FAQ? Re: Need X11R4 sgi.cf for irix 3.3

[James Helman]

Where's that FAQ file?

The sgi.cf file isn't the only thing that doesn't quite work, e.g.
xterm.  Patches for compiling the client side of X11R4 are available
by anonymous ftp to fresnel.stanford.edu: pub/4DX.

A word regarding xdm: the patches allow xdm to compile, but apparently
it isn't completely functional.  I have no way of fully testing xdm as
we don't have any X terminals.  I just put out a couple experimental
versions on fresnel in ~ftp/pub/jim/.  If anyone who has been trying
to get xdm to work wants to give them a try and let me know if they
work, feel free.  (Like the rest of 4DX, these versions are configured
to use /usr/local/{bin,lib}/X11 paths to avoid stomping on or being
stomped by IRIX versions).

Also, the archives may vanish in a month or so.  The decrepit uVaxII
they live on is nearing the end of its last regeneration, and we
currently don't have 50Megs to spare on a real machine.

Jim Helman
Department of Applied Physics			Durand 012
Stanford University				FAX: (415) 725-3377
(jim at KAOS.stanford.edu) 			Work: (415) 723-9127

>From fresnel.stanford.edu:pub/4DX/:

README.patches: brief description of patches.  For info on other files
in archive see README.4DX.

I only encountered a few minor problems in compiling MIT's X11R4
distribution (clients + libraries only, *no server code available*)
under IRIX.  Most of the SGI specific stuff is already on the R4 tape,
courtesy of SGI.

    4DX-patch1. These patches are identical to the patches I posted
    back in April to fix a few things (xload, ptys for xterm,
    makedepend) for use under IRIX 3.2.

    4DX-patch2. These pathes cope with with some changes in IRIX 3.3.
    THE PATCHES ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH IRIX 3.2.

    4DX-patch3. This fixes a significant problem with pty allocation
    in xterm and enables UNIX sockets in Xlib.

The three 4DX patches should be applied in order to X11R4 from MIT
with (at least) MIT fixes 1 thru 6 applied.  MIT fixes 7 thru 12 do not
affect any of same files, so it shouldn't matter whether you have
applied them or not.

CAVEAT COMPILOR: Unless you're looking for free libraries or want to
muck around with the R4 client source, you're probably better off with
the libraries from SGI's X Development tape and with the clients on
the standard IRIX 3.3 tapes, for one thing, SGI's IRIX 3.3 clients use
a shared libX11, which the R4 distribution does not.  Note however
that you still can't create clients which use the shared library,
since the X Development tape does not include libX11_s.a (only
libX11_s).

NO SERVER CODE: Compiling R4 only gives you clients and libraries
(which you can also get from SGI).  It will not help with any of the
compatibility problems (exposure and who owns what part of the frame
buffer) between NeWS/GL and X.  If you are currently letting 4Sight
manage your X windows, you might be happier running an X window
manager, e.g. twm, instead of relying solely upon 4Sight.  But the
only sure fix is to be patient and wait for SGI to resolve the current
windowing schizophrenia.

All of these patches are completely unblessed without any guarantees.
I have only tried it on a 4D/220GTX and a 4D/80GT.

Jim Helman
Department of Applied Physics			Durand 012
Stanford University				FAX: (415) 725-3377
(jim at KAOS.stanford.edu) 			Voice: (415) 723-9127