From: jkrage@wam.umd.edu (F. Joshua Krage)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: X-WINDOWS??? Consider _eXodus_...
Summary: eXodus is great!
Keywords: mac, X, window, exodus
Date: 30 Sep 92 04:16:44 GMT
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.mac.misc
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park

In article <BvCyns.F1w@cs.dal.ca> franklin@ug.cs.dal.ca (Steve Franklin) writes:
>Well, I received an overwhelming amount of mail asking about eXodus and their
>X-window software. I'm afraid for the sake of time I will have to post
>any interesting information. Reject it as a commercial supplement if you
>like, but realize that I have no connections to White Pine Software,
>and am relatively new with their software. I apologize if someone feels I'm
>not appropriate to be giving a brief summary.
>
>   With that in mind, carry on!
>eXodus
>White Pine Software:
>40 Simon Street, Suite 201
>Nashua, NH 03060-3043
>
>Production Department - 603-886-9050
>
>Advantages:
>
>Remarkably fast x-window emulation
>simplicity
>fully customizable
>seamless compatibility with all software I have found a need for yet:
>     (GRASS, xview, CARIS, CorelDraw, and of course: NetTrek 8)  )
>rexec, and rsh format for issuing x-client requests
>Many different protocol formats (tcp,decnet,adsp)
>Fantastic manual
>FTP capabilities! (bye bye fetch,ncsa telnet) - needs mactcp
>Has two programs - presumably for II series machines, and one for
>   "lesser macs". Increase speed and efficiency by using version for
>   II series machines.
>Simple to install, and quick to get up and running.
>Key mapping is easy and reliable
>
>disadvantages:
>Maybe you already bought another x-window package?
>
>Can't think of any disadvantages. Honest, I'm not related to them 
>in any way. I'm just excited that software that Apple told me would not
>run, is now working! After being told CARIS would not run, it did. After
>having GRASS not run, it now does on eXodus. Maybe you would be less 
>emphatic about this, but this means alot of saved time.
>
      ...deleted...

The company I work for recently purchased eXodus for connection to our
AIX workstation.  Having installed and used it myself, I can add my voice
to the chorus of praises for eXodus.  Installation (not counting hardware
and MacTCP) took about 20 min. which could have been cut in half if I had
completely read the section on configuring clients.  After an initial few
seconds for our client to appear, the interface is speedy.  You can set
the number of Xevents to queue up before updating, which can be an
advantage if your screen doesn't need much updating.

HOWEVER, we did have one serious problem.  We're connecting to an IBM RS/6000
running AIX 3.2, using aixterms for our terminals. (aixterms are, for the
most part, enhanced xterms, with some twists)  aixterm (unlike xterm), expects
a Delete key code (255) as opposed to a ^H (8) which is standard.  Standard
tricks like stty didn't help, and we're not about to change our terminal
settings across the entire system, and have to change every terminal.  
Although eXodus comes with three keymaps (DEC, Mac, and custom), all map the
backspace key to ASCII 8.  Unfortunately, unless you're willing to violate
the licensing agreement, there is no solution.  However, those handy with 
ResEdit can create their own solution by reversing some keycodes.

Other than that, we have been happy with eXodus.  Ah yes, don't forget to
add any strange fonts to your alias list.  AIX is full of those.

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jkrage@wam.umd.edu

.sig? I can't afford one!!! I'm just a student! ;)
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Xref: sparky comp.sys.mac:358 comp.sys.mac.misc:17392