kaplan@m.cs.uiuc.edu (03/03/90)
Epoch (the multi-window version of Gnu emacs 18.55) is now available for
the NeXT under X11. It's on cs.orst.edu and cc.purdue.edu in the
pub/next/submissions directories. THe tar file there is minimal: epoch
binary, lisp libraries, manual, etc directory, no sources. The following
is the README I made for the release, which explains how you can get the
source if you would like it.
This is epoch version 3.1, made for the NeXT and `stripped down' to
make a small tar file, because most people out there probably dont
care about how I made it.
What is EPOCH:
- epoch is based on gnu emacs 18.55
- epoch is 100% gnu-emacs compatible: anything that worked under
emacs will work under epoch. With one small cosmetic difference
(the minibuffer is a separate x-window) you can fire up the default
epoch config and then use it just like a regular gnu emacs.
- epoch will ONLY run under X windows. Keep your old emacs binary
around for other situations.
- epoch extends gnu emacs to provide better integration with X11.
in particular, multiple windows, ability to control color and font
on a per-x-window basis, and the ability to put "buttons" in the text.
we are building a hypertext based on it, watch this space.
To use epoch:
1. The tar file contains:
an epoch binary, called epoch.
an etc subdirectory with the utilities.
a lisp subdirectory with the lisp libraries
an epoch-lisp-files subdirectory with the epoch-specific lisp
stuff
an epoch-man subdirectory with the manual in latex format. to
make do "latex epoch" twice then print. See below if you
dont have latex.
2. When you fire up the epoch binary, you must tell it where to find the
lisp directorvemail server sorted-doc termcap* yowy and etc directory.
Do this by setting the variables
"load-path" to the lisp directory and "exec-path" and "exec-directory"
to the etc directory. MAKE SURE PATHNAMES END WITH A /
3. You MUST load the file "epoch.el" to get basic mouse support and multi-
window facilities. See the manual for keybindings. You should also load
"maintain-screen-titles" which tries to keep the window title as the
buffer-name currently in that screen, "smk-x-mouse" which provides basic
mouse facilities, and "motion" which allows cut, paste and scroll with the
mouse. Also see the .emacs file in epoch-lisp-files for tings that
should go in your .emacs file.
WARNING:
I have tested this fairly extensively running the epoch client
on the next and displaying on a sun3. THERE ARE BUGS IN THE NeXT X
SERVER, so dont be surprised if things screw up when you run on a
NeXT, especially if you blow away many windows at the same time. But
then if you're using the X server on the next you're probably used to
seeing it get fouled up on occasion... (it happens to me all the
time).
MAILING LIST:
There is an epoch mailing list, "epoch@cs.uiuc.edu" and/or
"uunet!uiucdcs!epoch". To join send mail to "epoch-request" rather
than epoch in the above addresses; we should try keep epoch mail
separate from comp.sys.next I think. the epoch mailing list discusses
epoch problems and features, and is the primary place where new epoch
releases are announced.
GETTING THE SOURCE:
The source are available from cs.uiuc.edu by ftp.
The files are in pub/epoch-files/epoch/*
epoch-3.1.tar.Z a full release, NO NEXT PATCHES
epoch-3.1-stripped.tar.Z a stripped release.
epoch-3.1-epoch-man.tar.Z the manual
epoch-3.1-epoch-man.ps.Z postscript version of manual (not in the
full distribution)
epoch-3.1-NeXT.tar.Z just the source and etc for the NeXT. these
are ALMOST identical to the src in the other
files, but there are some small patches to
make it work on the next. (exactly the patches
from the GNU Source optical Disk).
When epoch-3.2 comes out (soonish) we will have the NeXT patches fully
integrated.
WARNING (#2)
Epoch dumps images using unexec.c, which creates a.out format files. You have
to make these into mach-0 files with atom. This is what you do: (only if
you want to make Epoch yourself, not use the release in the epoch tarfile).
run the make
it'll crash when trying to run temacs after all the c files have been made.
you then do: (in lieu of completing the make)
% atom temacs temacs.out
% ./temacs.out -batch -l inc-vers
% ./temacs.out -batch -l loadup dump
(this will create a file called epoch)
% atom epoch epoch.out
(the epoch.out is then the file your run)
problems: contact me (Simon Kaplan) at kaplan@cs.uiuc.edu or
uunet!uiucdcs!kaplan.
I'm out of towm until march 10th, so if its urgent try Alan Carroll, sub
kaplan by carroll in the above.
Enjoy!!
Simon