GX "support" from Sun
David L. Markowitz
dav at genisco.gtc.com
Tue Jan 15 10:57:00 AEST 1991
> Read on the net today that Sun has removed all the GX include files from
> 4.1.1 "to discourage reverse-engineering of the hardware." Kind of makes
> the "open systems" concept seem like lying marketing hype, doesn't it?
Not particularly. Graphics is one of the few "value added" things they
haven't given away.
> Anyway, I also read that Sun is distributing "run-time support" for XGL
> (their low-level graphics library that supports the GX hardware graphics)
This is incorrect. XGL is NOT "their low-level graphics library that
supports the GX", it is a low-level graphics library (GL) that works on X
(hence XGL). It is a replacement for pixrect, which doesn't grok
network-extensible window systems.
> bundled with 4.1.1. Does this mean that they give you shareable libraries
> but no include files? How long is it going to take to reverse-engineer
> those? Or have they come up with some other abomination to make it
> impossible to link against specified libraries? They were happy to sell
> me the GX but if I want to use it, well, that's an extra $1000 for XGL...
All of Sun's software (Sunview, Open Windows, PHIGS+, GKS) are accelerated
by the GX. You don't need XGL unless you want a low-level graphics
library for X or Open Windows.
Maybe you should check your attitude at the door before assuming Sun has
it in for you based on spotty info in net.rumors.sun-wants-your-money.
David L. Markowitz
Genisco Technology Corporation
dav at gtc.com
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