[Info-vax] Mapping a PC screen to DECWindows

[H Vlems]

On 20 jan, 08:00, Wilm Boerhout <w6.boerh... at planet.nl> wrote:
> DTL vaguely mentioned on 20-1-2009 7:41:
>
>
>
> > Hi there, Happy Obamaers,
>
> > I run Personal Alpha emulator on a PC, running OpenVMS 7.2 (the Alpha,
> > not the PC)
>
> > VMS TCTIP is 192.168.1.200
> > PC is 192.168.1.11
> > Emulator Interface is set to shared.
>
> > Everything works fine, thanks to all of you.
>
> > But one thing, I do not "remember" how to map my screen to DECwindows.
>
> > I started DECwindows
> > I did a $ set display/create/transport=tcpip/node=192.168.1.11
> > then when I start say Mozilla, it sez
>
> > Starting mozilla-bin...
>
> > Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display: _WSA0:
>
> > I do not remember  if I should run an X11 program on the PC.
> > Thanks for your help. I'll write the HOWTO later.
>
> Didier,
>
> You need to run an X11 display server on your PC (Windows doesn't
> include one, although something like Ünix Extensions for Windows [?] may
> be downloaded from Msoft for some Windows versions). If you have access
> to Pathworks xCursion, that's fine. Xming or any other open source X11
> server will do as well.
>
> /Wilm

Didier, Wilm,
the toolkit from Microsoft is called Support For Unix (SFU). The most
recent version is V3.5. This version runs on XP and W2k.
I have no idea whether it works with Vista.
A very good alternative is Reflection X, distributed by Attachmate
(used to be WRQ). Excellent product but costs serious money.
Ebay sometimes offers real bargains, might be useful.

The problem Didier encountered is elegantly solved by Reflection X.
You can start the Xserver on the pc, but that does not start an
application on the remote system (the X client in thee awkward,
counter intuitive X terminology). If you run SFU then you need to
login to the Xclient via a standard VT100 terminal emulator. The
telnet command in XP's cmd is sufficient. Next you have to enter (and
remember) the SET DISP/CREATE/TRANSPORT=.../HOST=... and CRE/TER/DET
commands.
The disadvantage is that you've got to know network details of your
own workstation.
ReflectionX supports XCMP broadcasts. This means that once the Xserver
is running it presents you with a list of Xclients available on your
network.
Select one and you get the same logon screen as shown on a VAX or
Alpha console.

There used to be an X server kit in PCSA/Pathworks. I forgot its name
and have never used it. Perhaps it is now part of the VMS Freeware
kit?

Hans