Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!decwrl!jumbo!jg
From: jg@jumbo.dec.com (Jim Gettys)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: -- Trivia --
Message-ID: <13708@jumbo.dec.com>
Date: 26 Apr 89 19:16:54 GMT
References: <8904261647.AA01674@unison.larc.nasa.gov>
Reply-To: jg@jumbo.UUCP (Jim Gettys)
Organization: DEC Systems Research Center, Palo Alto
Lines: 34

In article <8904261647.AA01674@unison.larc.nasa.gov> gretzky@UNISON.LARC.NASA.GOV (Mr. Stanley Cup) writes:
>I have heard of X10 and X11, but was there ever an X9, X8, ... X0 ???

Yes, there were versions before X10....  There were 8 of them (anyone out
there want to guess what the non-existant version of X was?)  And
before V1 was W. Versions refer to the protocol version, which is the point
at which old applications stop working, and need at least some change
to continue working.

There have been three fundamental designs of X, the first of which
culminated with V6, which was the first to be ported to something other
than a DEC VS100 (anyone out there want to say what that was?).  It only
supported monochrome displays.  Very few people outside of MIT or Digital
ever saw it; it required a license from MIT.  It ran on VS100's and VS1's
and VS2's.

The second resulted in V10.  It supported up to 16 bit/pixel color
displays, and was the first version which was widespread.  No license
was required.  Its limitations, for example the 16 bit limitation,
doomed it from its beginning.

The third is V11, with which you are familiar.

There is more detail in the Digital Press book on X historical trivia.

>
>Will there be an X12, X13, ...

Nope.  Hell will freeze over first. V11 was designed to allow upward 
compatible extension.  No one is ever going to contemplate breaking 
compatibility with old stuff at this point.  We all have too many scars....
And applications are where its at these days.

				- Jim Gettys