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From: allbery@NCoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery KB8JRR/KT)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Re: Protected-mode snake oil
Message-ID: <1990Aug14.010519.19964@NCoast.ORG>
Date: 14 Aug 90 01:05:19 GMT
References: <1204.26c2fb48@waikato.ac.nz> <1210.26c694ed@waikato.ac.nz>
Reply-To: allbery@ncoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery KB8JRR/KT)
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.system
Organization: North Coast Public Access *NIX, Cleveland, OH
Lines: 45

As quoted from <1210.26c694ed@waikato.ac.nz> by ccc_ldo@waikato.ac.nz (Lawrence D'Oliveiro, Waikato University):
+---------------
| Thanks to all those people who pointed out how reliable their UNIX systems
| were. Can any of them tell me: does your system run anything like
| Adobe Type Manager, or After Dark? Or (rummaging through this pile of
+---------------

Sneak a look at Mach's architecture.

ptys and/or STREAMS drivers (assuming STREAMS tty drivers) can provide I/O
mechanisms.  I've plotted out some interesting stuff that uses STREAMS ttys;
recently, I've encountered a similar mechanism using ptys (DG AViiON
"editread").  STREAMS drivers would require something like Mach to make them
completely safe, but the "editread" mechanism is done completely in a
user-mode program.

I dare say it wouldn't be that difficult to provide a configurable ATM-alike
for X Windows, although I haven't yet gotten my hands on an X-capable system.
I *know* After Dark can be done, and in user code.

I had some stuff in Altos APEX (a Windows 2.11 interface to their UNIX boxes;
they wouldn't listen to my pleas for a Mac version)-: which implemented screen
saving from the host end by manipulating windows.

"editread" is the equivalent of QuicKeys (not to mention an extended
TextEdit and a few other things besides).  I haven't heard of POWERmenus, so I
can't say anything there.  FileMagic --- again, I'm not familiar with it.  If
it's a StdFile extension, it's beyond ordinary UNIX *as currently
distributed*, but the multiple file system handling of SVR3 and SunOS4
provides an opening... and, again, Mach has a few things to say on the subject
as well.

In any case, UNIX has the basic ability to do these things; however, it was
designed for a different kind of user interface (it may not be the world's
best user interface, but it *is* a UI) and therefore does not provide these
capabilities as shipped.  X Windows is a better comparison to what you're
looking for, and (from what I know of it) it can accomplish many of the things
you're looking for *in user code* and therefore without risking other
processes (hence, users) on the system.

++Brandon
-- 
Me: Brandon S. Allbery			    VHF: KB8JRR/KT on 220 (soon others)
Internet: allbery@NCoast.ORG		    Delphi: ALLBERY
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