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Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports a full-featured implementation of the X Consortium's X Window System, Version 11, Release 6 (X11R6) up to and including public patch 12, as well as the complete Motif Toolkit from CDE/Motif Version 1.0. Aside from Digital extensions to the X server to add graphics support, and the addition of several Motif-based Digital X clients, the windowing code is essentially passed through untouched from the X and CDE consortiums.
The Digital UNIX Version 4.0 implementation of X11R6 and Motif makes use of both static and shared libraries, allowing client programs that link shared to make use of the latest library code without recompiling, as well as saving memory and disk space.
For more information on shared libraries, see The following sections briefly discuss the Common Desktop Environment (CDE), which is the default graphical user-interface now supported in Digital UNIX, and the X11R6 and Motif components of the Digital UNIX Version 4.0 windowing environment.
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The Common Desktop Environment is the new default user interface under Digital UNIX Version 4.0.
The Common Desktop Environment (CDE) provides an easy method of interacting with the Digital UNIX operating system. It is a jointly developed graphical user interface based on industry standards which include the X Consortium's X Window System and the Open Software Foundation's Motif user interface. CDE is an X/Open standard which provides a consistent look and feel as well as common APIs across multivendor platforms.
CDE presents a visual desktop that you can customize. Using the CDE interface, you can use the mouse or keyboard to navigate and interact with applications. The desktop itself offers a Front Panel, which is a graphical display at the bottom of the screen area that provides access to applications, printers, and frequently used objects, including online help.
In addition to user services, CDE provides everything needed to implement fully integrated applications. Because CDE is standards based, such integration work is transportable to other platforms that comply with this standard. For example, the help files and the means to access them apply across all compliant platforms. For more information, see the Common Desktop Environment: Programmer's Overview.
The CDE Front Panel displays the tools that you use to start applications, manage tasks in a desktop session, or change workspaces. Each tool is represented by an icon that indicates its purpose. A workspace is the screen itself, which includes the Front Panel. A tool on the Front Panel is provided to switch between different workspaces.
The tools available on the Front Panel are described in Table 8-1. For detailed information on the use of each tool, see the Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide.
| Application | Use of Application |
| Clock | Displays the time of day in analog format. Clicking on this tool does not perform an action. |
| Calendar | Displays the current month and day. Use this application to schedule appointments and To Do Items, set reminders, browse other calendars, and schedule group appointments. Dropping an appointment file on the Calendar tool adds the appointment to your calendar database. |
| File Manager | Provides a view of directories (folders) and files. Dropping a directory on the File Manager tool opens a view of that directory. |
| Text Editor | Opens a Text Editor window where you can create letters or notes. Dropping a file on the Text Editor icon opens that file in a Text Editor window. |
| Mailer | Starts the desktop Mailer application. Use this application to send, receive, save, and forward mail messages. Dropping a file on this tool displays the contents of the file in a New Message window. |
| Lock | Pauses a session indefinitely. Pausing a session locks the workstation display, but applications continue to run. To resume a session, enter your password. |
| Workspace Switches | Changes workspaces. Use this switch to move to different work areas. There are four workspaces by default. |
| Busy Light | Indicates that an action is being performed. For example, when you start an application, the light blinks. Once the call to the application is complete, the busy light stops blinking. Clicking on this icon does not produce an action. |
| Printer | Displays the status of the default printer. Dropping a file on the Printer icon prints that file on the default printer. |
| Exit | Starts the logout process for a session. |
| Style Manager | Opens the Style Manager application. Use this application to change the characteristics of your environment. |
| Application Manager | Starts the Application Manager, which is a container for applications and other tools available on your system. |
| Help Manager | Displays the top level of available online help information. Dropping a master help volume file (*.sdl) onto the Help Manager opens a help viewer window and displays the contents of that volume. |
| Trash Can | Opens the Trash Can application. Use this application to delete files. Dropping a file on the Trash Can tool moves the file to a discard directory. |
For more information, see the CDE documentation set, which consists of:
The X11R6 windowing software consists of the following components:
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports the complete set of X11R6 X client libraries:
A high-level library of user-interface components (scroll bars, labels, buttons)
Middle-level routines that call into Xlib
Low-level routines that interface with the X server
For more information on individual X client libraries, see the guides X Window System and X Window System Toolkit.
Through the extensive use of shared libraries, Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports a single X11R6 X server image for all graphic options. The Digital UNIX Version 4.0 X server dynamically configures itself at init-time, loading only those server components required by a specific system configuration, and rarely requires any intervention by a system administrator.
For a list of the shared libraries that make up the X server, see Chapter 7.
Multihead graphic support is transparent in Digital UNIX Version 4.0, provided the proper option cards are installed and the additional graphic adapters are built into the kernel.
For more information on the graphic options supported in Digital UNIX Version 4.0, see the Systems and Options Catalog.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports the following X server extensions. Note that to conserve memory, the X server, by default, defers loading most server extensions until it receives a request from a client for that specific extension.
The X Keyboard Management extension. Provides support for the ISO 9995 standard and includes the AccessX keyboard extension. Included with the XKB extension are XKB keymaps for all the keyboards/locales we support as well as many supporting applications.
The XKB is turned on by default, and the X server automatically compiles and loads a keymap based upon the console language and keyboard.
The XKB server extension is new for X11R6 and for Digital Unix V4.0. XKB enhances control and customization of the keyboard under the X Window system by providing:
- Support for the ISO 9996 standard for keyboard layouts
- Compatibility with the core X keyboard handling; no client modifications needed
- Standard methods for handling keyboard LEDs and locking modifiers such as CapsLock and NumLock
- Support for keyboard geometry
Additionally, the X11R5 (for versions of Digital Unix earlier than V4.0) AccessX server extension for people with physical impairments has been incorporated into the XKB server extension. These accessibility features include StickyKeys, SlowKeys, BounceKeys, MouseKeys, and ToggleKeys, as well as complete control over the autorepeat delay and rate.
Supports realtime PostScript display, including color, motion, and advanced text display to the screen.
Enhances performance for local image-intensive applications.
Miscellaneous extension from the X Consortium, which currently controls bug-compatibility modes for the X Server.
Supports smooth animations by drawing to multiple buffers.
Supports nonrectangular windows used for round, oval, and nonregular shaped windows.
Allows for the use of shared memory as an X transport for local clients, giving a significant performance boost. Transport specified by local:0.0.
Provides advanced control over imaging, as well as device-independent image display.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 ships both Version 3 (/usr/lib/Xie.a and /usr/shlib/libXie.so) and the de facto industry standard, Version 5 (/usr/lib/libXIE.a and /usr/shlib/libXIE.so).
Allows users to write their own drivers for third-party input devices, and then load them dynamically into the X server by making entries in the X server configuration file (/usr/var/X11/Xserver.conf). The new input devices are then recognized the next time the X server is reset.
In traditional, statically-linked X Servers, each time a new extension device is added the X Server must be rebuilt. Digital UNIX's loadable X server implementation has overcome this limitation by permitting system administrators to add new new input device support as external shareables that are loaded by the X server at init-time.
Sample code showing how such a driver should be written is included in the /usr/examples directory.
Internal extension for better support of international X clients. Note that the XKME functionality has been made obsolete by the XKB extension, but has been provided for backwards compatibility.
Enables a client to receive notification when the screen has been inactive for a specified amount of time or whenever it cycles. This extension is useful to developers writing screensaver applications.
The XSync function, in conjunction with the XFlush, XEventsQueued, and XPending functions, allows synchronization between X clients to take place entirely within the X server, thereby eliminating any errors introduced by the network and enabling different hosts running different operating systems to synchronize X clients. This extension is particularly useful for multimedia applications that require the synchronization of audio, video, and graphics; and for animation applications, which can have their requests synchronized to internal, X server timers.
Allows applications to simulate X events for testing purposes.
Supports the recording and playback
of X events for the purpose of X client testing.
Allows clients to control video options, such as the live video PIP option for the TX graphic device.
For more information on the X server, see the X Window System Environment and the X(1X) and the Xdec(1X) reference pages.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports the standard Xdm terminal manager software. The Xdm terminal manager starts up the X server locally and allows for network-transparent login prompting, so that users can log in to any system on their network that is supported by xdm as if the remote system's graphic console were in front of them. This functionality provides for the seamless integration of X terminals into the Digital UNIX Version 4.0 environment. For more information on using Xdm, see the System Administration guide and the xdm(1X) reference page.
The keymaps supplied with Digital UNIX Version 4.0 use the xmodmap keymap format, the de facto industry standard. Unlike the format of the keymaps supplied in earlier versions of Digital UNIX, which was difficult to read and edit because it was written using hexadecimal numbers, the xmodmap format is written using symbolic key names and can be easily customized.
Also, the xmodmap format supports the ability to specify modifier keys (Compose, Alt, Shift, and so forth), which the old format did not support.
Now, instead of the X server itself loading the keymap when it starts or resets, xdm (the X Display Manager) causes the appropriate xmodmap-format keymap to be loaded by using the xmodmap command.
The xmodmap keymap format is compatible whether the X server is running the XKB extension or not. The xmodmap keymaps, however, are being shipped for backward compatibility reasons. Digital suggests using the newer XKB standard keymap format instead of the xmodmap keymap format.
Whenever an X client application establishes a connection to the X server, it passes an authorization code, called a key, to the X server. If the X server recognizes this key, the connection is allowed. When the user's X session is started, xdm (the X Display Manager) writes one or more keys into the .Xauthority file in a user's home directory. The X Display Manager (xdm) also writes these keys into a file readable by the X server.
In previous releases of the
Digital UNIX,
the keys were
in
the
MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1
format and were not encrypted.
Now, however, to improve security, Digital UNIX supports both the MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 key format as well as the XDM-AUTHORIZATION-1 encrypted key format, which is the default.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports a standard scalable font server that supplies a network of systems with access to fonts resident on any Digital UNIX system. The font server maintains a repository of fonts and responds to requests from other X servers on the network for fonts that they may not have locally. In addition to providing network-transparent access to fonts, the font server unloads the compute burden of font scaling from local X servers, since it scales fonts appropriately before supplying them to the requesting X server.
Before a font can be displayed by an X server, its glyphs must be converted from their on-disk formats into bitmaps. This conversion is done by font renderer code in the X server or in a font server which may be supplying fonts to the X server.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports loadable font renderers, so that users who adhere to the X11R6 standard can write their own font renderer for their own set of fonts and install them on a Digital UNIX system. After the fonts and the font renderer are installed, the necessary entries for them are placed in the X server configuration file (/usr/var/X11/Xserver.conf), the font server configuration file (/usr/var/X11/fs/config), or in both configuration files. The new font renderer is then recognized the next time the X server or font server (whichever has the font renderer configured) is reset.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports the entire suite of X clients that ships with X11R6, including appres, atobm, bdftopcf, bitmap, bmtoa, editres, fs, fsinfo, fslsfonts, fstobdf, getcons, ico, imake, listres, lndir, mkfontdir, oclock, optacon, pswrap, puff, puzzle, resize, showfont, showrgb, twm, uil, viewres, x11perf, x11perfcomp, xauth, xbiff, xcalc, xcd, xclipboard, xclock, xcmsdb, xcmstest, xconsole, xcutsel, xdm, xdpr, xdpyinfo, xedit, xemacs, xev, xeyes, xfd, xfontsel, xgc, xhost, xkbcomp, xkbprint, xkbdfltmap, xkill, xload, xlogo, xlsatoms, xlsclients, xlsfonts, xmag, xman, xmbind, xmh, xmkmf, xmodmap, xon, xpr, xprop, xrdb, xrefresh, xset, xsetroot, xsoundsentry, xstdcmap, xterm, xwd, xwininfo, and xwud.
For more information on individual X clients, see the appropriate reference page.
Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports the entire suite of CDE Motif Version 1.0 components, including the widget library (Xm), the resource manager (Mrm), the widget metalanguage (wml), the User Interface Language (UIL), the Motif window manager (mwm), the key binding utility (xmbind), and the Motif Demonstration programs (examples).
In Motif Version 1.2 the OSF has added support for ANSI C, Internationalization, Drag and Drop, and TearOff Menus. Unfortunately, however, much of this support required breaking binary compatibility with Motif Version 1.1.3.
To mitigate this problem, Digital UNIX Version 4.0 provides the Motif Version 1.1.3 libraries through its versioning functionality to allow applications that are linked against Motif 1.1.3 to continue to run. These libraries are available in an optional subset. For more information on versioning, see the Programmer's Guide and Chapter 7.
The following sections briefly discuss these Digital extensions to Motif:
For more information on Motif,
see the
OSF/Motif Programmer's Guide,
DECwindows User's Guide,
and the appropriate reference pages.
For information on Motif support for
internationalization,
see
Chapter 10.
In addition to the Xm widget library, Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports the Digital Extended Widget Set (DXm), which contains the following widgets:
Supports editing and the selection of colors
Presents graphical print options
Supports the editing of compound strings in a user interface similar to XmText
Displays help topics
Supports structured navigation through lists of data
In addition to the entire suite of X clients that ships with X11R6, Digital UNIX Version 4.0 supports a variety of Digital X clients including accessx, dxbook, dxcalc, dxcalendar, dxcardfiler, dxclock, dxconsole, dxdiff, dxkbledpabel, dxkeyboard, dxkeycaps, dxmail, dxnotepad, dxpaint, dxpause, dxpresto, dxprint, dxsession, dxterm, and dxvdoc.
For more information on individual Digital X clients, see the DECwindows User's Guide and the appropriate reference pages.