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From: envbvs@epb2.lbl.gov (Brian V. Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: Xterm maps in 2s instead of 7s (Was Re: twm speed up)
Message-ID: <2825@helios.ee.lbl.gov>
Date: 14 Jun 89 16:52:05 GMT
References: <185@mirsa.inria.fr> <1238@tnoibbc.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@helios.ee.lbl.gov
Lines: 48

In article <185@mirsa.inria.fr>, colas@mirsa.inria.fr (Colas NAHABOO) writes:
 From article <1238@tnoibbc.UUCP>, by remco@tnoibbc.UUCP (Remco Bruyne):
> > In article <1258@isieng.UUCP> pling@.UUCP (Paul Ling) writes:
> >>Using twm as a window manager, I always had to wait for several seconds for
> >>a new xterm.  I don't see the same problem with uwm.
> > We have the same problem with twm and also with awm. We had a quick look
> > at it and it appeared that xterm tries to interact with the window manager
> > but gets no reply. After a number of seconds the request is timed out.
> > 
> > We did not want to spend any time in solving this problem, but maybe
> > the problem is solved in the next X release.
> 
> The solution to fix xterm is to add the in .Xdefaults the line:
> 
> 	xterm.waitforwm:        false
> 
> And Voila! an Xterm in 2.5 sec on any reparenting WM (e.g gwm :-)).
> 
> The bug in the xterm code are the lines 2075-2077 in file charproc.c in
> the sources of the X11R3 xterm:
> 
>       (void) XtMakeResizeRequest((Widget) term,
>                                    (Dimension)width, (Dimension)height,
>                                    &term->core.width, &term->core.height);
> 
> which SHOULD be deleted (or placed elsewhere).
> 
> The bug is that xterm is waiting 5 seconds for the WM to resize its window,
> while it didn't map it!!!


While this works when a window manager is running, if there is no window 
manager running, you get an xterm of size 1x1 (pixels).

We start our xterm from /etc/ttys with the server (yes, I know that is 
the old way) and the window manager is not yet running, so we don't get 
a usable xterm at all.

In gneral, I don't think it is a good idea to require that a window 
manager is running to have an xterm (or any other window for that matter).

However, Colas' solution with the "xterm.waitforwm: false" in the .Xdefaults
(or resources) file is a good workaround.

_____________________________________
Brian V. Smith    (bvsmith@lbl.gov)
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
We don't need no signatures!