Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!aplcen!uunet!mcsun!ukc!strath-cs!cs.glasgow.ac.uk!bru-cc!eesrajm From: eesrajm@cc.brunel.ac.uk (Andrew J Michael) Newsgroups: comp.os.minix Subject: Re: X windows under MINIX Summary: MGR is under way (sort of) Message-ID: <1785@Terra.cc.brunel.ac.uk> Date: 26 Aug 90 19:02:24 GMT References: <3090005@hpgnd.HP.COM> <1990Aug23.145802.12274@dsuvax.uucp> Organization: Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK Lines: 76 In article <1990Aug23.145802.12274@dsuvax.uucp>, ghelmer@dsuvax.uucp (Guy Helmer) writes: > In <3090005@hpgnd.HP.COM> laurent@hpgnd.HP.COM (Laurent JULLIARD) writes: > > >/ hpgnd:comp.os.minix / nicholas@wacsvax.uwa.oz (Nicholas Yue) / 5:36 am Jul 31, 1990 / > >Questions > > > (1) Has anyone manage to implement X windows under MINIX, say 1.5.10 ? > > At best, X would be very difficult to implement and run under PC-MINIX, > partly due to the 64K I&D limitation caused by the Intel architecture. > At worst, it would be impossible. X is huge (40 to 50Mb of source, I > hear) and requires either lots of real memory (8 to 16Mb) or virtual > memory to run well. X would also have to be worked over to support > MINIX's Ameoba net protocol, unless someone ports the BSD TCP/IP net code > to MINIX. > > > (2) What would be the minimum requirement e.g. memory size, hard disk > > capacity, video card [EGA,VGA,...], etc...? > > In comp.unix.i386, people report that X needs 8Mb RAM or it makes the > machine go into heavy paging. To compile the X sources, you'd need > something like 80Mb disk. > > It's often suggested that someone try porting the MGR system to MINIX. > MGR is a small window manager that might be suited to MINIX. > > >Thanks in advance > >---------- > -- > Guy Helmer > work: DSU Computing Services, Business & Education Institute (605) 256-5315 > play: MidIX System Support Services (605) 256-2788 > dsuvax!ghelmer@cs.utexas.edu, ...!bigtex!loft386!dsuvax!ghelmer I suppose that I might as well admit that I have been looking at the possibility of porting MGR to MINIX-ST for some time now. It shouldn't be impossible; it has already been done for the ST under OS-9, or so I am led to believe. I decided that the job would be pretty near impossible until I got a Sun and an ST side by side, and I finally achieved this about two months ago. Unfortunately I have lots of other things to do as well (I've just spent the weekend putting an alarm on my car, for example) so don't expect miracles. The first thing is a 32-bit compiler (see the notes with MGR, although I suppose it might be possible with a 16-bit one, but I don't have the time to waste). Until we get a 32-bit ACK CC (hello Andy & Frans !!) this means gcc. The first problem is that the current gcc for MINIX-ST isn't compatible with MINIX-ST 1.5.10 libraries, so I had to work through the libraries to get them to work with gcc. Not too much of a problem (mainly make sure that ALL sizeof's are cast), and I now have a gcc-compiled MINIX-ST 1.5.10. It's about 40k smaller than the original, and noticeably faster. When I am happy with it I will post the diffs for gcc to the net. I then got the Sun to cross-compile me a version of MGR with stubs for the missing library functions which MGR requires. Some of these (like fchown) are just annoying, and some (like select) are going to be a real pig. I decided to attack the problems as they occurred, so I kermitted(?) the binary across to the ST. It gets as far as deciding that it can't find /dev/mouse, which seems pretty logical. I have got /dev/screen back into MINIX-ST 1.5.10, but am currently having trouble resuscitating the mouse driver. And that's as far as I've got at the moment ...... Regards Andy Michael -- Andy Michael (eesrajm@cc.brunel.ac.uk) " Software cannot be written to 85 Hawthorne Crescent be completely free of errors." West Drayton Middlesex - Acorn Computers Ltd. UB7 9PA