Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ucbvax!umnd-cs!umn-cs!randy From: randy@umn-cs.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions Subject: Re: "screen" vs. "wm" - (nf) Message-ID: <2150@umn-cs.UUCP> Date: Mon, 31-Aug-87 16:25:40 EDT Article-I.D.: umn-cs.2150 Posted: Mon Aug 31 16:25:40 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 2-Sep-87 06:45:44 EDT References: <16048@teknowle.UUCP> <50000002@tub.UUCP> Reply-To: randy@umn-cs.UUCP (Randy Orrison) Organization: UofM Math Department Lines: 42 In article <50000002@tub.UUCP> net@tub.UUCP writes: >> I'd appreciate any comments from anyone who has used both the "screen" >> program recently posted to comp.sources.whatever and the "wm" program >> of an earlier vintage, comparing/contrasting the two. > >I use neither "screen" nor "wm", but as the author of "screen" I think I'm >in a position to comment on this. > >Both window managers manage a set of virtual UNIX terminals that have a set >of processes connected to it (usually -- but not necessarily -- interactive >login shells) and map this set to a single real (or virtual) terminal. >While window managers like "wm" split the screen into multiple windows >(vertically), "screen" manages a set of independent equally-sized "logical >screens". > (goes on to characterize "wm") This is WRONG. I have been using wm for quite a while now. It does give you the ability to split your screen up into windows, vertically and horizontally, but all are not necessarily displayed at the same time. Windows can overlap, in whole or in part. In fact, the way that I usually used wm was with 3 or 4 full-screen sized windows, in which case it functioned exactly like screen. However, wm would also allow me to have two windows on the screen at the same time, for example an error list and an editor. Your terminal doesn't need to be able to define scrolling regions, insert- and delete-line is plenty. WM is a very nice package, more flexible than screen. Neither one is useful at low baud rates, though since it takes too long to re-draw the screen. Another added feature of wm is that a command will send a string to whatever is running in a window, of the form "setenv TERM xxxsetenv TERMCAP 'xxx'" so that if you're telneted to another machine, you can let it know what your terminal looks like. -randy -- Randy Orrison, University of Minnesota School of Mathematics UUCP: {ihnp4, seismo!rutgers!umnd-cs, sun}!umn-cs!randy ARPA: randy@ux.acss.umn.edu (Yes, these are three BITNET: randy@umnacvx different machines)