals?
20) How can I get an X server on a PC?
21) What terminal emulators other than xterm are available?
22) How can I get an X server on a Macintosh running MacOS?
23)* Where can I obtain an X-based editor or word-processor?
24) Just what is Open Windows?
25) Just what is DECWindows?
26) Where can I obtain an X-based paint/draw program?
27) Where can I obtain an X-based spreadsheet?
28)* Where can I get a PostScript previewer for X?
29) Where can I get a troff previewer for X?
30) How can I design my own font?
31) What is PEX?
32)* How do I convert Mac/TIFF/GIF/Sun/PICT/Face/img/FAX images to X?
33) How do I use another window manager with DEC's session manager?
34) How do I build X with gcc?
35) Why doesn't gcc work with X11R4 on my SPARC?
36) What are these problems building X with gcc?
37) What are these funny problems compiling X11R3 on the Sun4?
38) What are these problems installing R4 on the Sun running SunOS 4?
39) Why doesn't XtAppAddInput work as described?
40) Where can I get a fast X server for a workstation?
41) Where can I find X tools callable from shell scripts?
42) How do I make a screendump of the X display?
43)+ Why can't I compile my R3 Xaw contrib programs under R4?
44)+ Is there a way for my wm to produce my .xinitrc, a la toolplaces?
45) How can I change the titlebar of my xterm window?
46) Why doesn't anything appear when I run this simple program?
47) What is the difference between a Screen and a screen?
48) How do I determine the name of an existing widget?
49) Why do I get a BadDrawable error drawing to XtWindow(widget)?
50) Can XGetWindowAttributes get a window's background pixel/pixmap?
51) Why does the pixmap I copy to the screen show up as garbage?
52) Why doesn't my program get the keystrokes I select for?
53) How can my application iconify itself?
54) How do I check whether a window ID is valid?
55) Can I have two applications draw to the same window?
56) Why can't I set the backgroundPixmap resource in my defaults file?
57) Why does the R3 xterm, et al, fail against the R4 server?
58)+ Why doesn't xlock work on my R4 server?
59)+ Why am I suddenly unable to connect to my Sun X server?
60)* Does Motif 1.0 work with X11R4?
61) Where can I obtain alternate language bindings to X?
If you have suggestions or corrections for any of these answers or any
additional information, please send them directly to xug@expo.lcs.mit.edu;
the information will be included in the next revision (or possibly the one
after that; thanks for the many suggestions which haven't been incorporated
yet). The answers in this iteration are acknowledged to be partial and to
lean more towards products than to programming.
This posting is intended to be distributed at approximately the beginning of
each month.
The information contained herein has been gathered from a variety of sources. In
many cases attribution has been lost; if you would like to claim responsibility
for a particular item, please let us know.
Conventions used below: telephone numbers tend to be Bell-system unless
otherwise noted; prices on items are not included.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 0)* Where can I obtain X11R4?
The MIT Software Center is shipping X11R4 on four 1600bpi half-inch
tapes. Call the X Hotline at (617) 258-8330 for prerecorded ordering
information and a good product description.
Integrated Computer Solutions, Inc., ships X11R4 on half-inch,
quarter-inch, and TK50 formats. Call 617-547-0510 for ordering information.
The Free Software Foundation (617-876-3296) sells X11R4 on half-inch
tapes and on QIC-24 cartridges.
Yaser Doleh (doleh@math-cs.kent.EDU; P.O. Box 1301, Kent, OH 44240) is
making X11R4 available on HP format tapes, 16 track, and Sun cartridges. [2/90]
European sites can obtain a free X11R4 distribution from Jamie Watson,
who may be reached at chx400!pan!jw or jw@pan.uu.ch. [10/90]
Non Standard Logics (+33 (1) 43 36 77 50; requests@nsl.fr) makes source
available.
IXI Limited (+44 223 462 131) is selling X11R4 source on quarter-inch
cartridge formats and on 5.25" and 3.5" floppy, with other formats available on
request. [IXI, 2/90]
Virtual Technologies (703-430-9247) provides the entire X11R4
compressed source release on a single QIC-24 quarter-inch cartridge and also on
1.2meg or 1.44 meg floppies upon request. [Conor Cahill (cpcahil@virtech.uu.net)
2/90]
Young Minds (714-335-1350) makes the R4 and GNU distributions available
on a full-text-indexed CD-ROM.
[Note that some distributions are media-only and do not include docs.]
Canadian sites can send email to xhacks@csri.toronto.edu to arrange for
the exchange of tapes; the offer is subject to "time availability".
[information from Mark Moraes (moraes@csri.toronto.edu), 2/90]
UK sites can obtain R4 through the UKUUG Software Distribution Service,
from the Department of Computing, Imperial College, London, in several tape
formats. You may also obtain the source via Janet (and therefore PSS) using
Niftp (Host: uk.ac.ic.doc.src Name: guest Password: your_email_address).
Queries should be directed to Lee McLoughlin, 01-589-5111#5037, or to
ukuug-soft@uk.ac.ic.doc. Also offered are copies of comp.sources.x logs.
X11R4 is ftp-able from expo.lcs.mit.edu; these sites are preferable,
though, and are more direct:
Machine Internet FTP
Location Name Address Directory
-------- ------- -------- -------------
(1) West USA gatekeeper.dec.com 16.1.0.2 pub/X11/R4
Central USA mordred.cs.purdue.edu 128.10.2.2 pub/X11/R4
(2) Central USA giza.cis.ohio-state.edu 128.146.8.61 pub/X.V11R4
Southeast USA uunet.uu.net 192.48.96.2 X/R4
(3) Northeast USA crl.dec.com 192.58.206.2 pub/X11/R4
(4) UK Janet src.doc.ic.ac.uk 129.31.81.36 X.V11R4
UK niftp uk.ac.ic.doc.src <XV11R4>
(5) Australia munnari.oz.au 128.250.1.21 X.V11/R4
The giza.cis.ohio-state.edu site, in particular, is known to have much of the
contrib stuff that can be found on expo.
The release is available to DEC Easynet sites as CRL::"/pub/X11/R4".
Sites in Australia may contact this address: ftp.Adelaide.EDU.AU [129.127.40.3]
and check the directory pub/X/R4. The machine shadows expo and archives
comp.sources.x. (Mark Prior, mrp@ucs.adelaide.edu.au, 5/90)
Note: a much more complete list is distributed regularly by Dan Heller
(argv@sun.com) as part of the introductory postings to comp.sources.x.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 1)* Where can I obtain patches to X11R4?
The xstuff server now has eighteen patches for X11R4 [10/90]. Send to
xstuff@expo.lcs.mit.edu the Subject line
send fixes #
where # are numbers in the appropriate range (e.g. `send fixes 3 5 7 8 17`).
Patches are sometimes also distributed through the newsgroup
comp.sources.x, with some lagtime, and are typically archived on sites from
which X11R4 is available.
Some source re-sellers may be including patches in their source
distributions of X11R4.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 2)* Where can I obtain X11R3 source?
These have been true in the past, but vendors are probably getting out of the
R3 business. If you really need it, check the archives mentioned below, these
vendors, or those selling R4 source.
Intelligent Software Products, (516-766-2867) [formats are unknown].
Integrated Computer Solutions, (617-547-0510) ships X11R3 on half-inch
and quarter-inch formats.
The Free Software Foundation (617-876-3296) sells X11R3 on half-inch
tapes and on QIC-24 cartridges.
Automata Design Associates (215-646-4894) sells X11R3 source on 5.25"
high-density floppies and QIC-24 quarter-inch cartridge tapes.
European sites can obtain a free distribution from Jamie Watson, who
may be reached at chx400!pan!jw or jw@pan.uu.ch. [10/90]
IXI Limited (+44 223 462 131) is selling X11R3 source on quarter-inch
cartridge formats and on 5.25" and 3.5" floppy, with other formats available on
request. [IXI, 2/90]
Non Standard Logics (+33 (1) 43 36 77 50; requests@nsl.fr) makes source
available. [10/90]
[The MIT Software Center no longer distributes X11R3.]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 3)* Where can I obtain Motif?
You can obtain either OSF/Motif source or binaries from a number of
vendors. Motif 1.0 is based on the R3 Intrinsics; Motif 1.1, which began
shipping this past August, is based on the R4 Intrinsics.
An OSF/Motif source license must be obtained from OSF before source can
be obtained from the Open Software Foundation or any value-added vendor for
any version. Call the Direct Channels Desk at OSF at 617-621-7300 for ordering
information.
Various hardware vendors produce developer's toolkits of 1.0 binaries,
header files, and documentation; check your hardware vendor, particularly if
that vendor is an OSF member.
In addition, independent binary vendors produce Motif 1.0 toolkits for
machines for which Motif is not supported by a vendor. ICS makes several binary
kits, notably for Sun, DEC, Apple; Quest (408-988-8880) sells kits for Suns, as
well; IXI (+44 223 462 131) offers kits for Sun3 (SunOS 3.5 or later, and Sun4
(SunOS 4.0.1 or later). Unipalm XTech (+44 954 211862; or Aurora Technologies
617-577-1288 in USA) offers a binary kit for Sun 4, Sun 3, and Sun 386i. NSL
(+33 (1) 43 36 77 50; requests@nsl.fr) offers kits for the Sun 3 and Sun 4.
The kits include varied levels of bug-fixing and support for shared
libraries.
Unipalm XTech will be shipping Motif 1.1 based binaries from the end of
September.
BIM ships Motif 1.1 binaries for Suns. Shared library support is
included. Contact Alain Vermeiren (av@sunbim.be) or Danny Backx (db@sunbim.be)
at +32(2)759.59.25 (Fax : +32(2)759.47.95) [Belgium].
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 4) Where can I obtain toolkits implementing Open Look?
Sun's XView has a SunView-style API. A new version is on the X11R4
tape; version 2.0 is also available (as of 8/90) on expo.lcs.mit.edu
for anonymous ftp. Supported binaries of XView include: ?
AT&T's Open Look GUI 2.0 Xt-based toolkit is now generally available
[2/90]; contact 1-800-828-UNIX#544 for information. Binaries are produced
for SPARC systems by International Quest Corporation (408-988-8289). A version
of the toolkit is also produced under the name OLIT by Sun.
Sun is shipping OpenWindows 2.0 for Sparc, Sun-3, and Sun386i machines;
contact your local sales representative for more details.
Solbourne's extensible C++-based Object Interface Library will be
distributed by AT&T [date of availability appx. 6/90].
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 5)* Where can I obtain other X sources?
User-contributed software is distributed through the newsgroup
comp.sources.x, moderated by Dan Heller (argv@sun.com); also check that group
for posting information.
The machine expo.lcs.mit.edu has a great deal of user-contributed
software in the contrib/ directory; a good deal of it is present in current or
earlier versions on the X11R3 and X11R4 contrib tapes. There is a new directory
contrib/R4fixes/ for fixes to R4 contrib software. [Jim Fulton, 2/90]
The material on giza.cis.ohio-state.edu, which tends to duplicate
the expo archives, is also available via anonymous UUCP from osu-cis, at TB+
and V.32 speeds. Write to uucp@cis.ohio-state.edu (same as osu-cis!uucp) for
instructions. [the archive is now maintained by Karl Kleinpaste]
A new west-coast UUCP X11 Archive is administered by Mark Snitily
(mark@zok.uucp) and contains the full X11R4 distribution, the XTEST
distribution, an entire archive of comp.sources.x and other goodies.
The machine zok has a TB+ modem which will connect to 19.2K, 2400,
1200 baud (in that order). The anonymous UUCP account is UXarch with password
Xgoodies. The modem's phone number is 408-996-8285.
A sample Systems (or L.sys) entry might be:
zok Any ACU 19200 4089968285 in:--in: UXarch word: Xgoodies
To get a current listing of the files that are available, download
the file "/usrX/ls-lR.Z".
A full subject index of the comp.sources.x files is available in the
file "/usrX/comp.sources.x/INDEX".
The machine has just the one modem, so please do not fetch large
amounts of data at one sitting.
[courtesy Mark Snitily, 2/90]
FTP sites and software available:
This list is a lightly-edited (e.g. `grep X`) condensation of sites posted by
odin@pilot.njin.net (Jon Granrose) [9/90].
a.cs.uiuc.edu 128.174.252.1 TeX, dvi2ps, gif, texx2.7
avahi.inria.fr 192.5.60.47 xfedor
brazos.rice.edu 128.42.42.2 pub/X11R3/core.src
cayuga.cs.rochester.edu 192.5.53.209 Xfig, JOVE, NL-KR mail list
cheddar.cs.wisc.edu 128.105.2.143 Common Lisp stuff, X11
crl.dec.com 192.58.206.2 X11R4
cs.toronto.edu 128.100.1.65 UofT BIND, X applications
dinorah.wustl.edu 128.252.118.101 X11R3/core.src, portability
dolphin.mit.edu 18.86.0.5 X11r3 device driver for S,
emil.csd.uu.se 130.238.4.2 Old GNU, X R10
expo.lcs.mit.edu 18.30.0.212 X, portable bitmaps, CLX and
expo.lcs.mit.edu CLUE, gwm
extro.ucc.su.oz.au 129.78.64.1 images, gnu, icon, kermit,
extro.ucc.su.oz.au Ghostscript patches
faui43.informatik.uni-erlangen.de 131.188.1.43 NeWS X11 amiga atari faces
fcs280s.ncifcrf.gov 129.43.1.11 xtrek5.4
finsun.csc.fi 128.214.46.40 X11R4 ftp-list
foobar.colorado.edu 128.138.243.105 BDF fonts, xtex
freja.diku.dk 129.142.96.1 nn, gnu, x11r4, tex, isode
fresnel.stanford.edu 36.10.0.77 X11R4 for Iris
gatekeeper.dec.com 16.1.0.2 X11, recipes, cron, map
giza.cis.ohio-state.edu 128.146.8.61 X, PEX
hemuli.tik.vtt.fi 130.188.52.2 WorldMap X bind.4.8 finger
hpcvaaz.cv.hp.com 15.255.72.15 MitX11R4 Motif
hpserv1.uit.no 128.39.60.50 HP stuff, X11, unix, etc
hydra.helsinki.fi 128.214.4.29 misc, TeX, X
interviews.stanford.edu 36.22.0.175 InterViews X toolkit
iraun1.ira.uka.de 129.13.10.90 GNU X11 comp.sources.unix
irisa.irisa.fr 131.254.2.3 comp.sources.x
j.cc.purdue.edu 128.210.5.1 comp.sources.x
jpl-mil.jpl.nasa.gov 128.149.28.2 TeX, mac, GNU, X11R2, X11R3
kappa.rice.edu 128.42.4.7 X11R3, GNU for Sequent S27
labrea.stanford.edu 36.8.0.47 GNU, X, official TeX sources
larry.mcrcim.mcgill.edu 132.206.4.3 RFCs, X, local nameserver
lll-crg.llnl.gov 128.115.1.1 X11R4
ltisun.epfl.ch 128.178.38.6 xconq
m9-520-1.mit.edu 18.80.0.45 xim utils
maddog.llnl.gov 128.115.10.1 AWM X tutorial, PCP
mcs213k.cs.umr.edu 131.151.6.11 xgif, shuttle
me10.lbl.gov 128.3.128.110 X11 binaries for hp-ux, me10
nic.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 GNU, X11, networking, msdos,
oddput.efd.lth.se 130.235.48.4 xps (postscript previewer)
peace.waikato.ac.nz 130.217.64.62 x11r4
polyslo.calpoly.edu 129.65.17.1 xtrek, top 2.0, spaceout,
qed.rice.edu 128.42.4.38 GNU, X11R3, plot2ps sources
research.att.com 192.20.225.2 TeX, gcc, ghostscript, f2c
scam.berkeley.edu 128.32.138.1 X sources, etc.
schizo.samsung.com 134.228.1.2 comp.sources.x
sequent.kent.edu 131.123.2.50 x11r4 for esix
shambhala.berkeley.edu 128.32.132.54 xrn, xgraph
shemp.cs.ucla.edu 131.179.128.34 XWIP
sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au 129.127.40.3 X11R4
slug.pws.bull.com 128.35.10.203 comp.sources.x, gif, X11R4,
slug.pws.bull.com X11R3, R4contrib, gnu,
ti.com 128.247.159.141 CLX
trout.nosc.mil 132.249.16.12 X11R3, benchmarks, popd, GNU
ucbvax.berkeley.edu 128.32.130.12 nntp, gnews, awm, empire
unido.informatik.uni-dortmund.de 129.217.64.60 atari, mac, benchmarks,
unido.informatik.uni-dortmund.de utils, x11, sysadm tools
vaxa.isi.edu 128.9.0.33 clf-act, X, db
winnie.princeton.edu 128.112.128.180 music software (unix & NeXT)
wpi.wpi.edu TeX_DS3100, TeX_Umax, misc X
wuarchive.wustl.edu 128.252.135.4 GNU, X.11R3, GIF, IEN, RFCs,
wuarchive.wustl.edu comp.sources.x, msdos,
xanth.cs.odu.edu 128.82.8.1 comp.sources.x,
xanth.cs.odu.edu 128.82.4.1 comp.sources.games, X10R4
xview.ucdavis.edu 128.120.1.150 xview
In addition, UUNET Source Archives (703-876-5050) tracks comp.sources.x and
provides 600MB+ of compressed programs on two 6250 bpi or five 1/4" tapes.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 6) What is the xstuff mail-archive?
The xstuff server is a mail-response program. That means that you mail
it a request, and it mails back the response.
Any of the four possible commands must be the first word on a line. The
xstuff server reads your entire message before it does anything, so you can
have several different commands in a single message (unless you ask for help).
The xstuff server treats the "Subject:" header line just like any other line
of the message.
The archives are organized into a series of directories and
subdirectories. Each directory has an index, and each subdirectory has an
index. The top-level index gives you an overview of what is in the
subdirectories, and the index for each subdirectory tells you what is in it.
1) The command "help" or "send help" causes the server to send you a
more detailed version of this help file.
2) if your message contains a line whose first word is "index", then
the server will send you the top-level index of the contents of the archive. If
there are other words on that line that match the name of subdirectories, then
the indexes for those subdirectories are sent instead of the top-level index.
For example, you can say "send index fixes" (or "index fixes"). A message that
requests an index cannot request data.
3) if your message contains a line whose first word is "send", then the
xstuff server will send you the item(s) named on the rest of the line. To name
an item, you give its directory and its name. For example
send fixes 1 3 4
You may issue multiple send requests. The xstuff server contains many
safeguards to ensure that it is not monopolized by people asking for large
amounts of data. The mailer is set up so that it will send no more than a fixed
amount of data each day. If the work queue contains more requests than the
day's quota, then the unsent files will not be processed until the next day.
Whenever the mailer is run to send its day's quota, it sends the requests out
shortest-first.
4) Some mailers produce mail headers that are unusable for extracting
return addresses. If you use such a mailer, you won't get any response. If
you happen to know an explicit path, you can include a line like
path foo%bar.bitnet@mitvma.mit.edu
or
path bar!foo!frotz
in the body of your message, and the daemon will use it.
The xstuff server itself can be reached at xstuff@expo.lcs.mit.edu. If
your mailer deals in "!" notation, try sending to
{someplace}!mit-eddie!expo.lcs.mit.edu!xstuff.
[based on information from the MIT X Consortium, 8/89, 4/90.]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 7) Where can I find books/articles on X that are good for beginners?
Ken Lee of the DEC Western Software Laboratory (klee@wsl.dec.com)
regularly posts to comp.windows.x and ba.windows.x a list of reference books
and articles on X and X programming. Here is an unordered set of useful
reference books and tutorials, most of which appear on that list [comments are
gathered from a variety of places and are unattributable]:
Asente, Paul J., and Swick, Ralph R., "X Window System Toolkit, The Complete
Programmer's Guide and Specification", Digital Press, 1990. The bible on Xt. A
treasury of information, excellent and invaluable. Distributed by Digital
Press, ISBN 1-55558-051-3, order number EY-E757E-DP; and by Prentice- Hall,
ISBN 0-13-972191-6.
Jones, Oliver, "Introduction to the X Window System," Prentice Hall, 1989. A
fine introduction to programming with Xlib; fairly good background to the X
protocol; nice discussion of Xlib, the X library. ISBN 0-13-499997-5.
Young, Doug. "The X Window System: Applications and Programming with Xt (Motif
Version)," Prentice Hall, 1989 (ISBN 0-13-497074-8). The excellent tutorial
"X Window Systems Programming and Applications with Xt," (ISBN 0-13-972167-3)
updated for Motif. [The examples from the Motif version are available on expo
in ~ftp/contrib/young.motif.tar.Z]
Scheifler, Robert, and James Gettys, with Jim Flowers, Ron Newman, and David
Rosenthal, "X Window System: C Library and Protocol Reference, Second Edition,"
Digital Press, 1990. "The Bible", an enhanced version of X documentation by the
authors of the Xlib documentation. This is the most complete published
description of the X programming interface and X protocol. It should not be
one's first book on X, though. Digital Press order EY-E755E-DP.
DP ISBN 1-55558-050-5; Prentice-Hall ISBN 0-13-972050-2
Nye, Adrian, "Xlib Programming Manual, Volume 1" and "Xlib Reference Manual,
Volume 2," O'Reilly and Associates, 1988. A superset of the MIT X documentation;
the first volume is a tutorial with broad coverage of Xlib, and the second
contains reference pages for Xlib functions and many useful reference
appendices. ISBN 0-937175-26-9 (volume 1) and ISBN 0-937175-27-7 (volume 2).
[A version updated for X11R4 is available (4/90).]
Nye, Adrian, and Tim O'Reilly, "X Toolkit Programming Manual, Volume 4,"
O'Reilly and Associates, 1989. The folks at O'Reilly give their comprehensive
treatment to programming with the MIT Intrinsics; R4 versions are now
available.
O'Reilly, Tim, ed., "X Toolkit Reference Manual, Volume 5," O'Reilly and
Associates, 1989. A professional reference manual for the MIT X11R3 Xt; some
information on X11R4 is included.
Rosenthal, David S.H., "Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual Version
1.0 (MIT Consortium Standard)." The first real ICCCM, available on the R4 tape;
a version is also available from the xstuff mail-archive-server.
(Prentice-Hall ordering is 201-767-5937. O'Reilly ordering is 800-338-NUTS.)
In addition, check the X11R4 core distribution in doc/tutorials for some useful
papers and tutorials, particularly the file doc/tutorials/answers.txt. "Late
Night's Top Ten X11 Questions" by Dave Lemke (lemke@ncd.com) and Stuart Marks
(smarks@sun.com) answers other common questions and some of these here in more
detail.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 8)* What courses on X are available?
Advanced Computing Environments periodically offers at least a two-day
Introduction course. Contact Susie Karlson at 415-941-3399 for information.
Communica Software Consultants offers three-day hands-on courses in X
designed for the X Window system developer and programmer. Contact Nicholas
Davias, telephone (08) 232 2626, e-mail nick@manic.communica.oz. [4/90]
GHCT offers a one week lecture/lab course for programmmers designed by
Douglas Young based on his book "The X Window System: Programming and Applica-
tions with Xt, OSF/Motif Edition". Information: Brian Stell (415-966-8805 or
ghct!brian@sgi.com).
Integrated Computer Solutions, Inc., offers several multi-day, hands-on
courses on X, Xt, and the Xaw and Motif widget sets, in particular.
Information is available at 617-547-0510 and info@ics.com.
Intelligent Visual Computing teaches several Xt-based lab courses
on-site. IVC is at 919-481-1353 or at info@ivc.uu.net.
Iris Computing Laboratories (615-886-3429) offers three- and five-day
Xlib and Xt courses.
IXI Limited (+44 223 462 131) offers regular X training courses for
both programmers and non-technical managers.
Lurnix offers 4-day "type-along courses" on Xt; the course is being
ported from Xaw to Xm. Information is available at 800-433-9337 (in CA: -9338).
Non Standard Logics (+33 (1) 43 36 77 50; requests@nsl.fr) offers
courses on programming with Xlib, Motif, and creating Motif widgets.
OSF Educational Services (617-621-8778) offers one-day and one-week
Motif courses.
Unipalm XTech (+44 952 211862) offers X courses and OSF's 5-day Motif
course.
Various vendors are also beginning to offer X training, usually
specific to Xt and a proprietary widget set; HP and DEC are also offering Xlib
courses. Sun offers an XView course.
Various universities are offering short X courses or overviews: UCLA,
Dartmouth, University of Lowell, University of Canberra (within Australia:
062-522422) ...
Among the best places to find courses are at the various Unix
conferences -- Uniforum, Usenix, Unix Expo, Xhibition, the MIT X Technical
Conference, &c.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 9) Is there a skeleton X program available?
There is no general framework such as the TransSkel program for the
Macintosh which handles lots of the odds and ends and overhead of development
under a window system and which can be used as a platform for additional
development. In X, the problem is typically solved by using an interactive
application builder tool or by using cut&paste on existing X applications. Good
applications which you might look to manipulate when you want to "test just
this one little thing" include contrib/clients/xskel, a simple R4 program that
puts up a window and allows sketching in it and offers a starting point for
quick hacks, the Xaw examples in the examples/ directory in the R3 and R4
distributions, and the Xlib "Hello World" example in the R3 doc/HelloWorld and
R4 doc/tutorials/HelloWorld; an updated version of this program which uses R4
Xlib calls and current ICCCM conventions was posted in 2/90 to comp.windows.x
by Glenn Widener of Tektronix. [3/90]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 10) What are these common abbreviations?
Xt: The X Toolkit Intrinsics is a library layered on Xlib which
provides the functionality from which the widget sets are built. An "Xt-based"
program is an application which uses one of those widget sets and which uses
Intrinsics mechanisms to manipulate the widgets.
Xmu: The Xmu library is a collection of Miscellaneous Utility functions
useful in building various applications and widgets.
Xaw: The Athena Widget Set is the MIT-implemented sample widget set
distributed with X11 source since X11R2.
Xm: The OSF/Motif widget set from the Open Software Foundation; binary
kits are available from many hardware vendors
XUI: DEC's X-programmer's toolkit, including a widget set and a high-
level widget description language, is being phased out.
Xhp (Xw): The Hewlett-Packard Widget Set was originally based on R2++,
but several sets of patches exist which bring it up to R3, as it is distributed
on the X11R4 tapes.
dxwm: The DECWindows window manager is part of DEC's current X release.
mwm: The Motif Window Manager is distributed with OSF/Motif source and
is available from vendors in binary form.
CLX: The Common Lisp X Interface is a Common Lisp equivalent to Xlib.
XDMCP: The X Display Manager Protocol provides a uniform mechanism for
a display such as an X terminal to request login service from a remote host.
XLFD: The X Logical Font Description Conventions describes a standard
logical font description and conventions to be used by clients so that they
can query and access those resources.
RTFM: Common expert-speak meaning "please locate and consult the
relevant documentation -- Read the Manual"
UTSL: A common expression meaning "take advantage of the fact that you
aren't limited by a binary license -- Use The Source, Luke".
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 11) What is the ICCCM?
The Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual is one of the
official X Consortium standards documents that define the X environment. It
describes the conventions that clients must observe to coexist peacefully with
other clients sharing the same server. If you are writing X clients, you need
to read and understand the ICCCM, in particular the sections discussing the
selection mechanism and the interaction between your client and the window
manager. Get it either:
- as part of the R4 distribution from MIT.
- in the 2nd edition of the Scheifler/Gettys "X Window System" book.
- as an appendix in the new version of O'Reilly's Volume 0, "X Protocol
Reference Manual." A version in old copies of their Volume 1 is obsolete.
The version in the DP book is much more readable, thanks to the efforts
of Digital's editors to improve the English and the presentation.
[from David Rosenthal, 10/90]
Alternate definition: The ICCCM is generally the M in "RTFM" and is
the most-important of the least-read X documents.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 12)* What is XUG?
The X User's Group was formed in January of 1988. Its purpose is to
encourage X development by providing information on the X Window System to all
who are interested.
- Local Area Groups: [this list is in the process of being updated]:
Bay Area Jim Turner, 415/960-0123
Boston Mitch Trachtenberg,
73647.1447@CompuServe.COM
Cleveland Mike Kolberg, 216/243-1198
New York City #TBC#
Princeton, NJ Joe Camaratta, 609/734-6500
Research Triangle Park Steven Thiedke, 919/481-1353
Washington, DC Thomas Fagre, 703/866-7425
Rocky Mountain Jim West, 719/260-3463
England Ray Anderson, +44 223 462131
Singapore Chee Keong Law, 772-3116
Milan Richard Glover, (39) 961-743-486
- XNextEvent: the several-times-yearly newsletter includes articles of
general interest.
To join, form a local group, contribute to XNextEvent, or help out in
any other way, contact Alex Fisher at XUG, c/o Integrated Computer Solutions,
163 Harvard Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, 617/547-0634, or email to
xug@expo.lcs.mit.edu (please make sure to include a return address, particularly
if you connect to the world via a UUCP connection). Note that this address is
not a mail server. [Note also that XUG does not currently send this FAQ list via
email to a mailing list, though individual requests will be answered.]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 13)+ What is AFUX?
The French X User Group is called AFUX and is based in Sophia Antipolis
by CERICS. Information can be obtained from Miss Vasseur or Miss Forest; BP 148;157, rue Albert Einstein; 06561 Valbonne Cedex; Phone: +33 93 95 45 00 / 45 01;
Fax: +33 93 95 48 57.
[10/90]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 14) What is EXUG?
The European X User Group was formed in 1989 to represent X users in Europe.
It holds technical conferences at regular intervals.
The EXUG also publishes a regular newsletter which is distributed free of
charge to members. The EXUG also runs a email mailing list for members which
is frequently used to address issues of European interest in X.
The EXUG can be contacted by email at: exug@unipalm.uucp or by snail mail at:
The EXUG, Mitchell House, 185 High Street, Cottenham, Cambridge CB4 4RX,
England; phone +44 954 51727.
[from Bevis King (brwk@doc.ic.ac.uk), 4/90]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 15) What is the X Consortium and how do I join?
The MIT X Consortium was formed in January of 1988 to further the
development of the X Window System and has as its major goal the promotion of
cooperation within the computer industry in the creation of standard software
interfaces at all layers in the X Window System environment.
MIT's role is to provide the vendor-neutral architectural and
administrative leadership required to make this work. Membership in the
Consortium open to any organization. There are two categories of membership,
Member (for large organizations) and Affiliate (for smaller organizations).
Most of the Consortium's activities take place via electronic mail,
with meetings when required. As designs and specifications take shape,
interest groups are formed from experts in the participating organizations.
Typically a small multi-organization architecture team leads the design, with
others acting as close observers and reviewers. Once a complete specification
is produced, it may be submitted for formal technical review by the Consortium
as a proposed standard. The standards process typically includes public
review (outside the Consortium) and a demonstration of proof of concept.
Your involvement in the public review process or as a Member or
Affiliate of the Consortium is welcomed.
Write to: Bob Scheifler, MIT X Consortium, Laboratory for Computer
Science, 545 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139.
[For complete information see the XCONSORTIUM man page from the X11R4
distribution, from which this information is adapted.] [2/90]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 16) What is xpert?
The xpert mailing list is the general, public mailing list on X
maintained by the X Consortium. The mailings are gatewayed, so xpert is almost
identical to the comp.windows.x Usenet newsgroup.
*** If you get comp.windows.x, you don't need to ***
*** be added to the xpert mailing list. ***
Otherwise, you can join the list to receive X information
electronically. It is best to find a local distribution; perhaps someone within
your company is already receiving the mailing. As a last resort, send mail to
xpert-request@expo.lcs.mit.edu with a valid return electronic address.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 17) What other X-related public mailing lists exist?
A mailing list for topics related to Open Look is sponsored by Greg
Pasquariello of Unify corporation; send to openlook-request@unify.com (or
openlook-request%unify.uucp@uunet.uu.net) for information.
A mailing list for bugs in the publicly-available version of XView
source, in particular, is sponsored by Sun (Heather Rose); send to
xviewbug-trackers-request@sun.com for information.
A mailing list for topics related to Motif is sponsored by Kee Hinckley
of Alphalpha Software, Inc.; send to motif-request@alphalpha.com for
information. (This group has recently been gatewayed to comp.windows.x.motif.)
A mailing list for major X announcements (new releases, public reviews,
adoption of standards, but NOT advertisements, patches, or questions) is
available by request from xannounce-request@expo.lcs.mit.edu. Messages sent to
xannounce will automatically be sent to the xpert mailing list. They will not
be sent to the Usenet news group comp.windows.x; however, they will appear in
the Usenet news group comp.windows.x.announce. Note: Only redistribution
addresses will be accepted for this list -- i.e. no personal addresses. If you
wish to receive xannounce yourself, please contact your mail administrator to
set up a local redistribution list and to put you on it.
In addition, the X Consortium sponsors these public lists:
bug-clx CLX bug reports and discussions
x-ada X and ada
x11-3d people interested in X and 3d graphics
ximage people interested in image processing and X
xvideo discussion of video extensions for X
To subscribe to one of these lists, assuming no-one in your
organization already receives it, send mail to <list>-request@expo.lcs.mit.edu
with the Subject line including the name of the LIST in caps and the request
"addition request". In the body of the message be sure to give an address for
your local distribution which is accessible from MIT (eddie.mit.edu).
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 18) What conferences on X are coming up?
The European X Window System Conference and Exhibition will be at the
Novotel Hotel, London UK, 12-14th November 1990. Contact the organizers at
+44 31 557 2478 (FAX +44 31 557 5749) or e-mail Prof. Alistair Kilgour,
ack@hw.cs.ac.uk.
The MIT Technical Conference is typically held in January in Boston,
mostly for historical reasons; the Fifth Annual is January 14-16, 1991, at the
Boston Marriott Copley Place. Information: +1 617 253 8861.
The Xhibition 91 X trade show and conference, with tutorials, panels,
presentations, and vendor exhibits, will probably be held in San Jose, June
3-7. Information: +1 617 547 0510.
Other trade shows -- UnixExpo, Uniforum, Siggraph -- show an increasing
presence of X, including tutorials and exhibits.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 19)* What is the current state of the world in X terminals?
Here is a selection of vendors with "impressions of consensus opinions".
AT&T's (800-247-1212; ask for local dealer) 730X has a 1Kx1K monochrome
(amber or white) display with a 1:1 aspect ratio. The terminal supports
multiple Telnet sessions and AT&T windowing in addition to X. The 730 supports
ISO or TCP/IP over twisted pair. "Very, very nice."
DEC (800-343-4040) offers the VT1200, a home-brew 15" 1024x864
monochrome terminal using the TI 34010; this replaces the VT1200. In addition,
DEC offers a VT1300, the vax-in-a-box.
Gipsi S.A. (+33 (1) 30.60.75.00 or Jeff Abramatic at jfa@gipsi.fr) in
10/89 announced "le tX", a line of 68030-based X terminals running X11R3.
High-end models, at least, feature downloadable X servers.
Model Memory Resolution Display Refresh (Hz) Price (FF)
M 2 MB 1280x960x1 19" B&W 66 32 400
Me 2 MB 1280x960x2 19" Greyscale 66 38 000
C4 2 MB 1280x768x4 16" Colour 60 59 900
C8 4 MB 1280x1024x8 19" Colour 60 79 400
Expansion is up to 8MB and 8 planes.
The exclusive US distributor is Peripheral Design, Inc (404-263-0067).
"Looks fairly nice; shouldn't be overlooked."
GraphOn (800-472-7466) OptimaX 200 runs a server on the host which
translates from X protocol to a proprietary protocol which can run over a
serial line. The screen is 14". The terminal is based on a 12MHz 68000. (See
the December 1989 issue of XNextEvent for an informal review.) "Best available
solution for RS232C lines."
Hewlett-Packard (800-752-0900; ask for local sales office) offers the
700/X family of grayscale and color X-terminals. All models are designed with a
dual processor architecture, thin and thick Ethernet, a serial port, and
support for over 20 different local language keyboards (PS/2-style and HP-HIL
available). HP X-terminals can be upgraded to an HP 9000 workstation.
Models Display Resolution Planes Processor Coprocessor Memory
------ ------- ---------- ------ --------- ----------- ------
700/X Grayscale 19" 1024x768 8 34010/60MHz 80186/16MHz 1-9 MB
700/X VGA Color 14" 640x480 8 34010/60MHz 80186/16MHz 1-9 MB
700/X Hi-Res Color 16" 1024x768 8 34010/60MHz 80186/16MHz 1-9 MB
NOTE: All 700/X models offer virtual panning to 1024 x 1024 pixel resolution,
and support a wide variety of other display types and sizes. [8/90]
Human Design Systems (800-437-1551) offers several combinations of 14",
16", and 19" color, grey-scale, and mono screens, at least 1Kx1K. All support
thin and thick Ethernet. High-end models are expandable to 8.5MB. "Slow."
IBM's Xstation 120 starts with 512KB of memory and features support
for simultaneous Token-Ring and Ethernet connections. [2/90] AGE (619-565-7373)
has software that allows it to work with Suns, RTs, and DECstations as well as
the IBM Powerstation machines.
Jupiter Systems (415-523-9000, 508-836-4400) produces the Model 310
which features a 19-inch 1280x1024 color monitor. "A price leader, but also a
performance leader." The Model 410 has a 19", 1280x1024 monitor and offers
a large palette and high memory expansion. [5/90]
Labtam Information Systems (Australia +61 3 587 1444) has just
introduced [7/90] an Intel 80960-based 20MHz mono or 8-bit color X terminal.
Micronics (415-651-2300) offers the MaxTerm, based on a 25MHz 80386 and
featuring a 19", 1280x1024 screen. The MaxTerm offers virtual memory. [5/90]
Network Computing Devices (415-694-0650 or support@ncd.com) offers
monochrome and color X-terminals. All units are designed with no fan, 70 Hz
refresh, thick & thin Ethernet, a serial port, an opto-mechanical mouse and a
choice of keyboards (including PS/2-style, DEC LK-201 style, and compact
UNIX-style). NCDware features full X11R4 support. [Doug Klein, klein@ncd.com,
7/90.]
Product Display Resolution Planes Processor Graphics Memory
------- ---------- ----------- ------- -------------- -------- ----------
NCD16 16" Square 1024 x 1024 Mono 68000 12.5 MHz ASIC 1.5-4.5 MB
NCD19b 19" 1024 x 800 Mono 68000 16 MHz ASIC 2-5 MB
NCD16e 16" Square 1024 x 1024 Mono 68020 15 MHz 2-8 MB
NCD19 19" 1280 x 1024 Mono 68020 15 MHz 2-8 MB
NCD17c 17" 1024 x 768 8 Color 68020 20 MHz 2 ASICs 2-8 MB
NCR (513-445-2033) offers the Towerview with 1024x840 resolution and a
PROM-based server. The Towerview supports serial connections. Fonts are
down-loaded. The XL15 and XL19 have 15", 1024x800 and 19", 1280x1024 displays,
respectively. "Seems to be designed for the PC office." NCR has recently [5/90]
added a series of color terminals to its line; the terminals use a 68020 and
a TI34010 for low-level graphics. Offerings include a 14", 800x600 terminal,
one at 17" and 1024x768, and one at 19" and 1024x768.
Northwest Digital Systems (206-524-0014).
Princeton Graphic Systems (800-221-1490) has introduced the Ultra X line
with monochrome up to 1024x768 and color up to 1024x1280, expandable to 8MB.
Qume (408-942-4000) has announced an X terminal called the QXT 10 X.
Samsung Software America has introduced the SGS-19, offering a 19",
1280x1024 display; it is based on the RISC Am29000. [5/90] "VERY fast mono."
Spectragraphics (619-450-0611) offers an X terminal with emulation for
the IBM 3270 and related terminals.
Tektronix (203-877-1494; or Rick Kamp rickka@orca.WV.tek.com) offers
the Model 4211 Graphics Netstation using the TI 34010 graphics processor. The
15" screen is 1024x768 color. The XN11 is a PseudoColor device with up to 8
planes. The 16" and 19" monitors have the 1024x768 resolution. There is also an
XN10, which features a 19", 1024x768 color monitor.
Tektronix is about to introduce [7/10/90] a line of color
curve-breakers.
Visual Technology (800-VISUALC; MA 508-836-4400) offers advanced
monochrome, grayscale, and color terminals featuring the most mature software
in the business. All terminals fully support MIT X11.4, including extensions
such as shape, XDMCP, XDSXDM, font daemon, and serial communications. Full
international keyboard support exists, with 6 language mappings provided
standard. Visual's advanced software provides a friendly terminal interface
with features such as font paging, remote configuration, keymap downloading,
and numlock synthesis. Networking protocols include TCP/IP, DECnet, and SLIP.
Model Display Resolution Processor(s) RAM
-------- ---------------- ----------- ---------------- --------
X14-ES 14" mono (82 Hz) 1024 x 800 12.5 MHz MC68000 1 - 4 MB
X15 15" mono (76 Hz) 1024 x 800 16.6 MHz MC68000 1 - 4 MB
X15Turbo 15" mono/2-plane 1152 x 900 20 MHz MC68000 2 - 8 MB
gray (70 Hz) plus h/w graphics assist
X19+ 19" mono (72 Hz) 1152 x 900 16.6 MHz MC68000 1 - 4 MB
X19Turbo 19" mono/2-plane 1280 x 1024 20 MHz MC68020 2 - 8 MB
gray (72 Hz) plus h/w graphics assist
XBase/10 8-plane color 1024 X 768 16 MHz MC68020 2 - 14 MB
plus 32 MHz TI34020 coprocessor
XBase/11 8-plane color 1152 x 900 20 MHz MC68020 2 - 14 MB
plus 40 MHz TI34020 coprocessor
XBase/12 8-plane color 1280 x 1024 16 MHz MC68020 2 - 14 MB
plus 32 MHz TI34020 coprocessor
(The X14-ES is the first X terminal for under $1000.)
Good low-cost-per-seat performance stations." [10/90]
Digital Review's 2/26/90 issue evaluates a subset of these terminals.
Corrections are in the 3/5 issue, p.4. A rebuttal from Jupiter appears 3/19.
Digital News' 4/16/90 issue evaluates a subset of these terminals.
[Note to vendors, in particular: it is becoming difficult to keep up with the
introduction of new models. Any updates to the above?]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 20) How can I get an X server on a PC?
AGE (619-565-7373) offers the XoftWare TIGA.
Bell Technologies (Fremont, CA: 415-659-9097)
PC DECWindows a.k.a. the PC DECWindows Display Facility is an MS-DOS
application that turns your PC into an X11R3 terminal. It supports DECnet.
Available from DEC. [Dennis Giokas (giokas@mosaic.enet.dec.com), 3/90]
Graphic Software Systems (GSS) (503-641-2200) makes PC-Xview, an
MSDOS-based X server which interfaces with PC/TCP Plus networking software from
FTP Software and Excelan's LAN WorkPlace for DOS. The server works with
(a) 286, 386, 486 (b) EGA, VGA, DGIS displays. (c) DOS 3.2 and above
(d) Microsoft, Logitech, Mouse Systems Mice (e) 640k memory up to 16 MB memory
[the PC-Xview/16 is available for PCs with extended memory].
HP (800-752-0900) has the "HP Accelerated X Window Display Server"
(HP AXDS/PC; HP part D2300B) which will run on any AT-class DOS machine with
640KB, MSDOS 3.1 or higher, and the HP Intelligent Graphics Controller 10 card,
to which the X11R3-based server is downloaded (avoiding performance-limitations
from PC RAM-size and processor speed). [from John Kempff (kempff@hppad.hp.com),
3/90]
Hummingbird Communications (Canada 416-470-1203) produces the
HCL-eXceed and HCL-eXceed Plus for EGA, VGA, and VGA+ controllers.
Information Network Solutions also offers a product called HCL-eXceed
for the *86. The fax is 02-4122079 inside Australia, 612-4122079 from overseas.
Integrated Inference Machines (714-978-6201 or -6776) is shipping
X11/AT, an X server that runs under MS-windows. The server converts an IBM-AT
into an X terminal which can simultaneously run MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows
applications.
Intelligent Decisions, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA: 408-734-3730)
IBM is rumored to offer a product; part #5709-029.
Locus Computing (800-955-6287; CA: 213-670-6500; UK: +44 296 89911) has
a server called PC-Xsight which also appears in Acer's X terminal.
Pericom's TeemTalk-X for IBM clones allows toggling between X and DOS.
Information: +44 (0908) 560022. [5/90]
DESQview/X from Quarterdeck (?) incorporates X into the DESQview
multi-tasking DOS environment.
VisionWare's XVision is a Microsoft Windows-based X server which allows
an IBM-compatible PC or PS/2 to display X clients running on a networked
computer at the same time as local DOS programs. VisionWare is at 612-377-3627
or vision@vware.mn.org (UK: +44 532 788858 and vware@vision.uucp).
Xnth is an implementation of X11 R4 which runs on AT-bus PCs running
DOS 3.3 or higher. It currently supports 1280X1024 or 1024X768 resolution
monitors at 256 colors (out of 16M) with hardware accelleration for graphics
and text operations. It currently utilizes a TCP/IP byte stream over Ethernet.
Information: George MacDonald, Nth Graphics, Ltd., 1-800-624-7552.
--------------------------------------------------
Local Variables:
mode: outline
outline-regexp: "Subject: [0-9]+)"
eval: (hide-body)
End:
--------------------------------------------------
The X User's Group xug@expo.lcs.mit.edu +1 617 547 0634
"No, I'm a member of the X User's Group, not the Ex-User's Group."xug@lta.com (X User's Group) (12/02/90)
[Last changed: 1 Dec 90]
This article and one following contain the answers to some Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ) often seen in comp.windows.x. It is posted to help reduce
volume in this newsgroup and to provide hard-to-find information of general
interest.
Please redistribute this article!
This article includes answers to the following questions, which are loosely
grouped into these categories: Obtaining X Software; Obtaining Information;
Finding Related Products; Building X; Using X; Programming with X.
Questions marked with a + indicate questions new to this issue; those with
significant changes of content since the last issue are marked by *:
0) Where can I obtain X11R4?
1) Where can I obtain patches to X11R4?
2) Where can I obtain X11R3 source?
3) Where can I obtain OSF/Motif?
4) Does Motif 1.0 work with X11R4?
5) Where can I obtain toolkits implementing Open Look?
6) Where can I obtain other X sources?
7)* Where can I obtain alternate language bindings to X?
8) What is the xstuff mail-archive?
9)* What books and articles on X are good for beginners?
10) What courses on X are available?
11) What conferences on X are coming up?
12) Is there a skeleton X program available?
13) What is the X Consortium and how do I join?
14) What is xpert?
15) What other X-related public mailing lists exist?
16)+ What is the X Registry?
17) What are these common abbreviations?
18) What is the ICCCM?
19)* How can I meet other X developers? (was: What is XUG? AFUX? EXUG?)
20)* Just what is OpenWindows?
21) Just what is DECWindows?
22) What is PEX?
23)+ What is Imake?
24) What is the current state of the world in X terminals?
25) Where can I get an X server on a PC?
26) Where can I get an X server on a Macintosh running MacOS?
27) What terminal emulators other than xterm are available?
28)* Where can I obtain an X-based editor or word-processor?
29)* Where can I obtain an X-based paint/draw program?
30)* Where can I obtain an X-based spreadsheet?
31) Where can I get an X-based PostScript previewer?
32)+ Where can I get an X-based GKS package?
33) Where can I get an X-based troff previewer?
34) Where can I get a fast X server for a workstation?
35)+ Where can I obtain a WYSIWYG interface builder?
36) Where can I find X tools callable from shell scripts?
37) How do I build X with gcc?
38) Why can't gcc compile X11R4 on my SPARC?
39) What are these I/O errors running X built with gcc?
40)+ What are these problems compiling X11R4 on the older Sun3?
41) What are these funny problems compiling X11R3 on the Sun4?
42) What are these problems using R4 shared libraries on SunOS 4?
43)+ What are these problems with "_XtInherit not found" on the Sun?
44) Why can't I compile my R3 Xaw contrib programs under R4?
45)* How do I make a screendump of the X display?
46) Is there a way for my WM to produce my .xinitrc, a la toolplaces?
47)+ Where can I find a dictionary server for xwebster?
48) How can I design my own font?
49)* How do I convert Mac/TIFF/GIF/Sun/PICT/Face/img/FAX images to X?
50) How do I use another window manager with DEC's session manager?
51) How can I change the titlebar of my xterm window?
52)+ How do I keep my $DISPLAY when I rlogin to another machine?
53)+ Why does adding a font to the server not work?
54) Why can't I set the backgroundPixmap resource in my defaults file?
55)+ Why does XtGetValues not work for me?
56)+ How do I make a "busy cursor" while my application is computing?
57) Why does XtAppAddInput not work as described?
58)+ How do I simulate a button press/release event for a widget?
59) Why doesn't anything appear when I run this simple program?
60) What is the difference between a Screen and a screen?
61) How do I determine the name of an existing widget?
62) Why do I get a BadDrawable error drawing to XtWindow(widget)?
63) Can XGetWindowAttributes get a window's background pixel/pixmap?
64) Why does the pixmap I copy to the screen show up as garbage?
65) Why doesn't my program get the keystrokes I select for?
66) How can my application iconify itself?
67) How do I check whether a window ID is valid?
68)* Can I have two applications draw to the same window?
69)+ How do I render rotated text?
70) Why does the R3 xterm, et al, fail against the R4 server?
71) Why doesn't xlock work on my R4 server?
72) Why am I suddenly unable to connect to my Sun X server?
If you have suggestions or corrections for any of these answers or any
additional information, please send them directly to xug@expo.lcs.mit.edu;
the information will be included in the next revision (or possibly the one
after that; thanks for the many suggestions which haven't been incorporated
yet).
This posting is intended to be distributed at approximately the beginning of
each month.
The information contained herein has been gathered from a variety of sources. In
many cases attribution has been lost; if you would like to claim responsibility
for a particular item, please let us know.
Conventions used below: telephone numbers tend to be Bell-system unless
otherwise noted; prices on items are not included.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 0) Where can I obtain X11R4?
The MIT Software Center is shipping X11R4 on four 1600bpi half-inch
tapes. Call the X Hotline at (617) 258-8330 for prerecorded ordering
information and a good product description.
Integrated Computer Solutions, Inc., ships X11R4 on half-inch,
quarter-inch, and TK50 formats. Call 617-547-0510 for ordering information.
The Free Software Foundation (617-876-3296) sells X11R4 on half-inch
tapes and on QIC-24 cartridges.
Yaser Doleh (doleh@math-cs.kent.EDU; P.O. Box 1301, Kent, OH 44240) is
making X11R4 available on HP format tapes, 16 track, and Sun cartridges. [2/90]
European sites can obtain a free X11R4 distribution from Jamie Watson,
who may be reached at chx400!pan!jw or jw@pan.uu.ch. [10/90]
Non Standard Logics (+33 (1) 43 36 77 50; requests@nsl.fr) makes source
available.
IXI Limited (+44 223 462 131) is selling X11R4 source on quarter-inch
cartridge formats and on 5.25" and 3.5" floppy, with other formats available on
request. [IXI, 2/90]
Virtual Technologies (703-430-9247) provides the entire X11R4
compressed source release on a single QIC-24 quarter-inch cartridge and also on
1.2meg or 1.44 meg floppies upon request. [Conor Cahill (cpcahil@virtech.uu.net)
2/90]
Young Minds (714-335-1350) makes the R4 and GNU distributions available
on a full-text-indexed CD-ROM.
[Note that some distributions are media-only and do not include docs.]
Canadian sites can send email to xhacks@csri.toronto.edu to arrange for
the exchange of tapes; the offer is subject to "time availability".
[information from Mark Moraes (moraes@csri.toronto.edu), 2/90]
UK sites can obtain R4 through the UKUUG Software Distribution Service,
from the Department of Computing, Imperial College, London, in several tape
formats. You may also obtain the source via Janet (and therefore PSS) using
Niftp (Host: uk.ac.ic.doc.src Name: guest Password: your_email_address).
Queries should be directed to Lee McLoughlin, 01-589-5111#5037, or to
ukuug-soft@uk.ac.ic.doc. Also offered are copies of comp.sources.x logs.
X11R4 is ftp-able from expo.lcs.mit.edu; these sites are preferable,
though, and are more direct:
Machine Internet FTP
Location Name Address Directory
-------- ------- -------- -------------
(1) West USA gatekeeper.dec.com 16.1.0.2 pub/X11/R4
Central USA mordred.cs.purdue.edu 128.10.2.2 pub/X11/R4
(2) Central USA giza.cis.ohio-state.edu 128.146.8.61 pub/X.V11R4
Southeast USA uunet.uu.net 192.48.96.2 X/R4
(3) Northeast USA crl.dec.com 192.58.206.2 pub/X11/R4
(4) UK Janet src.doc.ic.ac.uk 129.31.81.36 X.V11R4
UK niftp uk.ac.ic.doc.src <XV11R4>
(5) Australia munnari.oz.au 128.250.1.21 X.V11/R4
The giza.cis.ohio-state.edu site, in particular, is known to have much of the
contrib stuff that can be found on expo.
The release is available to DEC Easynet sites as CRL::"/pub/X11/R4".
Sites in Australia may contact this address: ftp.Adelaide.EDU.AU [129.127.40.3]
and check the directory pub/X/R4. The machine shadows expo and archives
comp.sources.x. (Mark Prior, mrp@ucs.adelaide.edu.au, 5/90)
Note: a much more complete list is distributed regularly by Dan Heller
(argv@sun.com) as part of the introductory postings to comp.sources.x.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 1) Where can I obtain patches to X11R4?
The xstuff server now has eighteen patches for X11R4 [10/90]. Send to
xstuff@expo.lcs.mit.edu the Subject line
send fixes #
where # are numbers in the appropriate range (e.g. `send fixes 3 5 7 8 17`).
Patches are sometimes also distributed through the newsgroup
comp.sources.x, with some lagtime, and are typically archived on sites from
which X11R4 is available.
Some source re-sellers may be including patches in their source
distributions of X11R4.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 2) Where can I obtain X11R3 source?
These have been true in the past, but vendors are probably getting out of the
R3 business. If you really need it, check the archives mentioned below, these
vendors, or those selling R4 source.
Intelligent Software Products, (516-766-2867) [formats are unknown].
Integrated Computer Solutions, (617-547-0510) ships X11R3 on half-inch
and quarter-inch formats.
The Free Software Foundation (617-876-3296) sells X11R3 on half-inch
tapes and on QIC-24 cartridges.
Automata Design Associates (215-646-4894) sells X11R3 source on 5.25"
high-density floppies and QIC-24 quarter-inch cartridge tapes.
European sites can obtain a free distribution from Jamie Watson, who
may be reached at chx400!pan!jw or jw@pan.uu.ch. [10/90]
IXI Limited (+44 223 462 131) is selling X11R3 source on quarter-inch
cartridge formats and on 5.25" and 3.5" floppy, with other formats available on
request. [IXI, 2/90]
Non Standard Logics (+33 (1) 43 36 77 50; requests@nsl.fr) makes source
available. [10/90]
[The MIT Software Center no longer distributes X11R3.]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 3) Where can I obtain OSF/Motif?
You can obtain either OSF/Motif source or binaries from a number of
vendors. Motif 1.0 is based on the R3 Intrinsics; Motif 1.1, which began
shipping this past August, is based on the R4 Intrinsics.
An OSF/Motif source license must be obtained from OSF before source can
be obtained from the Open Software Foundation or any value-added vendor for
any version. Call the Direct Channels Desk at OSF at 617-621-7300 for ordering
information.
Various hardware vendors produce developer's toolkits of 1.0 binaries,
header files, and documentation; check your hardware vendor, particularly if
that vendor is an OSF member.
In addition, independent binary vendors produce Motif 1.0 toolkits for
machines for which Motif is not supported by a vendor. ICS makes several binary
kits, notably for Sun, DEC, Apple; Quest (408-988-8880) sells kits for Suns, as
well; IXI (+44 223 462 131) offers kits for Sun3 (SunOS 3.5 or later, and Sun4
(SunOS 4.0.1 or later). Unipalm XTech (+44 954 211862; or Aurora Technologies
617-577-1288 in USA) offers a binary kit for Sun 4, Sun 3, and Sun 386i. NSL
(+33 (1) 43 36 77 50; requests@nsl.fr) offers kits for the Sun 3 and Sun 4.
The kits include varied levels of bug-fixing and support for shared
libraries.
Unipalm XTech will be shipping Motif 1.1 based binaries from the end of
September.
BIM ships Motif 1.1 binaries for Suns. Shared library support is
included. Contact Alain Vermeiren (av@sunbim.be) or Danny Backx (db@sunbim.be)
at +32(2)759.59.25 (Fax : +32(2)759.47.95) (Belgium).
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 4) Does Motif 1.0 work with X11R4?
Applications based on OSF/Motif 1.0 will run against an R4 server if it
is set to bug-compatibility mode or if a patch (part of the 1.0.3 upgrade) to
the XmPanedWindow is obtained.
Applications based on OSF/Motif 1.0 can be built or linked on a system
with X11R4 libraries provided that the Motif version of the R3 Intrinsics is
used; the R4 Xt should not be used with Motif 1.0 programs.
Motif 1.1, available in source form from OSF as of August 1990, uses
the "vanilla" X11R4 Intrinsics, where "vanilla" means "with just a few patches";
the file fix-osf which OSF distributes is obsoleted by MIT's patches 15-17.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 5) Where can I obtain toolkits implementing Open Look?
Sun's XView has a SunView-style API. A new version is on the X11R4
tape; version 2.0 is also available (as of 8/90) on expo.lcs.mit.edu
for anonymous ftp. Supported binaries of XView include: ?
AT&T's Open Look GUI 2.0 Xt-based toolkit is now generally available
[2/90]; contact 1-800-828-UNIX#544 for information. Binaries are produced
for SPARC systems by International Quest Corporation (408-988-8289). A version
of the toolkit is also produced under the name OLIT by Sun.
Sun is shipping OpenWindows 2.0 for Sparc, Sun-3, and Sun386i machines;
contact your local sales representative for more details.
Solbourne's extensible C++-based Object Interface Library will be
distributed by AT&T [date of availability appx. 6/90].
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 6) Where can I obtain other X sources?
User-contributed software is distributed through the newsgroup
comp.sources.x, moderated by Dan Heller (argv@sun.com); also check that group
for posting information.
The machine expo.lcs.mit.edu has a great deal of user-contributed
software in the contrib/ directory; a good deal of it is present in current or
earlier versions on the X11R3 and X11R4 contrib tapes. There is a new directory
contrib/R4fixes/ for fixes to R4 contrib software. [Jim Fulton, 2/90]
The material on giza.cis.ohio-state.edu, which tends to duplicate
the expo archives, is also available via anonymous UUCP from osu-cis, at TB+
and V.32 speeds. Write to uucp@cis.ohio-state.edu (same as osu-cis!uucp) for
instructions. [the archive is now maintained by Karl Kleinpaste]
A new west-coast UUCP X11 Archive is administered by Mark Snitily
(mark@zok.uucp) and contains the full X11R4 distribution, the XTEST
distribution, an entire archive of comp.sources.x and other goodies.
The machine zok has a TB+ modem which will connect to 19.2K, 2400,
1200 baud (in that order). The anonymous UUCP account is UXarch with password
Xgoodies. The modem's phone number is 408-996-8285.
A sample Systems (or L.sys) entry might be:
zok Any ACU 19200 4089968285 in:--in: UXarch word: Xgoodies
To get a current listing of the files that are available, download
the file "/usrX/ls-lR.Z".
A full subject index of the comp.sources.x files is available in the
file "/usrX/comp.sources.x/INDEX".
The machine has just the one modem, so please do not fetch large
amounts of data at one sitting.
[courtesy Mark Snitily, 2/90]
FTP sites and software available:
This list is a lightly-edited (e.g. `grep X`) condensation of sites posted by
odin@pilot.njin.net (Jon Granrose) [9/90].
a.cs.uiuc.edu 128.174.252.1 TeX, dvi2ps, gif, texx2.7
avahi.inria.fr 192.5.60.47 xfedor
brazos.rice.edu 128.42.42.2 pub/X11R3/core.src
cayuga.cs.rochester.edu 192.5.53.209 Xfig, JOVE, NL-KR mail list
cheddar.cs.wisc.edu 128.105.2.143 Common Lisp stuff, X11
crl.dec.com 192.58.206.2 X11R4
cs.toronto.edu 128.100.1.65 UofT BIND, X applications
dinorah.wustl.edu 128.252.118.101 X11R3/core.src, portability
dolphin.mit.edu 18.86.0.5 X11r3 device driver for S,
emil.csd.uu.se 130.238.4.2 Old GNU, X R10
expo.lcs.mit.edu 18.30.0.212 X, portable bitmaps, CLX and
expo.lcs.mit.edu CLUE, gwm
extro.ucc.su.oz.au 129.78.64.1 images, gnu, icon, kermit,
extro.ucc.su.oz.au Ghostscript patches
faui43.informatik.uni-erlangen.de 131.188.1.43 NeWS X11 amiga atari faces
fcs280s.ncifcrf.gov 129.43.1.11 xtrek5.4
finsun.csc.fi 128.214.46.40 X11R4 ftp-list
foobar.colorado.edu 128.138.243.105 BDF fonts, xtex
freja.diku.dk 129.142.96.1 nn, gnu, x11r4, tex, isode
fresnel.stanford.edu 36.10.0.77 X11R4 for Iris
gatekeeper.dec.com 16.1.0.2 X11, recipes, cron, map
giza.cis.ohio-state.edu 128.146.8.61 X, PEX
hemuli.tik.vtt.fi 130.188.52.2 WorldMap X bind.4.8 finger
hpcvaaz.cv.hp.com 15.255.72.15 MitX11R4 Motif
hpserv1.uit.no 128.39.60.50 HP stuff, X11, unix, etc
hydra.helsinki.fi 128.214.4.29 misc, TeX, X
interviews.stanford.edu 36.22.0.175 InterViews X toolkit
iraun1.ira.uka.de 129.13.10.90 GNU X11 comp.sources.unix
irisa.irisa.fr 131.254.2.3 comp.sources.x
j.cc.purdue.edu 128.210.5.1 comp.sources.x
jpl-mil.jpl.nasa.gov 128.149.28.2 TeX, mac, GNU, X11R2, X11R3
kappa.rice.edu 128.42.4.7 X11R3, GNU for Sequent S27
labrea.stanford.edu 36.8.0.47 GNU, X, official TeX sources
larry.mcrcim.mcgill.edu 132.206.4.3 RFCs, X, local nameserver
lll-crg.llnl.gov 128.115.1.1 X11R4
ltisun.epfl.ch 128.178.38.6 xconq
m9-520-1.mit.edu 18.80.0.45 xim utils
maddog.llnl.gov 128.115.10.1 AWM X tutorial, PCP
mcs213k.cs.umr.edu 131.151.6.11 xgif, shuttle
me10.lbl.gov 128.3.128.110 X11 binaries for hp-ux, me10
nic.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 GNU, X11, networking, msdos,
oddput.efd.lth.se 130.235.48.4 xps (postscript previewer)
peace.waikato.ac.nz 130.217.64.62 x11r4
polyslo.calpoly.edu 129.65.17.1 xtrek, top 2.0, spaceout,
qed.rice.edu 128.42.4.38 GNU, X11R3, plot2ps sources
research.att.com 192.20.225.2 TeX, gcc, ghostscript, f2c
scam.berkeley.edu 128.32.138.1 X sources, etc.
schizo.samsung.com 134.228.1.2 comp.sources.x
sequent.kent.edu 131.123.2.50 x11r4 for esix
shambhala.berkeley.edu 128.32.132.54 xrn, xgraph
shemp.cs.ucla.edu 131.179.128.34 XWIP
sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au 129.127.40.3 X11R4
slug.pws.bull.com 128.35.10.203 comp.sources.x, gif, X11R4,
slug.pws.bull.com X11R3, R4contrib, gnu,
ti.com 128.247.159.141 CLX
trout.nosc.mil 132.249.16.12 X11R3, benchmarks, popd, GNU
ucbvax.berkeley.edu 128.32.130.12 nntp, gnews, awm, empire
unido.informatik.uni-dortmund.de 129.217.64.60 atari, mac, benchmarks,
unido.informatik.uni-dortmund.de utils, x11, sysadm tools
vaxa.isi.edu 128.9.0.33 clf-act, X, db
winnie.princeton.edu 128.112.128.180 music software (unix & NeXT)
wpi.wpi.edu TeX_DS3100, TeX_Umax, misc X
wuarchive.wustl.edu 128.252.135.4 GNU, X.11R3, GIF, IEN, RFCs,
wuarchive.wustl.edu comp.sources.x, msdos,
xanth.cs.odu.edu 128.82.8.1 comp.sources.x,
xanth.cs.odu.edu 128.82.4.1 comp.sources.games, X10R4
xview.ucdavis.edu 128.120.1.150 xview
These sites mirror expo and are of particular use for Australasia:
Anonymous ftp: ftp.Adelaide.EDU.AU pub/X/R4/
pub/sources/x/
ACSnet Fetchfile: sirius.ua.oz X/R4/
sources/x/
In addition, UUNET Source Archives (703-876-5050) tracks comp.sources.x and
provides 600MB+ of compressed programs on two 6250 bpi or five 1/4" tapes.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 7)* Where can I obtain alternate language bindings to X?
Versions of the CLX Lisp bindings are part of the X11R3 and X11R4 core
source distributions. The latest version of CLX (R4.4) is available from expo
for ftp as contrib/CLX.R4.4.tar.Z; this version fixes bugs reported against
the R4 distribution. [11/90]
Ada bindings were written by Mark Nelson and Stephen Hyland at SAIC
for the DOD. The bindings can be found on hapo.sei.cmu.edu or on
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil and are also in the Ada Software Repository (ASR).
R3 bindings should be available by the end of 1/90. [1/90]
Prolog bindings (called "XWIP") written by Ted Kim at UCLA while
supported in part by DARPA are available by anonymous FTP from
expo.lcs.mit.edu:contrib/xwip.tar.Z or ftp.cs.ucla.edu:pub/xwip.tar.Z.
These prolog language bindings depend on having a Quintus-type foreign function
interface in your prolog. The developer has gotten it to work with Quintus and
SICStus prolog. Inquiries should go to xwip@cs.ucla.edu. [3/90]
GHG is developing X bindings and a complete Ada re-implementation
of X; check Lionel Hanley at 713-488-8806. [4/90]
Ada bindings to Motif, explicitly, will eventually be made available by
the Jet Propulsion Laboratories, probably through the normal electronic
means. Advance information can be obtained from dsouleles@dsfvax.jpl.nasa.gov,
who may respond as time permits.
Another set of bindings for Motif is being done by the University of
Lowell; information is available from osfri@osf.org.[11/90]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 8) What is the xstuff mail-archive?
The xstuff server is a mail-response program. That means that you mail
it a request, and it mails back the response.
Any of the four possible commands must be the first word on a line. The
xstuff server reads your entire message before it does anything, so you can
have several different commands in a single message (unless you ask for help).
The xstuff server treats the "Subject:" header line just like any other line
of the message.
The archives are organized into a series of directories and
subdirectories. Each directory has an index, and each subdirectory has an
index. The top-level index gives you an overview of what is in the
subdirectories, and the index for each subdirectory tells you what is in it.
1) The command "help" or "send help" causes the server to send you a
more detailed version of this help file.
2) if your message contains a line whose first word is "index", then
the server will send you the top-level index of the contents of the archive. If
there are other words on that line that match the name of subdirectories, then
the indexes for those subdirectories are sent instead of the top-level index.
For example, you can say "send index fixes" (or "index fixes"). A message that
requests an index cannot request data.
3) if your message contains a line whose first word is "send", then the
xstuff server will send you the item(s) named on the rest of the line. To name
an item, you give its directory and its name. For example
send fixes 1 3 4
You may issue multiple send requests. The xstuff server contains many
safeguards to ensure that it is not monopolized by people asking for large
amounts of data. The mailer is set up so that it will send no more than a fixed
amount of data each day. If the work queue contains more requests than the
day's quota, then the unsent files will not be processed until the next day.
Whenever the mailer is run to send its day's quota, it sends the requests out
shortest-first.
4) Some mailers produce mail headers that are unusable for extracting
return addresses. If you use such a mailer, you won't get any response. If
you happen to know an explicit path, you can include a line like
path foo%bar.bitnet@mitvma.mit.edu
or
path bar!foo!frotz
in the body of your message, and the daemon will use it.
The xstuff server itself can be reached at xstuff@expo.lcs.mit.edu. If
your mailer deals in "!" notation, try sending to
{someplace}!mit-eddie!expo.lcs.mit.edu!xstuff.
[based on information from the MIT X Consortium, 8/89, 4/90.]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 9)* What books and articles on X are good for beginners?
Ken Lee of the DEC Western Software Laboratory (klee@wsl.dec.com)
regularly posts to comp.windows.x and ba.windows.x a list of reference books
and articles on X and X programming (it is ftp-able as
expo.lcs.mit.edu:/contrib/Xbibliography and
gatekeeper.dec.com:/archive/pub/X11/contrib/Xbibliography ).
Here is an unordered set of useful reference books and tutorials, most of which
appear on that list [comments are gathered from a variety of places and are
unattributable]:
Asente, Paul J., and Swick, Ralph R., "X Window System Toolkit, The Complete
Programmer's Guide and Specification", Digital Press, 1990. The bible on Xt. A
treasury of information, excellent and invaluable. Distributed by Digital
Press, ISBN 1-55558-051-3, order number EY-E757E-DP; and by Prentice-Hall,
ISBN 0-13-972191-6. Also available through DEC Direct at 1-800-DIGITAL.
[The examples are on expo.lcs.mit.edu in contrib/ and on gatekeeper.dec.com
(16.1.0.2) in pub/X11/contrib as asente-swick.examples.tar.Z. They were also
recently posted to comp.sources.x as xt-examples/part0[1-5].]
Jones, Oliver, "Introduction to the X Window System," Prentice Hall, 1989. A
fine introduction to programming with Xlib; fairly good background to the X
protocol; nice discussion of Xlib, the X library. ISBN 0-13-499997-5.
Young, Doug. "The X Window System: Applications and Programming with Xt (Motif
Version)," Prentice Hall, 1989 (ISBN 0-13-497074-8). The excellent tutorial
"X Window Systems Programming and Applications with Xt," (ISBN 0-13-972167-3)
updated for Motif. [The examples from the Motif version are available on expo
in ~ftp/contrib/young.motif.tar.Z]
Scheifler, Robert, and James Gettys, with Jim Flowers, Ron Newman, and David
Rosenthal, "X Window System: C Library and Protocol Reference, Second Edition,"
Digital Press, 1990. "The Bible", an enhanced version of X documentation by the
authors of the Xlib documentation. This is the most complete published
description of the X programming interface and X protocol. It should not be
one's first book on X, though. Digital Press order EY-E755E-DP.
DP ISBN 1-55558-050-5; Prentice-Hall ISBN 0-13-972050-2
Nye, Adrian, "Xlib Programming Manual, Volume 1" and "Xlib Reference Manual,
Volume 2," O'Reilly and Associates, 1988. A superset of the MIT X documentation;
the first volume is a tutorial with broad coverage of Xlib, and the second
contains reference pages for Xlib functions and many useful reference
appendices. ISBN 0-937175-26-9 (volume 1) and ISBN 0-937175-27-7 (volume 2).
[A version updated for X11R4 is available (4/90).]
Nye, Adrian, and Tim O'Reilly, "X Toolkit Programming Manual, Volume 4,"
O'Reilly and Associates, 1989. The folks at O'Reilly give their comprehensive
treatment to programming with the MIT Intrinsics; R4 versions are now
available.
O'Reilly, Tim, ed., "X Toolkit Reference Manual, Volume 5," O'Reilly and
Associates, 1989. A professional reference manual for the MIT X11R3 Xt; some
information on X11R4 is included.
Rosenthal, David S.H., "Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual Version
1.0 (MIT Consortium Standard)." The first real ICCCM, available on the R4 tape;
a version is also available from the xstuff mail-archive-server.
(Prentice-Hall ordering is 201-767-5937. O'Reilly ordering is 800-338-NUTS.)
In addition, check the X11R4 core distribution in doc/tutorials for some useful
papers and tutorials, particularly the file doc/tutorials/answers.txt. "Late
Night's Top Ten X11 Questions" by Dave Lemke (lemke@ncd.com) and Stuart Marks
(smarks@sun.com) answers other common questions and some of these here in more
detail.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 10) What courses on X are available?
Advanced Computing Environments periodically offers at least a two-day
Introduction course. Contact Susie Karlson at 415-941-3399 for information.
Communica Software Consultants offers three-day hands-on courses in X
designed for the X Window system developer and programmer. Contact Nicholas
Davias, telephone 61 8 4101442, e-mail nick@manic.communica.oz.au. [11/90]
GHCT offers a one week lecture/lab course for programmmers designed by
Douglas Young based on his book "The X Window System: Programming and Applica-
tions with Xt, OSF/Motif Edition". Information: Brian Stell (415-966-8805 or
ghct!brian@sgi.com).
Integrated Computer Solutions, Inc., offers several multi-day, hands-on
courses on X, Xt, and the Xaw and Motif widget sets, in particular.
Information is available at 617-547-0510 and info@ics.com.
Intelligent Visual Computing teaches several Xt-based lab courses
on-site. IVC is at 919-481-1353 or at info@ivc.uu.net.
Iris Computing Laboratories (615-886-3429) offers three- and five-day
Xlib and Xt courses.
IXI Limited (+44 223 462 131) offers regular X training courses for
both programmers and non-technical managers.
Lurnix offers 4-day "type-along courses" on Xt; the course is being
ported from Xaw to Xm. Information is available at 800-433-9337 (in CA: -9338).
Non Standard Logics (+33 (1) 43 36 77 50; requests@nsl.fr) offers
courses on programming with Xlib, Motif, and creating Motif widgets.
OSF Educational Services (617-621-8778) offers one-day and one-week
Motif courses.
Unipalm XTech (+44 952 211862) offers X courses and OSF's 5-day Motif
course.
Various vendors are also beginning to offer X training, usually
specific to Xt and a proprietary widget set; HP and DEC are also offering Xlib
courses. Sun offers an XView course.
Various universities are offering short X courses or overviews: UCLA,
Dartmouth, University of Lowell, University of Canberra (within Australia:
062-522422) ...
Among the best places to find courses are at the various Unix
conferences -- Uniforum, Usenix, Unix Expo, Xhibition, the MIT X Technical
Conference, &c.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 11) What conferences on X are coming up?
The MIT Technical Conference is typically held in January in Boston,
mostly for historical reasons; the Fifth Annual is January 14-16, 1991, at the
Boston Marriott Copley Place. Information: +1 617 253 8861.
The Xhibition 91 X trade show and conference, with tutorials, panels,
presentations, and vendor exhibits, will probably be held in San Jose, June
3-7. Information: +1 617 547 0510.
Other trade shows -- UnixExpo, Uniforum, Siggraph -- show an increasing
presence of X, including tutorials and exhibits.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 12) Is there a skeleton X program available?
There is no general framework such as the TransSkel program for the
Macintosh which handles lots of the odds and ends and overhead of development
under a window system and which can be used as a platform for additional
development. In X, the problem is typically solved by using an interactive
application builder tool or by using cut&paste on existing X applications. Good
applications which you might look to manipulate when you want to "test just
this one little thing" include contrib/clients/xskel, a simple R4 program that
puts up a window and allows sketching in it and offers a starting point for
quick hacks, the Xaw examples in the examples/ directory in the R3 and R4
distributions, and the Xlib "Hello World" example in the R3 doc/HelloWorld and
R4 doc/tutorials/HelloWorld; an updated version of this program which uses R4
Xlib calls and current ICCCM conventions was posted in 2/90 to comp.windows.x
by Glenn Widener of Tektronix. [3/90]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 13) What is the X Consortium and how do I join?
The MIT X Consortium was formed in January of 1988 to further the
development of the X Window System and has as its major goal the promotion of
cooperation within the computer industry in the creation of standard software
interfaces at all layers in the X Window System environment.
MIT's role is to provide the vendor-neutral architectural and
administrative leadership required to make this work. Membership in the
Consortium open to any organization. There are two categories of membership,
Member (for large organizations) and Affiliate (for smaller organizations).
Most of the Consortium's activities take place via electronic mail,
with meetings when required. As designs and specifications take shape,
interest groups are formed from experts in the participating organizations.
Typically a small multi-organization architecture team leads the design, with
others acting as close observers and reviewers. Once a complete specification
is produced, it may be submitted for formal technical review by the Consortium
as a proposed standard. The standards process typically includes public
review (outside the Consortium) and a demonstration of proof of concept.
Your involvement in the public review process or as a Member or
Affiliate of the Consortium is welcomed.
Write to: Bob Scheifler, MIT X Consortium, Laboratory for Computer
Science, 545 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139.
[For complete information see the XCONSORTIUM man page from the X11R4
distribution, from which this information is adapted.] [2/90]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 14) What is xpert?
The xpert mailing list is the general, public mailing list on X
maintained by the X Consortium. The mailings are gatewayed, so xpert is almost
identical to the comp.windows.x Usenet newsgroup.
*** If you get comp.windows.x, you don't need to ***
*** be added to the xpert mailing list. ***
Otherwise, you can join the list to receive X information
electronically. It is best to find a local distribution; perhaps someone within
your company is already receiving the mailing. As a last resort, send mail to
xpert-request@expo.lcs.mit.edu with a valid return electronic address.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 15) What other X-related public mailing lists exist?
A mailing list for topics related to Open Look is sponsored by Greg
Pasquariello of Unify corporation; send to openlook-request@unify.com (or
openlook-request%unify.uucp@uunet.uu.net) for information.
A mailing list for bugs in the publicly-available version of XView
source, in particular, is sponsored by Sun (Heather Rose); send to
xviewbug-trackers-request@sun.com for information.
A mailing list for topics related to Motif is sponsored by Kee Hinckley
of Alphalpha Software, Inc.; send to motif-request@alphalpha.com for
information. (This group has recently been gatewayed to comp.windows.x.motif.)
A mailing list for major X announcements (new releases, public reviews,
adoption of standards, but NOT advertisements, patches, or questions) is
available by request from xannounce-request@expo.lcs.mit.edu. Messages sent to
xannounce will automatically be sent to the xpert mailing list. They will not
be sent to the Usenet news group comp.windows.x; however, they will appear in
the Usenet news group comp.windows.x.announce. Note: Only redistribution
addresses will be accepted for this list -- i.e. no personal addresses. If you
wish to receive xannounce yourself, please contact your mail administrator to
set up a local redistribution list and to put you on it.
In addition, the X Consortium sponsors these public lists:
bug-clx CLX bug reports and discussions
x-ada X and ada
x11-3d people interested in X and 3d graphics
ximage people interested in image processing and X
xvideo discussion of video extensions for X
To subscribe to one of these lists, assuming no-one in your
organization already receives it, send mail to <list>-request@expo.lcs.mit.edu
with the Subject line including the name of the LIST in caps and the request
"addition request". In the body of the message be sure to give an address for
your local distribution which is accessible from MIT (eddie.mit.edu).
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 16)+ What is the X Registry?
There are places in the X Toolkit, in applications, and in the X
protocol that define and use string names. The context is such that conflicts
are possible if different components use the same name for different things.
The MIT X Consortium maintains a registry of names in these domains:
orgainization names, selection names, selection targets, resource types,
application classes, and class extension record types; and several others.
The list as of 1/90 is in the directory mit/doc/Registry on the R4 tape.
To register names (first come, first served) or to ask questions send
to xregistry@expo.lcs.mit.edu; be sure to include a postal address for
confirmation.
[11/90; condensed from Asente/Swick Appendix H]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 17) What are these common abbreviations?
Xt: The X Toolkit Intrinsics is a library layered on Xlib which
provides the functionality from which the widget sets are built. An "Xt-based"
program is an application which uses one of those widget sets and which uses
Intrinsics mechanisms to manipulate the widgets.
Xmu: The Xmu library is a collection of Miscellaneous Utility functions
useful in building various applications and widgets.
Xaw: The Athena Widget Set is the MIT-implemented sample widget set
distributed with X11 source since X11R2.
Xm: The OSF/Motif widget set from the Open Software Foundation; binary
kits are available from many hardware vendors
XUI: DEC's X-programmer's toolkit, including a widget set and a high-
level widget description language, is being phased out.
Xhp (Xw): The Hewlett-Packard Widget Set was originally based on R2++,
but several sets of patches exist which bring it up to R3, as it is distributed
on the X11R4 tapes.
dxwm: The DECWindows window manager is part of DEC's current X release.
mwm: The Motif Window Manager is distributed with OSF/Motif source and
is available from vendors in binary form.
CLX: The Common Lisp X Interface is a Common Lisp equivalent to Xlib.
XDMCP: The X Display Manager Protocol provides a uniform mechanism for
a display such as an X terminal to request login service from a remote host.
XLFD: The X Logical Font Description Conventions describes a standard
logical font description and conventions to be used by clients so that they
can query and access those resources.
RTFM: Common expert-speak meaning "please locate and consult the
relevant documentation -- Read the Manual"
UTSL: A common expression meaning "take advantage of the fact that you
aren't limited by a binary license -- Use The Source, Luke".
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 18) What is the ICCCM?
The Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual is one of the
official X Consortium standards documents that define the X environment. It
describes the conventions that clients must observe to coexist peacefully with
other clients sharing the same server. If you are writing X clients, you need
to read and understand the ICCCM, in particular the sections discussing the
selection mechanism and the interaction between your client and the window
manager. Get it either:
- as part of the R4 distribution from MIT.
- in the 2nd edition of the Scheifler/Gettys "X Window System" book.
- as an appendix in the new version of O'Reilly's Volume 0, "X Protocol
Reference Manual." A version in old copies of their Volume 1 is obsolete.
The version in the DP book is much more readable, thanks to the efforts
of Digital's editors to improve the English and the presentation.
[from David Rosenthal, 10/90]
Alternate definition: the ICCCM is generally the M in "RTFM" and is
the most-important of the least-read X documents.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 19)* How can I meet other X developers? (was: What is XUG? AFUX? EXUG?)
The national X User's Group was formed in January of 1988. Its purpose
is to encourage X development by providing information on the X Window System
to all who are interested. [This FAQ is a service of XUG.]
- Local Area Groups: [this list is in the process of being updated;
some of these groups are known to be zombies]:
Atlanta, GA James Tio, 404-441-4784
Bay Area Jim Turner, 415-960-0123
Boston Mitch Trachtenberg,
73647.1447@CompuServe.COM
Cleveland Mike Kolberg, 216/243-1198
Colorado Jim West, 719/260-3463
west@widgit.enet.dec.com
Houston Dinah Anderson dinah@bcm.tmc.edu
713-798-5890
Huntsville, Ala. Pete Shea 205-837-9230
Princeton, NJ Joe Camaratta, 609-734-6500
Research Triangle Park Steven Thiedke, 919/481-1353
Washington, DC Thomas Fagre, 703/866-7425
Cambridge, UK Ray Anderson, +44 223 462131
Singapore Chee Keong Law, 772-3116
ISSLCK%NUSVM.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu
Milan, Italy Richard Glover, (39) 961-743-486
- Possible XUG groups being formed, given enough interest:
Detroit ?? c/o Prime Computer
To join, form a local group, contribute to XNextEvent (the several-
times-yearly newsletter which includes articles of general interest, or help
out in any other way, contact Alex Fisher at XUG, c/o Integrated Computer
Solutions, 163 Harvard Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, 617/547-0634, or email to
xug@expo.lcs.mit.edu.
In addition, there are meetings of these groups:
- Bay Area Motif Developers Group and Drinking Society
Ron Edmark edmark@isi.com
The French X User Group is called AFUX and is based in Sophia Antipolis
by CERICS. Information can be obtained from Miss Vasseur or Miss Forest; BP 148;157, rue Albert Einstein; 06561 Valbonne Cedex; Phone: +33 93 95 45 00 / 45 01;
Fax: +33 93 95 48 57. [10/90]
The European X User Group was formed in 1989 to represent X users in
Europe. It holds technical conferences at regular intervals. The EXUG also
publishes a regular newsletter which is distributed free of charge to members.
The EXUG also runs a email mailing list for members which is frequently used to
address issues of European interest in X. The EXUG can be contacted by email
at: exug@unipalm.uucp or by snail mail at: The EXUG, Mitchell House, 185 High
Street, Cottenham, Cambridge CB4 4RX, England; phone +44 954 51727.
[from Bevis King (brwk@doc.ic.ac.uk), 4/90]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 20)* Just what is OpenWindows?
Open Windows (2.0) is a Sun product that encompasses: a window system
that combines a NeWS and X11R4-compliant server (X/NeWS); a user-interface
specification (Open Look) and a series of toolkits that implement it (including
the SunView-like XView and the Xt-based OLIT); Xlib and Xt implementations; and
a number of utilities (olwm window manager, filemgr, shelltool, etc.).
[thanks to Frank Greco (fgreco@govt.shearson.COM), 8/90]
Sun has just announced [11/90] the limited availability in source form
of major portions of the OpenWindows release.
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 21) Just what is DECWindows?
DECWindows is a DEC product that encompasses: an X11 server; the XUI
toolkit, including the Dwt widget set and UIL; Xlib and Xt implementations; a
session manager; and a number of utilities (dxwm window manager, dxcalendar,
dxpsview, etc.).
(At some point Motif flavors of the toolkit and applications will be shipped.)
[8/90]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 22) What is PEX?
The PHiGS Extension to X is a proposed X Consortium standard awaiting
proof of concept; PHiGS stands for "Programmer's Hierarchical Interactive
Graphics System" and is essentially a library of functions that simplifies the
creation and manipulation of 3D graphics. Many platforms are capable of
performing in hardware the computations involved in rendering 3D objects; the
server extension would allow the client (PHIGS in this case) to take advantage
of the specialized hardware for 3D graphics.
Sun Microsystems is currently contracted to develop a freely
redistributable (copyright similar to the current X copyright) sample
implementation. The current schedule calls for this implementation to be
publicly available in early 1991. Several vendors are currently selling
independently-developed PEX servers for their workstations.
[8/90]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 23)+ What is Imake?
Imake is not a replacement for the make program; instead, it is a
makefile-generator that takes advantages of the include-file and macro-
processing capabilities of the C preprocessor cpp to generate makefiles
suitable for building software on a particular system. Although it is not
specific to X, the X release uses it to help solve a number of the
configuration issues that arise in making such a large system widely portable.
Imake has a fairly steep learning curve, in part because the process by
which the system-specific configuration files, system-independent configuration
files, and individual Imakefiles are melded to produce a Makefile is not
obvious.
You can obtain information on imake from these sources:
- Paul Dubois (dubois@primate.wisc.edu) has written a useful
explanation of how Imake works and how to use it in configuring X for non-
supported systems; the document is available from indri.primate.wisc.edu
(128.104.230.11) in the directory ~ftp/pub/imake-stuff; look for
config-X11R4.ms (troff) and config-X11R4.ps (PostScript).
- the R4 release notes and imake man page include information on using
Imake to build X
- on the R4 tapes, contrib/doc/imake/imake.tex is Mark Moraes' R3/R4
guide to imake.
- and check the R4 mit/config directory for the source files
[11/90]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 24) What is the current state of the world in X terminals?
Here is a selection of vendors with "impressions of consensus opinions".
AT&T's (800-247-1212; ask for local dealer) 730X has a 1Kx1K monochrome
(amber or white) display with a 1:1 aspect ratio. The terminal supports
multiple Telnet sessions and AT&T windowing in addition to X. The 730 supports
ISO or TCP/IP over twisted pair. "Very, very nice."
DEC (800-343-4040) offers the VT1200, a home-brew 15" 1024x864
monochrome terminal using the TI 34010; this replaces the VT1200. In addition,
DEC offers a VT1300, the Vax-in-a-box.
Gipsi S.A. (+33 (1) 30.60.75.00 or Jeff Abramatic at jfa@gipsi.fr) in
10/89 announced "le tX", a line of 68030-based X terminals running X11R3.
High-end models, at least, feature downloadable X servers.
Model Memory Resolution Display Refresh (Hz) Price (FF)
M 2 MB 1280x960x1 19" B&W 66 32 400
Me 2 MB 1280x960x2 19" Greyscale 66 38 000
C4 2 MB 1280x768x4 16" Colour 60 59 900
C8 4 MB 1280x1024x8 19" Colour 60 79 400
Expansion is up to 8MB and 8 planes.
The exclusive US distributor is Peripheral Design, Inc (404-263-0067).
"Looks fairly nice; shouldn't be overlooked."
GraphOn (800-472-7466) OptimaX 200 runs a server on the host which
translates from X protocol to a proprietary protocol which can run over a
serial line. The screen is 14". The terminal is based on a 12MHz 68000. (See
the December 1989 issue of XNextEvent for an informal review.) "Best available
solution for RS232C lines."
Hewlett-Packard (800-752-0900; ask for local sales office) offers the
700/X family of grayscale and color X-terminals. All models are designed with a
dual processor architecture, thin and thick Ethernet, a serial port, and
support for over 20 different local language keyboards (PS/2-style and HP-HIL
available). HP X-terminals can be upgraded to an HP 9000 workstation.
Models Display Resolution Planes Processor Coprocessor Memory
------ ------- ---------- ------ --------- ----------- ------
700/X Grayscale 19" 1024x768 8 34010/60MHz 80186/16MHz 1-9 MB
700/X VGA Color 14" 640x480 8 34010/60MHz 80186/16MHz 1-9 MB
700/X Hi-Res Color 16" 1024x768 8 34010/60MHz 80186/16MHz 1-9 MB
NOTE: All 700/X models offer virtual panning to 1024 x 1024 pixel resolution,
and support a wide variety of other display types and sizes. [8/90]
Human Design Systems (800-437-1551) offers several combinations of 14",
16", and 19" color, grey-scale, and mono screens, at least 1Kx1K. All support
thin and thick Ethernet. High-end models are expandable to 8.5MB. "Slow."
A new [10/90] series of terminals has been released; details??.
IBM's Xstation 120 starts with 512KB of memory and features support
for simultaneous Token-Ring and Ethernet connections. [2/90] AGE (619-565-7373)
has software that allows it to work with Suns, RTs, and DECstations as well as
the IBM Powerstation machines.
Jupiter Systems (415-523-9000, 508-836-4400) produces the Model 310
which features a 19-inch 1280x1024 color monitor. "A price leader, but also a
performance leader." The Model 410 has a 19", 1280x1024 monitor and offers
a large palette and high memory expansion. [5/90]
Labtam Information Systems (Australia +61 3 587 1444) has just
introduced [7/90] an Intel 80960-based 20MHz mono or 8-bit color X terminal.
Micronics (415-651-2300) offers the MaxTerm, based on a 25MHz 80386 and
featuring a 19", 1280x1024 screen. The MaxTerm offers virtual memory. [5/90]
Network Computing Devices (415-694-0650 or support@ncd.com) offers
monochrome and color X-terminals. All units are designed with no fan, 70 Hz
refresh, thick & thin Ethernet, a serial port, an opto-mechanical mouse and a
choice of keyboards (including PS/2-style, DEC LK-201 style, and compact
UNIX-style). NCDware features full X11R4 support. [Doug Klein, klein@ncd.com,
7/90.]
Product Display Resolution Planes Processor Graphics Memory
------- ---------- ----------- ------- -------------- -------- ----------
NCD16 16" Square 1024 x 1024 Mono 68000 12.5 MHz ASIC 1.5-4.5 MB
NCD19b 19" 1024 x 800 Mono 68000 16 MHz ASIC 2-5 MB
NCD16e 16" Square 1024 x 1024 Mono 68020 15 MHz 2-8 MB
NCD19 19" 1280 x 1024 Mono 68020 15 MHz 2-8 MB
NCD17c 17" 1024 x 768 8 Color 68020 20 MHz 2 ASICs 2-8 MB
NCR (513-445-2033) offers the Towerview with 1024x840 resolution and a
PROM-based server. The Towerview supports serial connections. Fonts are
down-loaded. The XL15 and XL19 have 15", 1024x800 and 19", 1280x1024 displays,
respectively. "Seems to be designed for the PC office." NCR has recently [5/90]
added a series of color terminals to its line; the terminals use a 68020 and
a TI34010 for low-level graphics. Offerings include a 14", 800x600 terminal,
one at 17" and 1024x768, and one at 19" and 1024x768.
Northwest Digital Systems (206-524-0014).
Princeton Graphic Systems (800-221-1490) has introduced the Ultra X line
with monochrome up to 1024x768 and color up to 1024x1280, expandable to 8MB.
Qume (408-942-4000) has announced an X terminal called the QXT 10 X.
Samsung Software America has introduced the SGS-19, offering a 19",
1280x1024 display; it is based on the RISC Am29000. [5/90] "VERY fast mono."
Spectragraphics (619-450-0611) offers an X terminal with emulation for
the IBM 3270 and related terminals.
Tektronix (203-877-1494) terminals fully support X11R4 and support
DECnet optionally. "Price-performance curve-breakers."
Product Display Resolution Processor(s) Ram
======= =============== =============== ======================= =============
XP23 19" mono 72Hz 1280x1024x4 16 MHz Motorola 68030 5 - 21 MB
32 MHz TI 34020
XP25 14" color 60Hz 1152x900x8 16 MHz Motorola 68030 5 - 21 MB
32 MHz TI 34020
XP27 19" color 72Hz 1152x900x8 16 MHz Motorola 68030 5 - 21 MB
32 MHz TI 34020
XP29 19" color 72Hz 1280x1024x8 16 MHz Motorola 68030 5 - 21 MB
32 MHz TI 34020
Visual Technology (800-VISUALC; MA 508-836-4400) offers advanced
monochrome, grayscale, and color terminals featuring the most mature software
in the business. All terminals fully support MIT X11.4, including extensions
such as shape, XDMCP, XDSXDM, font daemon, and serial communications. Full
international keyboard support exists, with 6 language mappings provided
standard. Visual's advanced software provides a friendly terminal interface
with features such as font paging, remote configuration, keymap downloading,
and numlock synthesis. Networking protocols include TCP/IP, DECnet, and SLIP.
Model Display Resolution Processor(s) RAM
-------- ---------------- ----------- ---------------- --------
X14-ES 14" mono (82 Hz) 1024 x 800 12.5 MHz MC68000 1 - 4 MB
X15 15" mono (76 Hz) 1024 x 800 16.6 MHz MC68000 1 - 4 MB
X15Turbo 15" mono/2-plane 1152 x 900 20 MHz MC68000 2 - 8 MB
gray (70 Hz) plus h/w graphics assist
X19+ 19" mono (72 Hz) 1152 x 900 16.6 MHz MC68000 1 - 4 MB
X19Turbo 19" mono/2-plane 1280 x 1024 20 MHz MC68020 2 - 8 MB
gray (72 Hz) plus h/w graphics assist
XBase/10 8-plane color 1024 X 768 16 MHz MC68020 2 - 14 MB
plus 32 MHz TI34020 coprocessor
XBase/11 8-plane color 1152 x 900 20 MHz MC68020 2 - 14 MB
plus 40 MHz TI34020 coprocessor
XBase/12 8-plane color 1280 x 1024 16 MHz MC68020 2 - 14 MB
plus 32 MHz TI34020 coprocessor
"Good low-cost-per-seat performance stations." [10/90]
Digital Review's 2/26/90 issue evaluates a subset of these terminals.
Corrections are in the 3/5 issue, p.4. A rebuttal from Jupiter appears 3/19.
Digital News' 4/16/90 issue evaluates a subset of these terminals.
[Note to vendors, in particular: it is becoming difficult to keep up with the
introduction of new models. Any updates to the above?]
--------------------------------------------------
Subject: 25) Where can I get an X server on a PC?
AGE (619-565-7373) offers the XoftWare TIGA.
Bell Technologies (Fremont, CA: 415-659-9097)
PC DECWindows a.k.a. the PC DECWindows Display Facility is an MS-DOS
application that turns your PC into an X11R3 terminal. It supports DECnet.
Available from DEC. [Dennis Giokas (giokas@mosaic.enet.dec.com), 3/90]
Graphic Software Systems (GSS) (503-641-2200) makes PC-Xview, an
MSDOS-based X server which interfaces with PC/TCP Plus networking software from
FTP Software and Excelan's LAN WorkPlace for DOS. The server works with
(a) 286, 386, 486 (b) EGA, VGA, DGIS displays. (c) DOS 3.2 and above
(d) Microsoft, Logitech, Mouse Systems Mice (e) 640k memory up to 16 MB memory
[the PC-Xview/16 is available for PCs with extended memory].
HP (800-752-0900) has the "HP Accelerated X Window Display Server"
(HP AXDS/PC; HP part D2300B) which will run on any AT-class DOS machine with
640KB, MSDOS 3.1 or higher, and the HP Intelligent Graphics Controller 10 card,
to which the X11R3-based server is downloaded (avoiding performance-limitations
from PC RAM-size and processor speed). [from John Kempff (kempff@hppad.hp.com),
3/90]
Hummingbird Communications (Canada 416-470-1203) produces the
HCL-eXceed and HCL-eXceed Plus for EGA, VGA, and VGA+ controllers.
Information Network Solutions also offers a product called HCL-eXceed
for the *86. The fax is 02-4122079 inside Australia, 612-4122079 from overseas.
Integrated Inference Machines (714-978-6201 or -6776) is shipping
X11/AT, an X server that runs under MS-windows. The server converts an IBM-AT
into an X terminal which can simultaneously run MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows
applications.
Intelligent Decisions, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA: 408-734-3730)
IBM is rumored to offer a product; part #5709-029.
Locus Computing (800-955-6287; CA: 213-670-6500; UK: +44 296 89911) has
a server called PC-Xsight which also appears in Acer's X terminal.
Pericom's TeemTalk-X for IBM clones allows toggling between X and DOS.
Information: +44 (0908) 560022. [5/90]
DESQview/X from Quarterdeck (?) incorporates X into the DESQview
multi-tasking DOS environment.
VisionWare's XVision is a Microsoft Windows-based X server which allows
an IBM-compatible PC or PS/2 to display X clients running on a networked
computer at the same time as local DOS programs. VisionWare is at 612-377-3627
or vision@vware.mn.org (UK: +44 532 788858 and vware@vision.uucp).
Xnth is an implementation of X11 R4 which runs on AT-bus PCs running
DOS 3.3 or higher. It currently supports 1280X1024 or 1024X768 resolution
monitors at 256 colors (out of 16M) with hardware accelleration for graphics
and text operations. It currently utilizes a TCP/IP byte stream over Ethernet.
Information: George MacDonald, Nth Graphics, Ltd., 1-800-624-7552.
--------------------------------------------------
[emacs suffix for browsing the file from Norbert Kiesel
(norbert@rwthi3.informatik.rwth-aachen.de), 10/90]
Local Variables:
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--
The X User's Group xug@expo.lcs.mit.edu +1 617 547 0634
"No, I'm a member of the X User's Group, not the Ex-User's Group."