giokas@rainbo.enet.DEC.COM (Dennis DTN: 226-2493 20-Dec-1989 1006) (12/20/89)
In response to: >>Note that PC DECwindows is available in the current version of >>PCSA (2.2), although it is not as good. v3.0 uses extended or >>expanded memory, there are 286 and 386 specific versions, it >>works wonderfully as long as you have a couple of megabytes of >>memory minimum (barely works with 640KB and disk swapping, okay >>at 1MB with some extended memory, and great with +2MB memory), >>only uses DECnet (as part of PCSA software) and is not Xwindows. >>The last point simply means that you run windows as supplied >>on DEC systems, which is DECwindows. You are only a server >>(display). It completely takes control of your PC, there is >>no space left for anything else. >> >>Mark Kosten, phone: +61 3 479-2767 >>Computer Centre, ACSnet/UUCP/Bitnet: ccmk@latvax8.lat.oz >>La Trobe University, X25: 234730008 (ccmk@latrobe.edu.au) >>Bundoora, >>Victoria 3083 >>Australia Below is a brief description of PC DECwindows. DISCLAIMER: This is not the official product description. PC DECwindows V2.0 a.k.a. the PC DECwindows Display Facility is an MS-DOS application that turns your PC into an X terminal. It does take over the PC (except for the suspend session feature described below), like every other DOS application. Remember DOS is a single tasking OS. The server is a full implementation of an X Window System server. It is compatible with R3. It *IS* X Windows, the product name happens to be PC DECwindows. It has been run and tested against DECwindows and standard X applications. This version does support DECnet. Other transports are being investigated for future versions, so stay tuned... Official support is provided for a wide variety of 80286 and 80386-based PCs, including IBM, Compaq, Olivetti, Zenith, and DECstation. Others are known to work fine. There is mouse support for Microsoft, PS/2, Logitech, Olivetti and DEPCA. There is video support for Hercules, EGA (color and mono), MCGA, VGA and some enhanced VGAs (color and mono). Support is provided for the standard IBM-compatible keyboards and Digital's LK250. Beginning with V2.0 of the product, two versions of the server are being shipped. One is specifically for 80386-based PCs, the other for 80286-based PCs. Both make use of all available extended memory on the PC, up to 15Mb. If you are on an 80386 PC and are using an expanded memory manager, then unused expanded memory is turned into extended memory while our server is running. Note the expanded memory manager must be VCPI (virtual control program interface) compliant. Both servers have an integrated virtual memory manager. The 80286 server swaps up to 64 Kb segments on demand, the 80386 server swaps 4Kb pages on demand. The official Digital Software Product Description (SPD) says we require 750Kb of free memory for our server, approximately a 1Mb PC. You can run on a system with more or less memory. Your mileage (performance) will vary, depending on the applications you run, how many server resources they create and how much memory you have on the PC. Like any virtual memory machine, your performance will degrade as swapping to secondary storage increases. The 80286 server does not support any data allocations greater than 64Kb, except for PIXMAPs. This restriction does not exist in the 386 server. A session manager client is integrated into the server. It is a window from which you start applications on a remote system. In addition, you can configure the server to start applications automatically upon startup. The server has a suspend session feature. It suspends your X windows session and returns you to the DOS prompt. From there you can invoke DOS commands and run DOS applications. Typing "Exit" at the command line gets you back to your X session, with applications still intact. Included with the product is a font compiler for Adobe Bitmap Distribution files. The server ships with about 2Mb worth of font files, the same fonts shipped with Digital's workstations. Included with the product is a KEYSYM compiler so you can customize the keyboard for the default KEYCODE to KEYSYM mappings. In addition, over 70 pre-defined keyboard mapping files are shipped. Finally, there is a configuration utility so you can define you hardware environment and user preferences. This software is shipped as a component of Digital's PCSA V3.0. PCSA is Digital's PC local/wide area networking product which uses a VAX as a file, print and virtual disk server to PCs. The PCSA client license and kit also includes the software which provides access to the file, print and virtual disk servers. The client also comes with a mail utility, full screen editor, VT emulation under MS-DOS and MS-Windows, DECnet and associated utilities such as network file transfer. The license for all this software is $250 per client. Media and documentation are sold separately. Dennis Giokas PC DECwindows Development Digital Equipment Corporation 30 Porter Rd. Littleton, MA 01460