Conference bulova::decw_jan-89_to_nov-90

1440.0. "OOTB apps. won't display on Sun" by WAV14::HICKS (Stamp out hoplophobia!!!) Thu Sep 14 1989 15:54

    The following is a call for help.  
    
    We are unable to display DECwindows applications from a DS3100
    (dxcalendar, dxue, etc.) to a SUN system.  When this is attempted,
    most of thje aplications stop, complaining that they are unable
    to find a particular font on the server (Sun); in some cases, the
    DS3100 crashes.
    
    DS3100 is running UWS 2.1.
     
    Is there any way to get BDF-format font files for DECwindows
    applications to compile on the Sun?  Is there another way around
    this?  Why do our out-of-the-box applications seem unable to handle
    fonts missing at the server?
    
    We are hurting at this account as a result of this.  They are an
    all Sun shop, and we're being given an honest chance to get new
    business.
    
    Any help (fonts, answers, etc.) appreciated.
    
    <<< Tim >>>
    
Return-Path: decwrl::juda@pizazz
Date: Wed, 14 Jun 89 22:44:31 EDT
From: decwrl::juda@pizazz (Janusz Juda  14-Jun-89 2235 EDT)
To: bovs01::hicks (Tim Hicks)
Subject: Re: Missing Fonts, and DEC person.

Cc: juda@harvard

Sorry it took me so long to respond.
I've done some investigating, thogh.
Contrary to what the guy from DEC said responding to our (kochar's) inquiry
it really looks like the SNF format at DEC3100 is different from the standard
Athena distiribution.
Neither Suns nor DEC3100 grok the other's SNF fonts.
I compiled bdftosnf font compiler from the standard X11R3 distribution
and then compiled MIT fonts in BDF format from the same distribution.
They came different from ones in yours /usr/lib/X11/fonts/MIT and were
unusable by the DEC3100 Xserver.
The same fonts compiled by the DEC3100 local bdftosnf worked fine.
Clearly Athena and DEC have different SNF formats and it's not just
byte order the size of the resulting snf files were quite different
(upto 50%).

Here's the conversation on comp.windows.x:

- --------
From: kochhar@endor.harvard.edu (Sandeep Kochhar)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: dec3100 font format
Keywords: Sun3/60, X11R3, SunOS4.0, twm
Date: 2 Jun 89 21:55:47 GMT
Reply-To: kochhar@endor.harvard.edu (Sandeep Kochhar)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Aiken Computation Lab Harvard, Cambridge, MA

While trying to use "xfd" to see the font corresponding
to "menu12.snf" on a dec3100 (/usr/lib/X11/fonts/decwin/screen75/menu12.snf)
I got an error saying that "unable to open font".

Using another program that edits snf font files, I got the
error: File is not in SNF font format (header)


Anyone know what might be happening?
Are the dec fonts in some other format?
Thanks.


Sandeep Kochhar
(617) 495-9515              mail: kochhar@harvard.harvard.edu
Harvard University                kochhar@harvard.csnet
33 Oxford st,                     kochhar@harvard.uucp
Cambridge, Ma 02138               kochhar@harvard.bitnet

"If you didn't get this message, please let me know."
- --------
From: < deleted >
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: dec3100 font format
Keywords: Sun3/60, X11R3, SunOS4.0, twm
Date: 3 Jun 89 00:11:03 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation

> While trying to use "xfd" to see the font corresponding
> to "menu12.snf" on a dec3100 (/usr/lib/X11/fonts/decwin/screen75/menu12.snf)
> I got an error saying that "unable to open font".

After moving the font /usr/lib/X11/fonts/decwin/screen75 make sure
you do a "mkfontdir /usr/lib/X11/fonts/decwin/screen75" and a 
"xset fp rehash".  This will make the X server aware that the font
exists.

> Using another program that edits snf font files, I got the
> error: File is not in SNF font format (header)

Standard SNF.
- -- 
- --------


The list of missing fonts:
ambx10.164.snf
ambx10.82.snf
ammi10.164.snf
ammi10.82.snf
ammi6.150.snf
ammi6.75.snf
ammi8.150.snf
ammi8.75.snf
amr10.164.snf
amr10.82.snf
amr6.150.snf
amr6.75.snf
amr8.150.snf
amr8.75.snf
amsy10.164.snf
amsy10.82.snf
amsy8.150.snf
amsy8.75.snf
amti10.164.snf
amti10.82.snf
- --------
These fonts are specific to texx2 previewer and could be generated from TeX
fonts first in BDF format and then to SNF using DEC3100 version of bdftosnf.
Similarly fonts in /usr/lib/X11/fonts/decwin/screen75 could be generated on
Sun if we only had BDF version of them.  I thing they are a propriatery
product of DEC,  but could be get at least the 'terminal14.bdf' to test
this theory,

Janusz


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             <8906080023.AA26284@decwrl.dec.com> 

    

I got most things to work with the exception of the cardfiler.

My DECstation has UWS 2.1 talking to a Sun 3/60 with "cgfour" (TCP/IP) 
running MIT X11R3.

Also, I have been able to run  (from DECstation) the Motif window manager
on the Sun.

Kris..

Place a line like the following in the user's .Xdefaults file:

*font: variable

Substitute "variable" for any valid font name on the Sun server.
Most DECwindows applications don't "hard-code" a specific font, but
use the toolkit "default".  This line will override the toolkit default.

Leo

What problem did you have with the cardfiler?

Neal

    >What problem did you have with the cardfiler?
    
    Too many ;-)
    
    It won't even work properly between two DECstation 3100s with different
    window managers - One using Motif...the other using dxwm. TCP/IP or
    DECnet...take any.
    
    It crashes with impunity (the infamous xlib error and something 
    about "pipe broken"..."link aborted" and all the other jazz).
    
    Software environment is UWS 2.1 (SDC).
    
    An SPR may be appropriate at this point...no?
    
    Kris..

The uws 2.1 cardfiler does not ofically support any window manager except for
dxwm.  I found a set input focus problem that I fixed in uws 2.2 and I can run
the cardfiler under hpwm and uwm with the 2.2 version.

The problem shows up when you try to create or display a card.

Neal

>The uws 2.1 cardfiler does not ofically support any window manager except for
>dxwm...

Neal,

thanx for the info.  Don't be too surprised if you hear customers bitching
about this one.

Kris..

Its hardly something I can fix now in 2.1 since its been out for abouit 4 months
I believe the uws 2.2 version of the cardfiler works with dxwm, uws and hpws.

Neal

Thanx,

this issue came up in the Motif conference.  I will pass on the info.

Kris...