Problem running VP/ix under X386

[Shaun T. Erickson]

I'm having a problem when trying to run DOS 3.3 via VP/ix Version 1.01.00
under AT&T SVR3.2.1 on my Swan 386/25 (which uses a Northgate OmniKey Ultra
keyboard).

First, I couldn't get it to run at all from an X386 window. I kept getting
the following message:

"An attempt was made to use an AT&T XWIN Graphical Windowing System function,
 but the AT&T XWIN Graphical Windowing System is not loaded."

After poking around in the INSTALL file for VP/ix, I found that it determined
whether or not the XWIN package was installed by checking for the existance of
the file /usr/X/lib/libX11_s. If it found it, INSTALL continued on it's merry
way and if it didn't find it, it installed it's own version of the file,
which produces the above error when you try to run DOS from an X window, and
without which DOS won't run even when it's outside of X.

Not one to let that stop me, I asked around at work until I found someone
with AT&T SVR3.2.1 who had XWIN installed and aquired a copy of libX11_s from
the XWIN package. I installed it and, lo & behold, I can bring DOS up in an
X window now. Looks great, runs great, BUT ...

When DOS runs in an X386 window, it doesn't handle the keyboard quite right.
For instance, if I want to type 'dir', I actually have to type 'fot'. Note,
that when I type 'fot', 'dir' is what appears on the screen and it properly
executes. Similarly, 'wioy' = 'quit', etc., ... Also, TAB prints a backspace,
the left CONTROL key is the ENTER key, BACKSPACE prints an '=', and on and on.
It seems like the whole keyboard is off by one key.

Mind you, it works fine when I run DOS outside of X386. It also isn't the
Northgate keyboard, as it does the same thing with the stock one that came
with the computer. I sincerely believe that it is the libX11_s file that is
the culprit, as it comes from an XWIN package that was based on X11R2 and I
am trying to use it with an X11R4 server.

It may be hopeless, but can someone tell me what I might be able to do to
get this to work properly? I'm so close, yet so far away .... I'm an absolute
novice programmer (outside of shell, that is), but it seems to me that maybe
the libX11_s binary has some sort of translation table or key (or something!)
that possibly could be tweaked with a binary editor ... or am I, in my
ignorance, way off base?

Any help would be appreciated. In order to not further use up any more precious
bandwidth, please email me. If there is sufficient interest, I will post a
summary of the responses I get. Thanks!
-- 
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 * Shaun T. Erickson                              Internet: ste at alux2.att.com *
 * Cap Gemini America  (Resident Visitor at AT&T)     UUCP: ...!att!alux2!ste *
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