[comp.windows.x] X11R4?

ddickey@gonzo.eta.com (Dan A. Dickey) (02/21/89)

I keep hearing that X11R4 will be released (presumably soon) and
then a two year freeze will occur.  No more releases, no more changes; for
two years.  Only bug fixes.

Can anyone else comment on either hearing this or the validity of it?

		-Dan
Dan A. Dickey    ddickey@gonzo.eta.com

jim@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU (Jim Fulton) (02/21/89)

Gees, it's only been 3 1/2 months since the last time....


> I keep hearing that X11R4 will be released (presumably soon) and
> then a two year freeze will occur.  No more releases, no more changes; for
> two years.  Only bug fixes.

There seem to be some people spreading rumors based on a misunderstanding of
the role of the X Consortium.  Here's a summary:

	In January 1988 the X Consortium was formed under the administration
	of the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science (LCS) with Bob Scheifler
	as the Director of the Consortium.  The goal was to have MIT
	serve as a neutral coordinator for continued development of standard 
	programming interfaces for the X Window System.  A by-product 
	of this development would be a series of regularly scheduled
	public releases of sample implementations of these interfaces.

	As a service to the community, the staff of the Consortium (who 
	are members of the Technical Research Staff of LCS, not employees
	of any company within the Consortium) also periodically publishes
	fixes and enhancements that it feels would be useful.


Now, in answer to some commonly asked questions:

    q:  Is MIT "constantly" putting out new releases because they are bozos
	and couldn't get it right in the first place?
    a:  No, see the statement above.

    q:  When will R4 come out?
    a:  At a regularly-scheduled time.  :-)  As Bob said at the X Conference,
	this yearish (getting sick of that phrase already, aren't you :-).  If
	you are trying to guess when, then wait until you see the Call for 
	Contributed Software and then hold your breath for several months....

    q:  Will there be releases after that?
    a:  Eventually.  In spite of our better attempts, time marches on.

    q:  Will there be changes?
    a:  Interfaces that the Consortium has adopted as part of the X Standard 
	will remain stable.  Fixes are always being pursued, and new 
	developments will certainly be added.  But, the goal is to enhance the 
	environment, not disrupt it.

    q:  Will things ever freeze?
    a:  As things become part of the X Standard they get wrapped in liquid
	nitrogen.  Anyone who tries to do something that breaks a standard
	interface gets beat on with a very large stick.

    q:  Is the X Consortium the same as Project Athena?
    a:  No.  They are completely unrelated, both in mission and financing.  
	Although Ralph Swick and Chris Peterson are there administratively,
	from our perspective Athena is essentially just another (very large)
	"customer" within MIT.



					Jim Fulton
					X Consortium
					MIT Laboratory for Computer Science