Re: X Windows

[taob@r-node.hub.org (Brian Tao)]

In article <1993May31.013325.25222@kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca>, Reade Glyn Devin writes...
> 
> 	1.  many users do not have sufficient disk space to use
> 	    X windows; and

    X is also a real memory and CPU pig, something that basically
reduces your GS market down to zero.

> 	2.  the resolution currenly available for graphics is not
> 	    high enough.

    X Windows programming generally assumes you have at least an 8-bit
1024x768 display.  A relatively "small" and innocuous little window like
"xload" (graphically tracks the system load) on my setup is 100x250
pixels big.  Not much real estate on the X display, but it won't fit on
the GS's screen!  There are a few games and utilities which take up an
entire 1280x1024 screen, so there is no way we are going to get XW on
the GS's 16-pseudocolour 640x200 display.

> In any case, _I_ would not want to try to port X yet; I would prefer
> to wait on Gno v1.1, a stablized Orca/C 2.0.x, and some other
> tools like RCS, a better make (working on it folks...), diff, etc.

    Forget about X.  The time and effort spent trying to port this beast
isn't worth it.  Let's concentrate on writing UNIX libraries and better
C compilers so we can port more utilities to the GS.  Termcap-based
stuff still outnumbers X-based software by a very large margin.
-- 
Brian Tao:: taob@r-node.hub.org (r-Node BBS, 416-249-5366, FREE!)
::::::::::: 90taobri@wave.scar.utoronto.ca (University of Toronto)