MIT Gets X Window Running on NeXT Computer
 
Microbytes Daily News Service
Copyright (c) 1989, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
While the rest of the Unix world has moved toward X Window as the
windowing system for workstations and applications, the NeXT
Computer uses a proprietary windowing system. Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (Cambridge), however, which developed and
distributes X Window, has come up with a version of X that runs
on the NeXT cube. After buying a number of NeXT machines, MIT
wanted to integrate them into its Athena computing environment,
which includes X Window.
 
The X port to the NeXT allows the user to create a NeXTStep
window on the screen, which is equivalent to an X device,
according to NeXT Inc.'s Barry Silverman, who worked with MIT on
the X Window port. This means that any application that adheres
to X11 calls can run within this window on the NeXT.
 
Initially, the port supports X11 Release 3, and will eventually
support Release 4. MIT will make the X Window port for the NeXT
publicly available on tape later this year. Eventually, MIT will
support other elements of the Athena environment on the NeXT
Computer, such as the Kerbros authentication server, and the
Hesiod names service. MIT will monitor bug reports and make
changes to the code as necessary.
 
NeXT has no plans to support MIT's port of X to the NeXT
Computer, according to Silverman. The project was primarily for
MIT's internal use, but as is customary, MIT releases its
programs for public use.
 
Contact: MIT News Office, Room 5-111, 77 Massachusetts Ave,
Cambridge, MA 02139; (617) 253-2700.
 
                              --- Nick Baran
 
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