[comp.sys.apollo] Background screen software

dawson@apollo.HP.COM (Keith Dawson) (11/10/89)

There is no supported way to get a picture truly in the background (on the
root rectangle) while the Display Manager owns the root.

You can run Domain/X11 in the X-owns-root mode, however; now you can put
any picture desired on the root rectangle. 

The MIT-supplied client program xsetroot lets you tile the root rectangle
with any given color, pattern, or bitmap. This client is available with
all versions of Domain/X11.

A public-domain version of GIF for X11, called xgif, has an option whereby 
it draws a GIF image in the root rectangle and keeps it properly refreshed
on exposures, etc.

Here at Apollo we run a modified version of xsetroot that supports GIF
format directly by command-line option, so it is the X server that keeps
the root rectangle refreshed, not a client program -- much more efficient.

-->Keith
____________________________________________________________   My opinions
Keith Dawson  Hewlett Packard Co.         508-256-0176 x5739   are my own.
              Graphics Technology Division / East  
              300 Apollo Dr.  (CHR.03.DE)
              Chelmsford, MA  01824                      USA   My convictions
              Internet: dawson@apollo.hp.com                   are not for
              UUCP: {mit-eddie,yale,uw-beaver}!apollo!dawson   public display.

lampi@pnet02.gryphon.com (Michael Lampi) (11/13/89)

The new X-Window system as is available on the DN-2500 is capable of
displaying a picture as the background image (rather than the stipple pattern
or all white/black). Other than that, I do not know of any other method of
doing what you wish.

Michael Lampi
Michael Lampi               MDL Corporation   213/782-7888   fax 213/782-7927

UUCP: {ames!elroy, <routing site>}!gryphon!pnet02!lampi
INET: lampi@pnet02.gryphon.com
"My opinions are that of my corporation!"