NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/fj/maillis/xwindow/17618

Internet Message Format | 1992-11-18 | 7.0 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!stanford.edu!sun-barr!sh.wide!wnoc-tyo-news!scslwide!wsgw!wsservra!daemon
From: [e-mail] (Farrell McKay)
Newsgroups: fj.mail-lists.x-window
Subject: ANNOUNCING Xcb - X cut buffers, version 2.1
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 19 Nov 92 01:24:37 GMT
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Date: 18 Nov 92 08:43:28 GMT
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Archive-name: xcb-2.1
Submitted-by: [e-mail] (Farrell McKay)

This is to announce the fourth release of xcb, an X11 program for
providing easy access to your X server cut buffers.

This release fixes two (all) bugs reported in version 2.0 and provides
a few minor enhancements.  The bug fixes are relevant to everyone
who is already using xcb.  You can obtain xcb in any one of a number
of ways.  See the README file below for full details.

Many thanks go to all those people who took the time to send
back their comments/suggestions/patches after the last release.
Keep that feedback rolling in!

And once again, *be warned*, using this program can be addictive.  :-)

Enjoy.
Farrell.
--
      -m-------  Farrell McKay,                   [e-mail]
    ---mmm-----  Pyramid Technology Aust.,        ...!munnari!ptcburp.oz!fbm
  -----mmmmm---  Research Park, Bond University,  [phone]
-------mmmmmmm-  Gold Coast, Qld 4229, AUSTRALIA  [phone] FAX
----------------------------- README -------------------------------------------

What is xcb?
============
Do you ever wish you could cut two or more separate pieces of text
at once from a window?  Do you ever need to save the output from one
command for reuse in several subsequent tasks?  Do you ever find
yourself wanting some easy means of globally exporting data, e.g.
to a parent shell, to another xterm or application, or to another
machine or user?  If you answer yes to any of these questions, then
xcb is for you.

Xcb provides access to the 8 cut buffers built into every X server.
It allows the buffers to be manipulated either via the command line,
or with the mouse in a point and click manner.  The buffers can be
used as holding pens to store and retrieve arbitrary data fragments,
so up to 8 different pieces of data can be saved and recalled later.
The program is designed primarily for use with textual data.


What is so good about this release?
===================================
Release 2.1 addresses two bugs found since the 2.0 release,
both of which are described in the CHANGES file.  A few minor
enhancements and porting mods have been made to the code also.
This is, in effect, a patch release.


Yes, but has it been ported to WHIZ-IX 12.1A.00x, on SRS-80 27-bit CPUs?
========================================================================
Xcb has been ported to a wide variety of sites and systems.
In no particular order, the machines and operating systems known
to be running xcb include:-

    o  OSx (5.1a)  -  Pyramid MIS-2/02
    o  DC/OSx (1.0)  -  Pyramid MIServer-S 1/32 r3000
    o  AT&T SYSV (SVR3.2, SVR4)  -  i386, DG Aviion 5200
    o  HP-UX (lots of versions)  -  HP 9000/710,720,730,750
    o  SunOS (4.1)  -  Sun3, Sun4, Solbourne Series5, SPARCstations
    o  SPARC/OS (1.1)
    o  Irix (4.0)  -  SGI
    o  ULTRIX (4.2)  -  DECstations
    o  UNICOS (6.1)  -  Cray Y-MP
    o  ConvexOS (10.0.2)  -  Convex 3100
    o  DYNIX (V3.0.17.10)  -  Sequent Symmetry S81
    o  AIX (3.2)  -  RS6000
    o  RISC/os (4.52)  -  MIPS
    o  Domain/OS (10.4)  -  Apollo DN3000, 3500, 4500, 5500
    o  Linux (0.96b)  -  i386
    o  VMS (5.5)


Xcb has been written to compile using both ANSI and non-ANSI compilers.
It is in use in X11 R3, R4 and R5 environments.  The current version
is built on top of the Athena widgets (libXaw.a) and the X Toolkit library
(libXt.a).  If you do not have the Athena widgets on your machine, and
you do not wish to install them, then you may want to revert to version
1.1 of xcb.  Version 1.1 has a smaller feature set, but is based only
the X11 library (libX11.a), so is more portable.


Ok, where is it available?
==========================
Versions of xcb can be obtained.....

    o  from the comp.sources.misc newsgroup, or any of its archive sites.
    o  by ftp, from export.lcs.mit.edu in the file contrib/xcb-2.1.tar.Z,
    o  by ftp, from any of the sites that mirror export.lcs.mit.edu
       (Australian users look for ./X11/contrib/xcb-2.1.tar.Z on archie.au).
    o  by sending me an email message.


So, it will compile, will it?
=============================
Yes!  The only compile time switch in the source is -DXVIEW.  If you
wish to cut and paste text between xcb and XView applications, you
should add this switch to the Imakefile or Makefile.std.

AT&T SVR4 sites need libnsl.a during linking.  If you are using
SVR4, and you don't like Imakefiles, you will need to add -lnsl to the
LIBS in Makefile.std.

HP-UX users may find that the Athena widgets are not installed on their
machine, even though the components are freely available as part of the
MIT X11 distribution.  There is an HP maintained, but unsupported, set
of X11R4 libraries and utilities (including the Athena widgets) for the
HP 9000 Series 300, 400, 700, and 800.  You can get the libraries,
include files, and config files (imake) via anonymous FTP from
hpcvaaz.cv.hp.com (15.255.72.15) - look for pub/MitX11R4/libs.s*00.tar.Z

AIX 3.2 users may find their Athena components are installed in a
non-standard place.  Check the directory /usr/lpp/X11/Xamples/lib/Xaw.

VMS and ULTRIX users may find their Athena components are installed in
a non-standard place too.  Check the directory /usr/include/mit for the
Athena include files.


And how do I set the thing up?
==============================
That is pretty easy too.  Once you have compiled the program,
you can start using it straight away - just put it in your favourite
bin directory.  The program contains fallback resources so that it will
behave itself even if there are no X resource specifications for it to
feed on.  To install the program, plus its application defaults file, and
the man page, simply type 'make install install.man', after checking
the target directories for the install in the Imakefile/Makefile.std.


Who is to blame?  Where do I send complaints?
=============================================
Blame me.  The xcb factory is in the sunny Gold Coast region of
Queensland, Australia.  Don't bother trying to find us - even
the postman has trouble getting here sometimes.

If you ever get around to compiling and installing xcb on your machine,
please tell me.  I am interested in tracking the size of xcb's user base.
I am also interested in bug reports, porting problems, comments,
suggestions, patches, etc. etc.  If typing a mail message seems like
too much bother to you, then just run the "ack" script enclosed.  It
will do all the work for you.

Enjoy.
Farrell McKay ([e-mail])
November 1992