Newsgroups: comp.windows.open-look
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!physics.utoronto.ca!sysruth
From: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner)
Subject: two OpenWindows problems
Message-ID: <1991Mar4.223608.6090@helios.physics.utoronto.ca>
Sender: news@helios.physics.utoronto.ca (News Administrator)
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Reply-To: rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner) 
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM
Date: Mon, 4 Mar 1991 22:36:08 GMT

The non-programmers here have recently started to use OpenWindows, and
have naturally uncovered a few problems.

First, one user is running on a Sun 3/80 and has encountered absolutely
miserable performance on it. He has about 40MB local swap, 8MB memory, no
load on the machine (and not a lot of windows running), etc. Generally it takes
several seconds after he moves the mouse for the cursor to actually move and
the focus to follow it. We have other people using 3/60's with less swap who
have not observed this problem. He says he talked to a colleague elsewhere
with a 3/80 who has also seen this sort of behaviour. Is this borne out by
other people's experience? Is there something I can do, or is it just generic
to 3/80's? For the record, Sunview performs vastly better on this system than
OpenWindows.

Second, another person has noticed that if he goes away (sometimes leaving
long jobs running in the background, sometimes not) and leaves the console
idle for around 24 hours or longer, when he comes back and resumes work, the
windows appear in black-and-white instead of colour, menus do not activate
properly, etc., and he has to restart OpenWindows to get it back to normal.
"screenblank" is running on the system (an SS1), but it activates after 10
minutes idle time on the console, and this weirdness does not kick in until
many hours later than that. Is the problem with screenblank, OpenWindows,
or somehow with their interaction? Has anyone else seen or heard of this?

Please note that I am posting from a different machine than the return address;
my regular news system does not seem to carry this group.

Thank you very much.
-- 
Ruth Milner
Systems Manager                     NRAO/VLA                    Socorro NM
                            rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu