Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!ubc-cs!alberta!calgary!wglen!johndg
From: johndg@wglen.UUCP (John de Grosbois)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: X11 Server Porting Questions
Keywords: X11, Server, Porting
Message-ID: <5@wglen.UUCP>
Date: 15 Dec 89 00:14:34 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Willowglen Systems Ltd., Calgary, Ab.
Lines: 55

Does anyone out there have experience porting X11-R3 and X11-R4 servers?
We are considering the porting and installation of an X-11 server to run 
with our proprietary real-time operating system on sun3 and sun4 hardware.  
For planning purposes, we are trying to get a feel for the scope of the task.
Thus we have the following questions:

1. How much of the sample server source code involves the following:

	i). hardware/display dependencies
	ii).  operating system dependencies
	iii). communications (ie. transport layer interface) dependencies.
   
   Are there substantial differences between R3 and R4 in these areas?
   What are the major tasks/problems involved in porting each of these
   interfaces?

2. What are the key advantages to waiting for the release of the R4 sample
   server and porting that, and what will the R4 server have over the
   R3 server?

3. Roughly (ie. estimate in man-months) how big a task is EACH phase
   of a server port to a non-standard operating system (assume an 
   experienced programmer, but new to X-windows), and given the following
   phases:
		-initial orientation phase with X-server and X11.
		-design and implementation phase.
		-test and debug phase.

   What are the big variables in your estimate?

4. Will client applications developed for R3 be fully compatible (ie run 
   without changes) on an R4 server implementation?  If not, what changes
   are required?

5. Also, We have been made aware that there are at least three documents
   available to aid in porting a server.  If anyone knows where to obtain
   these (or any other appropriate material) we would love to hear from
   you.  These are:

	1. Definition of the Porting Layer for the X V11 Sample Server,
	2. Strategies for Porting the X V11 Sample Server, and
	3. Godzilla's Guide to Porting the X V11 Sample Server.

Any assistance will be immensely appreciated.

Thanks, John.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
| John de Grosbois,                     johndg@wglen.uucp                |
| Project Leader                        ...!alberta!calgary!wglen!johndg |
| Willowglen Systems Ltd.                                                |
| #4 Manning Close N.E.			Phone:  (403)-272-1800           |
| Calgary Alberta                       Fax:    (403)-272-2114           |
|                                                                        |
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