Date: Sat, 15 Mar 1997 14:40:19 -0800 (PST) From: "kevin_eliuk@sunshine.net" <root@sunshine.net> To: FreeBSD-questions <FreeBSD-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Netscape & FreeBSD Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.91.970315134329.172B-100000@kevin.sunshine.net>
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While browsing through the archives I accidently came accross this
correspondence which I had long since resolved until I upgraded to a
newer machine I would be unable to use netscape.
Could this mean what I think it means?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BEGIN ARCHIVE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Date: Sun, 7 Jul 1996 17:57:10 +0200 (MESZ)
From: "Hr.Ladavac" <lada@ws2301.gud.siemens.co.at>
To: flaq@synwork.com (Mike K.)
Cc: questions@freebsd.org
Sender: owner-questions@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: Netscape & FreeBSD
In his e-mail Mike K. wrote:
> On Sun, 7 Jul 1996, Hr.Ladavac wrote:
>
> > In his e-mail Mike K. wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Do you need to be running X in order to use Netscape with FreeBSD ?
> > > > >
> > >
> > > The answer is YES
> >
> > The answer is WRONG :)
> >
> > /Marino
> >
> > P.S. They don't even have to have Xlibs installed as Netscape is
> > statically linked. As to the X server, it need not run on FreeBSD. :)
> >
> >
>
> You mean to tell me that Netscape will work from a command prompt without
> running an Xserver? I haven't seen this done.
Of course it will work. That is the whole idea behind X11 being a
distributed windowing system.
Namely, *all* X11 applications take the display address from the
environment variable named DISPLAY. Also, all Xt applications honor the
-display command line switch.
NB, your DISPLAY variable has to point to some working X11 server, but
that server can be on another planet, as far as X11 is concerned, as
long as some supported transport protocol and channel exists between
the two machines. One of these transports is TCP/IP.
As a matter of fact, a rather typical situation at bigger companies
(e.g. here, at Siemens) is that they have a couple of big multi CPU
unix servers and a whole bunch of X-terminals (an x-terminal is basically
a diskless machine running an X server). One indeed logs into the unix
machine, gets a prompt there, and starts any X11 app which then displays
on his X-terminal (completely different machine.) Naturally, if one
forgets to set the DISPLAY variable, one receives an error message from
the Xlib telling that the Xlib cannot connect to display.
Now, if you have a personal workstation you will normally run the X server
locally, but you do not have to :)
/Marino
P.S. Okay, I admit I was picking a nit. One indeed needs to run the
X server *somewhere* for netscape to work. But the point is that they do
not need to go to the hassle of installing all of X libs and servers to
their machine: they can use any of Xservers for Windows, for instance.
_________________________________________________________________
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www@freebsd.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~END ARCHIVE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is there a possibility (with a coordinated effort of my ISP) of using the
Xlib of my remote host ( don't be at all illusioned that I am sure of
what I am talking about ) as long as I execute netscape after connect.
Even if I have totally interpreted this wrong I thought the previous
correspondence was worth re-posting. I hope tou don't mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kevin G. Eliuk | Ph (604)886-4040
IN THE ELLUSIVE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION | Fax (604)886-4040
| Email kevin_eliuk@sunshine.net
| Snail P.O. Box 67,
| Granthams Landing, B.C.
| Canada V0N 1X0
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** I've read in a signature file that The only thing more dangerous than
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** I believe that until manufacturers stop using Phillips screws and
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circuit boards.
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