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From: envbvs@epb2.lbl.gov (Brian V. Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: Ultrix, x11r4 and xfig?
Message-ID: <5562@helios.ee.lbl.gov>
Date: 7 May 90 18:07:07 GMT
References: <3150002@hpausla.aso.hp.com>
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Reply-To: envbvs@epb2.lbl.gov (Brian V. Smith)
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X-Local-Date: 7 May 90 11:07:07 PDT

In article <3150002@hpausla.aso.hp.com>, brianw@hpausla.aso.hp.com
(Brian Wallis) writes:
|> 
|> I'm posting this for a friend, Could replies be posted here and I'll collect
|> them and forward them on.
|> 
|> Thanks, brian wallis...
|> 
|> Details....
|> ----
|> A vax (3300) running Ultrix 3.0, x11r4, xfig as contained in that
|> distribution (direct from mit). Standard ultrix C compiler (hmm maybe
|> I'll build gcc). Server is an NCD-19, doesn't seem to have a version
|> number built in.... release notes say version 2.0.0.
|> 
|> Problem, xfig dies in random ways....
|> Most common: Bad Request (seemingly random major opcode)
|> next:        Bad length in PolyText8 (maybe just an instance of above)
|> occasionally: It gets an XIOError, broken pipe most of the
|> 	time (all the time?...maybe).
|> 
|> This happens when you do lots of text input, eg. get into text entry
|> mode and hold your finger on a key, wait 'til the buffer fills then
|> go do it again (and again until it breaks).
|> 

The version of xfig from the MIT distribution (1.4.3, I believe) used
setitimer() to blink the text cursor.  That is an inherently unstable
method of doing anything in X that uses the X library, as the library
is not re-entrant.

You should pick up xfig-2.0 from expo.lcs.mit.edu or comp.sources.x. 
It has several enhancements and bug fixes.  

_____________________________________
Brian V. Smith    (bvsmith@lbl.gov)
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
I don't speak for LBL, these non-opinions are all mine.