phils@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (02/25/89)
We at the Computer Resource Lab. are looking to write an Application Manager called Xapp (see below). It seems like the "xscope" program is a good reference for starting on such a task. Has anyone managed to get xscope running on a Vax? It runs on RTs and Suns without any problem. If anyone would like to share some experiences in either extentions to xscope or application management please contact us. This is similar to the ConMan work done at Silicon Graphics except that we want to control i/o to standard applications that don't have additional communications ports. Anyway, a brief introduction is included below for those interested. Sincerly, Philip Thompson (phils@athena.mit.edu) -------------------------- MANAGING APPLICATIONS USING X AND UNIX Philip R. Thompson Prof. Joseph Ferreira Computer Resource Laboratory Dept. of Architecture and Planning M.I.T., Rm. 9-514 Cambridge, MA 02139 We would like a simple switchable means of transferring information among processes running in separate windows where these processes can be off-the-shelf applications that expect terminal based interaction (eg. vt100 emulation). Within the X and Unix environment it is common to initiate several interactive processes that are related to one task. Although xterm provides a convenient means of bringing existing applications into an X environment, xterm does not provide unix-type support for pipes and redirected i/o. Hence, applications using standard i/o and running in separate xterms are more isolated than we would like. We would like such programs to be able to communicate with each other while maintaining some interactive capabilities. The application manager, then, will provide for (and extend) the control of what that program assumes is standard input and output; by switching from user input to other sources and by preserving a much more interactive and uncluttered style on the part of the user. This will reduce the use of intermediate or temporary files and the need to explicitly move, copy and transfer them among machines. Suppose, for example, we have a database manager and a mapping package that we can run interactively in an xterm. We might want to connect the two on occasion so that the output of one temporarily serves as input to the other. For example in the course of analyzing and mapping information about land ownership and use, one window may provide the interaction to a database manager, another window may translate the database's output and a third window may control a mapping program for graphically viewing this information. Coordinating the links and data exchange among these programs can certainly be a less than transparent task, espe- cially when using remote processes and windows. ---------