greg@sif.claremont.edu (Tigger) (06/27/91)
We are currently looking at workstation options for a new professor in our math department. Most of his classes will be running on a Sun, with some work also probably being done on our VAX/VMS system. One of the requirements for his workstation, therefore, is that it run X. In addition to a couple of more traditional workstations (DEC, Sun), we are considering getting him a NeXT, probably a NeXTstation Color. What we're looking for at this point is comments from anyone who has experience running X clients from remote machines using co-Xist (or any of the other NeXT X-Windows software, for that matter). We're primarily talking about OpenLook apps from a Sun and DECwindows apps from a VMS machine. Given the nature of X, these clients should theoretically run on the NeXT regardless of which window manager is being used, but since when did something work the way it was supposed to? I also understand that the window manager can run on a remote machine, with co-Xist supplying *just* the bare X server. So we could run the OpenLook or DECwindows window manager on the host machine, avoiding any incompatibilities with whatever window manager would normally run on the NeXT, right? If that works, can multiple window managers running on multiple remote hosts share the same local X server? Could we have an OpenLook window manager running on our Sun and a DECwindows window manager running on the VAX simultaneously share the co-Xist window on the NeXT? Or would that create problems with the two window managers not knowing about the other and what it was doing? Any comments at all will be greatly appreciated. Greg Orman greg@pomona.claremont.edu Systems Manager greg@pomona.bitnet Seaver Academic Computing Services Pomona College Standard disclaimer-type stuff
mouse@thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu (der Mouse) (07/01/91)
In article <1991Jun26.190933.1@sif.claremont.edu>, greg@sif.claremont.edu (Tigger) writes: > [...looking for a workstation...] One of the requirements for his > workstation, therefore, is that it run X. In addition to [...], we > are considering getting him a NeXT, probably a NeXTstation Color. > [...] experience running X clients from remote machines using co-Xist > (or any of the other NeXT X-Windows software, for that matter). I have used Mouse-X with nothing but the server running on the NeXT; it worked as well as could be expected. (That is, the problems with it were things that couldn't be avoided, like the wretchedly impoverished keyboard and clients that didn't like a 2-bit StaticGray visual.) Mouse-X does not, as far as I know, run on a color NeXT yet. (There is someone working on this. I haven't heard from him in quite a while, but last I heard he'd gotten it mostly working and just had a couple of glitches left.) I have been told that co-Xist runs on a color NeXT fine, but provides only the same 2-bit StaticGray visual. I do not know whether Pencom has released a color version, or if not whether or when they intend to. > I also understand that the window manager can run on a remote > machine, with co-Xist supplying *just* the bare X server. Yes. I have run Mouse-X this way. > So we could run the OpenLook or DECwindows window manager on the host > machine, avoiding any incompatibilities with whatever window manager > would normally run on the NeXT, right? Certainly. However, the window manager may get upset over the 2-bit visual, and if you use Mouse-X, over the two-button pointer device. > If that works, can multiple window managers running on multiple > remote hosts share the same local X server? No, no more than they can for any X server. At most one window manager per display (and generally speaking, one display per server.) > Could we have an OpenLook window manager running on our Sun and a > DECwindows window manager running on the VAX simultaneously share the > co-Xist window on the NeXT? No. Most likely the one you start second will complain about something (probably a BadAccess error from a grab) and die. If they do both start up successfully, I shudder to think of the struggles they could get into over various resources.... However, you could run multiple servers. With Mouse-X, this is a bit tricky, but should be doable (I haven't tried it), though you may be unable to use the front-end except for the first one. With co-Xist, I naturally don't know, but would hope it would be doable. der Mouse old: mcgill-vision!mouse new: mouse@larry.mcrcim.mcgill.edu