From: a_sudan@vger.nsu.edu Subject: USENIX 93, Coherent / X and Linux.....(Long) Date: 24 Jun 1993 18:26:45 EDT
Greetings,
I just got back from USENIX 93 in Cincinatti and thought I'd add my
0.02% of a dollars worth. Well I happened to stumble upon a vendor
who had ported X to Coherent so I asked a couple of questions :
Me) Why should I pay for this when I can have a freely available Linux
running X?
Vendorbots) Those PD systems are a headache to install, just read the
linux newsgroups and you'll see what I mean".
Me) Well, I've installed Linux with X up and running by reading,
learning and it was worth the slight learning curve.
Vendorbots) "You must have an ET4000 graphics card since it's
one the only ones supported".
Me) "Actually, I've installed on a Dell 486/DX66 running a
Quadtel S3, Gateway 486/50 running an ATI, a noname
Computer Show running a Trident 8900c", and too many
others to list (but I did for her !!). " The newsgroups
are full of questions and headaches from those who are
new to UNIX / X and are accustomed to purchasing preconfigured,
non-extensible, big-buck-backed, shrink-wrapped software.
Linux is a user / community supported effort currently
in beta release so any additional work involved in the
installation and maintenance is easily offset by the fact that
the users have a choice."
OK, at this point who should I spot but Richard Stallman at the GNU booth
:-). Well, how ironic. Before leaving I had to ask the Verdorbots a few
more questions.
Me) Do you have the olvwm?
Vbots) Well you can run it but all of those virtual desktops use
alot of memory.
Me) Why not set up a swap file/partition?
Vbots) Well, Coherent does not allow swap files/partitions.
Me) :-).
Me) Any TCP/IP installed?
Vbots) No, it's not currently supported.
Me) :-).
Ok, several conclusions to draw from the aforementioned. Number one
there are marketeers who will try to sell their product and flame
Linux without any firsthand knowledge / usage. It just so happens
that as I left the Vendor-booths another USENIX attendee came up and
Vbot1 this is the most inexpensive UNIX / X windowing system
available for the personal computer.....;-).
I hate to be long winded but I think it's time we resolve the Xconfig
issue once and for all. Here are a couple of ideas to ponder:
1) Why not just configure X at install time or automate the installation
with queries to fill in the unique configuration details of the mouse,
graphics cards, display timings, etc...
2) Update and utilize the Xconfig from the TAMU distribution to serve
as a kind of Universal Xconfig. This would still require the
mouse and chipset defined, but it basically rules out the hunt and
search for timings.
Like I said these are some things to ponder. I am a user and
supporter of this effort and I am defensive of the work that is being
done by the Linux community. Some of us develop, some agonize with
newby questions, some fix and refix, and others relay the merits of
this legitimate UNIX OS, but all in all I have drawn the conclusion
that Linux and other similar projects will play a major role in the next
phase of OS development. Linux is much larger than it's sum
components it is a World Wide internetworked community effort.
Request For Comments.......
PS. I could put out a report on USENIX, if requested.
Ahmed Bilal-Sudan
Norfolk State University
Norfolk, Virginia
My views are mine!!!!!!!