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From: jr@amanue.UUCP (Jim Rosenberg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att
Subject: Re: Adding extra console window gettys: maybe not a good idea
Message-ID: <249@amanue.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 15-Nov-87 18:19:16 EST
Article-I.D.: amanue.249
Posted: Sun Nov 15 18:19:16 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 17-Nov-87 03:49:13 EST
References: <750@neoucom.UUCP>
Reply-To: jr@amanue.UUCP (Jim Rosenberg)
Organization: Amanuensis Inc., Grindstone, PA
Lines: 47
Summary: Multiple gettys work fine for me, but I don't use ua.

In article <750@neoucom.UUCP> wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) writes:
>#ifdef lineater
>
>A while back somebody posted a suggestion of adding more gettys in
>/etc/inittab to permit several logins at the same time on the
>console.
>
>I tried the suggestion, and it seemed to work for a while.  After a
>few days, the machine crashed inexplicably.  The screen still
>displayed, the mouse pointer moved, and the modem would go off hook
>in response to an incomming call.  The machine would simply ingore
>anything typed in  over the console or modem.  On the command line
>at the bottom of the screen there was a message to the effect,
>"there isn't enough memory.  close some windows."  Hmmmm..
>Curious, there is only one window open.
>
> ... other problems ...

I think I'm the one that posted the idea of multiple gettys.  You will
consume one window for each getty, *regardless* of whether anybody is
logged in on that getty.  If one or more of those logins is running ua,
it *is* quite possible to run out of windows.  I typically run 6 gettys
on /dev/window, have been doing this for months, and have had no problems.
I did suffer one mystery crash, but I can't attribute it to any window
stuff.  However, to run most ua things I would have to blow off at least
two of the gettys; it seems to me that even 4 once ran me out of windows.

(Flame on:)

I must say that I find ua absolutely **PROFLIGATE** in its use of windows.
There are programs for Mess-DOS that have heaps and gobs of windows with
no multitasking at all.  Why should ua consume a scarce resource, i.e.
one of only 12 /dev/w* devices, just to tell you, OK, bunky, you can press
RETURN now and the world won't end?  What ua needs is a library to allow
subwindows within a given /dev/w* device so that fewer of them are used.
Consuming a new /dev/w* should be like forking a new process:  you do it
when you have to, but you'd prefer to get as much done as possible with
one process.  A message sent by a program is logically part of that program;
you should only spawn a new window when the prospect of *CLICKING BACK AND
FORTH* between parent and child windows is a reasonable way for the program
to be operated.  An extra /dev/w* in place of the typical Press Return to
Continue ???  Sheesh!
-- 
 Jim Rosenberg
     CIS: 71515,124                         decvax!idis! \
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