Xkernel Revised SUMMARY [rjh97@bk.dk]

From: Rene Jul-Hansen (rjh97@bk.dk)
Date: Thu Aug 20 1992 - 13:17:17 CDT


Since the first summary I sent I have received a couple of responses
more and a reasonable complaint about the form of my last summary.

Here's another go.

-Rene'
----------

Subject: Xkernel by ftp

[seth@ctr.columbia.edu]:
ftp.ctr.columbia.edu:/pub/Xkernel/Xkernel1.5

[barbee3@llnl.gov]:
Here's a list of ftp sites for Xkernel...it works quite nicely on a 3/50
here....

ftp.uu.net (137.39.1.9) :/pub/window-sys/X/Xkernel
unix.hensa.ac.uk (129.12.21.7) :/pub/uunet/pub/window-sys/X/Xkernel
src.doc.ic.ac.uk (146.169.2.1) :/graphics/X11/contrib/Xkernel
sol.ctr.columbia.edu (128.59.64.40) :/pub/Xkernel
pprg.eece.unm.edu (129.24.24.10) :/pub/dist/Xkernel
metro.ucc.su.oz.au (129.78.64.2) :/pub/Xkernel

[kevine@vast.unsw.edu.au]:

mucket.vast.unsw.edu.au (149.171.224.9) : /pub/X11/contrib/Xkernel.1.4.shar

[gustavo@davinci.concordia.ca]:

        I got this one. The Xkernel can be found through
anonymous ftp, I think from ftp.uu.net and/or wuarchive.wustl.edu.

[gdmr@dcs.ed.ac.uk]:

The usual one that people mention is Xkernel, which you can get by anonymous
FTP from export.lcs.mit.edu (and its shadows) in contrib/. Alternatively,
just replace /sbin/init with a shell script -- I've seen a few of these: you
can get ours by anonymous FTP.

ftp.dcs.ed.ac.uk : export/X11R5/Sun3-Xterminals.tar.Z

----------

Subject: A few notes from Seth Robertson (help with Xkernel and xdm)

        Being the author of Xkernel, I am probably qualified to
        help anyone who needs help with Xkernel. I'm mailing
        Gary the xdm instructions which will be a part of Xkernel
        v2.0 which will come out ``any day now'' :-(

        (Xkernel, in case someone does not know, transforms a
        Sun 3/50 (or any Sun) into a superfast X terminal by getting
        rid of the overhead of a normally running system.

        Xkernel instructions are available for anonymous ftp from
        sol.ctr.columbia.edu A slight change is needed for SunOS
        4.1.x (and you should mail me for it if you do not
        get version 2.0)

                                        -Seth Robertson
                                         seth@ctr.columbia.edu
.......................................................................
Brent Chivers McLean, VA bchivers@mitre.org

.......................................................................

The official home of Xkernel is ftp.ctr.columbia.edu in /Xkernel

If I ever get some time I will make Xkernel version 1.5 which would
contain an integrated R5 server with instructions and FAQ about it
(and about a font server)

However, since I am moving my entire department's computers to a new
building starting in December, I wouldn't hold my breath. If you want
to try the experimental R5 server (which I am using, BTW) you can get
it from the above host.

                                        -Seth Robertson
                                         seth@ctr.columbia.edu

----------

Subject: Sun 3/50 as Xterminal by editing /etc/ttytab

[jdd@cdf.toronto.edu]

But you don't really need it. Just replace the "getty" line in /etc/ttytab
for the console with one that invokes the X server.

----------

Subject: Authors description of Xkernel (more like a README file)

Version 1.4

Xkernel turns a Sun computer into an Xterminal. Currently, the only
machine you might want to do this with is a Sun 3/50, but any computer
should receive a signifigant speedup.

The 3/50 as an Xterminal has many advantages:

1) It is blindingly fast. Quantitative measurements are not available
   since the Sun clock is so bad that both before and after the Sun
   was able to respond within the clock granularity. However,
   qualitativly, on display instensive programs like xmaze and xtank,
   a 3/50 running Xkernel was able to outperform a diskfull 4/60 when
   the job was running from the same machine. The entire power of the
   MC68020 is devoted to only running Xsun and doing kernel
   operations. None of the normal overhead present with SunOS is
   around.

2) It saves lots of space. You only need a total of 1.7 MB (plus the
   X11 font files that you would need for normal X11 operation) for
   **ANY** number of machines running the Xkernel. Compaired to >> 20 MB
   per normal diskless 3/50s...

WHAT DO I DO?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After you have the software, read README, README.also, THEORY, and FAQ.
Then follow the instructions in INSTALL.

RESTRICTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~

All normal xterminal restrictions apply.

In case you hadn't figured it out, the computer can do NOTHING except
run the X server process.

COPYRIGHT
~~~~~~~~~

Xkernel is Copyright (c) 1991 by Seth Robertson. All rights are
           reserved.

route.c is Copyright (c) 1983 Regents of the University of California.
           All rights reserved.

XDM.INSTRUCTIONS is Copyright (c) 1991 by Frank Peters. All
                    rights reserved.

See COPYRIGHT for more details.

AUTHORS
~~~~~~~

Seth Robertson, seth@ctr.columbia.edu
Mark Shoulson, shoulson@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu

AVAILABILITY
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xkernel is available for anonymous ftp from ftp.ctr.columbia.edu
[128.59.64.40] in /Xkernel/Xkernel.shar (/Xkernel is a symlink to the
latest version of Xkernel)

CHANGES
~~~~~~~

Changes from version 1.0:

        Xlogin replaced with Xdm instructions (thanks to fwp1@Ra.MsState.Edu)
        init replaced with a shell script (suggestion from der Mouse)
        route.c source included by request for people who want to route
        Xsun in a separate file to save space.
        SunOS 4.1 fix (/etc/protocols)
        Documentation cleaned up.

Changes from version 1.2:

        Access control disabling done right
        console i/o redirection fixed (thanks to scott@poincare.geom.umn.edu)
        Documentation cleaned up more
        init cleaned up and tested
        FAQ generated
        Kernel messages to /dev/console turned off (See FAQ)

Changes from version 1.3:

        Xdm and XDMCP explained, hopefully correctly.
        Random documentation changes.

If you already have a working version of Xkernel, you do not need to
install this new version unless you really want to. The only real
improvement is Xlogin being replaced with XDM and being able to turn
off console messages.

Version 1.4

WHAT THIS IS NOT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do not confuse this with x-kernel, the public domain(?) protocol
testing kernel available from cs.arizona.edu

WHY DID I DO THIS?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As computers get faster and bigger, so do applications. The question
then is what do you do with the equipment you have already purchased
but is now outdated? A good example of this is the Sun 3/50. A
fairly minimal SunOS kernel and runtime configuration, requires 5 MB
of memory. Since the 3/50 is limited to 4 MB (without expensive
modifications by 3rd party vendors to allow SIMMS) one can easily see
that a problem exists. Anyone who has tried to do work on a 3/50 can
easily attest to how slow it gets, especially when you try to run
memory hogs like emacs, Sunview, X11, or Frame Maker.

So what's the solution? Well, as you might have guessed, I think one
might be Xkernel.

FOR LAZY PEOPLE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you are feeling lazy and trustful, you can ftp
/Xkernel/4LAZY.sun3.tar.Z or /Xkernel/4LAZY.sun2.tar.Z
from sol.ctr.columbia.edu. This contains the complete
/export/root/Xkernel directory will precompiled vmunix, route, and
Xsun binaries. You will still need to modify the appropriate files
(such as hosts, fstab, etc...) though

(The sun 2 (and possibly other) versions will appear whenever I find
someone on the Internet with a working Sun 2 who can give me the
compiled versions vmunix, route, and Xsun)

THANKS
~~~~~~

Thanks go to:

Maria Barnum <barnum@pluto.crd.ge.com>
Frank Peters <fwp1@Ra.MsState.Edu>
Jean Huens <jean@cs.kuleuven.ac.be>
der Mouse <mouse@larry.mcrcim.mcgill.edu>
Scott S. Bertilson <scott@poincare.geom.umn.edu>

and to my other Beta testers and anyone else I forgot. (If I forgot
you, drop me a line)

----------

Subject: Alastair Young: SUMMARY: xkernel by email + NOTES

Thanks to all those who replied, particularly those who offered to email
me a copy. I eventually gave up trying to get a copy from an info-server
and
accepted a copy from cc@dcs.ed.ac.uk. Thank you Chris. Unfortunately I
went and deleted the shar file after unpacking it and the resultant stuff
has since been munged around by our local Xpert so as to be unforwardable
in
any meaningful way by me. anon ftp access instructions are in the faq.

Xkernel turns your Sun 3 into an Xterminal by doing the following:

Strip the kernel right down and strip all the unnecessary stuff from the
running system.

Replace init with a bourne script which sets up minimal devices and runs
a statically linked Xsun.

Create the swap file with mkfile -n. SunOS only uses the swapfile when it
tries to swap. xkernelling the sun keeps it skinned down enough that it
never does, thus root and swap can be mounted ro by any number of machines.

Run xdm on the server system.

The best contact for any and all info on this nifty configuration is

Seth Robertson <seth@ctr.columbia.edu>

who is the author of Xkernel.

My opinion: It is FAST. My window manager is a bit screwed up, but that is
because our local Xpert has the xdm xresources wrong. Unless you know
a lot about X, prepare to learn if you use this software. It isn't quite
plug and play. It IS worth the effort.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alastair Young Systems Supervisor (SMTS) _ _ Ariel NH
European CAD Developments Limited aka EuCAD )/___ (_) Red Hunter
EuCAD/Cadence mail: alastair +44-31-225-3434 __/(___)_*##/c "Aspencade"
 
Full Email Address: alastair@eucad.co.uk / /\\|| \ / \ If in doubt
   
9 Wemyss Place, Edinburgh, Scotland EH3 6DH \__/ ----'\__/~~~ Paint it RED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

----------

Subject: Sun 3/50 vs Xterminal.

[applebau@sunking.aoe.vt.edu]:

  I've recently just converted 3 of my Sun 3/50's into X-Terminals using
  the package described below. It works extremely well. We run them off
  a SGI 340 running the window manager. The REAL beauty is that I get
  people off our underpowered Sun3/280 server. This puts them directly
  on the 4 Processor Iris 340.

                    FROM SUN-MANAGERS REGISTRATION

        You can use Seth Robertson's Xkernel package. This is available
        via anonymous ftp from sol.ctr.columbia.edu (128.59.64.40) in
        /Xkernel. The package describes how to configure a minimal kernel
        that runs the X server and offloads all the clients onto another,
        hopefully more powerful host on the network. This is attractive
        to some sites that have a large investment in sun3 platforms, as
        moving most of the processing off the sun3 cpu makes it tolerable
        to use. The price of a used 3/50 is competitive with low-end X
        Terminals and you get a 19" monitor with an optical mouse. Some
        disadvantages are that 4.1.1 is supposed to be the last SunOS
        release on the sun3 and maintenance costs might be higher for
        sun3 hardware.

----------

Subject: List of contributors to this summary

These people contributed willingly with their combined knowledge:

[kevins@kuma3.japan.sun.com]
[braham@physics.ubc.ca]
[gustavo@davinci.concordia.ca]
[alastair@eucad.co.uk]
[montjoy@babbage.ece.uc.edu]
[andy@autodesk.com]
[hutton@opus.sdsc.edu]
[ken@nynexst.com]
[bchivers@smiley.mitre.org]
[tony@essex.ac.uk]
[wk@ict.fhg.de]
[gdmr@dcs.ed.ac.uk]
[applebau@sunking.aoe.vt.edu]
[seth@ctr.columbia.edu]:
[barbee3@llnl.gov]:
[kevine@vast.unsw.edu.au]:
[gustavo@davinci.concordia.ca]:
[gdmr@dcs.ed.ac.uk]:
[jdd@cdf.toronto.edu]



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