Color alternatives on Symbolics

[barmar@Think.COM (Barry Margolin)]

    Date: Sun, 10 Mar 91 10:31 CST
    From: lgm@iexist.att.com

    My application, however, cannot assume the presence of any non-Symbolics
    host; so I would like the Symbolics to host the X terminal itself,
    without outside assistance.

    Ironically, Symbolics does offer an X server (an X11R4 port, I believe)
						     ^^^^^
						     X11R3, actually
    for the Genera console, attached to Select-Square.  Perhaps this server
    software could be adapted for simple remote X-terminal use?

They supply an X server, but *not* an X window manager.  While X can be
used without a window manager, it's not a pleasant thought.  In X, the
window manager provides a user interface to the functionality that
crosses application boundaries, such as moving and resizing windows.
Think about what the Lispm would be like without the Select or Function
keys or System Menu, and that's what an X server without a window
manager running is like (only worse, since there's no nice (send
*terminal-io* :bury) command, either).

If you must be able to run in a Symbolics-only environment, then I think
you're going to have to implement a window manager in Lisp.  You might
want to look at GWM.  It's not written in Lisp, but it uses a Lisp
extension language, and that might be helpful in designing the
structure.

                                                barmar