j1h9453@eagle.tamu.edu (Joel Andrew Huddleston) (06/27/91)
I thought I might warn people out there supporting DECStations. I don't know
how far this goes back in the version list, but under Ultrix 4.2, there is a
file in /usr/skel called .Xdefaults. This is a swell initialization file for
someone who already knows how to set up X applications or for someone who
never wants to change a thing. However, the Session Manager supplied by DEC
can't understand this file well enough to change what it does. Consequently,
if a user tries to use the Session Manager's Customize menu to set defaults,
it doesn't work. But, it doesn't work in such a way that it *thinks* it is
working, *seems* to be working, *tells* you it is working, *warns* you that it
won't work until you restart your session, but doesn't change everything.
C'mon DEC! Give us a break. If you include some nifty startup file, make
sure that it is going to work with the product you wrote to update it.
Doesn't that make sense?
--
Joel Huddleston eka j1h9453@zeus.tamu.edu
Peace: Not just the absence of war but the absence of fear.
War: Not just the absence of peace but the absence of cowardice.
Disclaimer: Not just the absence of blame but the absence of repsponsiblilty.gringort@wsl.dec.com (Joel Gringorten) (06/27/91)
In article <17826@helios.TAMU.EDU>, j1h9453@eagle.tamu.edu (Joel Andrew Huddleston) writes: |> I thought I might warn people out there supporting DECStations. I don't know |> how far this goes back in the version list, but under Ultrix 4.2, there is a |> file in /usr/skel called .Xdefaults. This is a swell initialization file for |> someone who already knows how to set up X applications or for someone who |> never wants to change a thing. However, the Session Manager supplied by DEC |> can't understand this file well enough to change what it does. Consequently, |> if a user tries to use the Session Manager's Customize menu to set defaults, |> it doesn't work. But, it doesn't work in such a way that it *thinks* it is |> working, *seems* to be working, *tells* you it is working, *warns* you that it |> won't work until you restart your session, but doesn't change everything. Customizations in the session manager have always worked just fine as far as I know. Manual mods to my .Xdefaults always work fine as well and don't bother the session manager one bit. I think if this stopped working we'd be getting an awful lot of problems reports -- and we're not. |> |> C'mon DEC! Give us a break. If you include some nifty startup file, make |> sure that it is going to work with the product you wrote to update it. |> Doesn't that make sense? I hate to say this, but what makes more sense is that perhaps you're doing something wrong. -joel
j1h9453@eagle.tamu.edu (Joel Andrew Huddleston) (06/27/91)
In article <1991Jun26.135718@wsl.dec.com>, gringort@wsl.dec.com (Joel Gringorten) writes: |> In article <17826@helios.TAMU.EDU>, j1h9453@eagle.tamu.edu (Joel Andrew Huddleston) writes: |> |> I thought I might warn people out there supporting DECStations. I |> |> don't know how far this goes back in the version list, but under |> |> Ultrix 4.2, there is a file in /usr/skel called .Xdefaults. This |> |> is a swell initialization file for someone who already knows how |> |> to set up X applications or for someone who never wants to change |> |> a thing. However, the Session Manager supplied by DEC can't |> |> understand this file well enough to change what it does. |> Customizations in the session manager have always worked just fine as |> far as I know. Manual mods to my .Xdefaults always work fine as well |> and don't bother the session manager one bit. I think if this stopped |> working we'd be getting an awful lot of problems reports -- and we're |> not. |> I hate to say this, but what makes more sense is that perhaps you're doing |> something wrong. Did you try using the file I mentioned as your .Xdefaults and making some color changes? NO. Did you check to see what that file as a .Xdefaults does? NO! Did you even LOOK at the file I mentioned? NO! flame on And *I* am doing something wrong!?! This, *this* is *just* exactly what I am talking about. You assume it works. You don't try it to see, but you are willing to go to the trouble of posting a response claiming that it is my problem. Well, you're *right*; DEC *is* my problem. I have to support these stupid workstations and people from DEC are not making it any easier by claiming that "I think...we'd be getting an awful lot of problem reports..." and "...always worked just fine as far as I know." Why don't you test this stuff in house first or at least check out a complaint before you *assume* that the complainer is an idiot. flame off Try this, just once. Create a new account using the user account manager. This process will, by default, copy all of the .??* files in /usr/skel to the new account's home directory. Log in to this account. Notice the pretty colors chosen for you by DEC. Try to change the colors in the session manager. (yes, some of this works) Set the window foreground color to a light blue and set the window background color to, say, black. Notice that changes won't take effect until you log off and log back in. Save the customized changes. Log off and log back in. Notice the unchanged DECterm colors. Notice how easy it is to read the session manager. Then post a formal apology to one of you customers. -- Joel Huddleston eka j1h9453@zeus.tamu.edu Peace: Not just the absence of war but the absence of fear. War: Not just the absence of peace but the absence of cowardice. Disclaimer: Not just the absence of blame but the absence of repsponsiblilty.
horton@bogart.cse.ogi.edu (Nick Horton) (06/28/91)
In article <2167@tamsun.TAMU.EDU> j1h9453@zeus.tamu.edu writes: >In article <1991Jun26.135718@wsl.dec.com>, gringort@wsl.dec.com (Joel Gringorten) writes: > >Then post a formal apology to one of you customers. >-- >Joel Huddleston eka j1h9453@zeus.tamu.edu > Peace: Not just the absence of war but the absence of fear. > War: Not just the absence of peace but the absence of cowardice. >Disclaimer: Not just the absence of blame but the absence of repsponsiblilty. Joel, I think your abuse is unwarranted and uncalled for. Responses by DEC employees on the net help me maintain my systems in an efficient way. I find them extremely helpful. However, I get what I pay for, and don't expect more. If you want hand-holding and resolution of problems, then you need to call Tech Support. Bashing a DEC employee who says he can't replicate your problem is very negative, and I think you owe *him* an apology. Just my opinion, -- Nicholas Horton Systems Manager, Oregon Graduate Institute CS/E horton@cse.ogi.edu (503) 690-1106
benseb@grumpy.sdsc.edu (Booker Bense) (06/28/91)
- Well , we just got done installing 4.2 on our decstations and I have an annoying VERY MINOR bug to report. It involves telnet. When you telnet to a host that doesn't exist with a single name, it prints an incomplete error message. e.g. heart4% telnet foo foo: heart4% However, if I use heart4% telnet foo.bar.edu foo.bar.edu: Host unknown - While this is an extremely minor bug , it confuses the heck out of new users and demonstrates the lack of quality control that I consistently find in Ultrix. It seems like dec's idea of beta testing is to release it to the users and see what happens. Whenever I have to do anything fairly complex that tests the limit of the software , I end up having to get source elsewhere and build a useable utility from that. Ultrix is actually a nice flavor of unix if they could ever get it fixed ! P.S. If dec is going to distribute ``Unsupported Software Sets'' why don't they just leave them alone rather than ``fixing'' them? P.P.S. If you want to know what I mean, build gnuplot 2.1 with the dec X11 libraries, then get the MIT source , build your own libraries and compare. P.P.S. If I am being brain-damaged (has been known to occur %-)! and there are fixes, I'd love to hear about it. - Booker C. Bense prefered: benseb@grumpy.sdsc.edu "I think it's GOOD that everyone NeXT Mail: benseb@next.sdsc.edu becomes food " - Hobbes
de5@ornl.gov (Dave Sill) (06/28/91)
In article <23385@ogicse.ogi.edu>, horton@bogart.cse.ogi.edu (Nick Horton) writes: > > I think your abuse is unwarranted and uncalled for. Responses by >DEC employees on the net help me maintain my systems in an efficient way. >I find them extremely helpful. However, I get what I pay for, and don't >expect more. If you want hand-holding and resolution of problems, then >you need to call Tech Support. I agree 100%. >Bashing a DEC employee who says he can't >replicate your problem is very negative, and I think you owe *him* an apology. Ah, but that's not what happened. The nameless DEC employee didn't even try to reproduce the problem. He just assumed it was pilot error. -- Dave Sill (de5@ornl.gov) Tug on anything in nature and you will find Martin Marietta Energy Systems it connected to everything else. Workstation Support --John Muir