Compaq DECwindows Motif
for OpenVMS
Release Notes


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3.5 DECterm

This section contains information about DECterm system management issues.

3.5.1 Changes and Enhancements

The following notes describe changes and enhancements that effect the management of the DECterm application.

3.5.1.1 Supported DECterm Logical Names

V1.1

Table 3-5 describes the logical names that are supported by DECterm. If you do not define these logical names in your LOGIN.COM file, the controller uses the default files.

Table 3-5 Logical Names Supported by DECterm
Logical Name Description
DECTERM_DIAG Enables diagnostic messages.
DECTERM_SHOW_PARSING Shows characters as they are parsed.
DECTERM_CHECK_MEMORY Enables strict memory checking.
FAKE_VM_REAL_FREE_OFF Must be set to 1 if DECTERM_CHECK_MEMORY is defined.
+DECW$DECTERM_ERROR Name of error log file; default is DECTERM_ERROR.LOG.
DECW$DECTERM_OUTPUT Name of diagnostic output file; default is SYS$OUTPUT.
DECW$DECTERM_REGIS_CURSOR Specifies which cursor to use for ReGIS.
DECW$TERMINAL_NODENAME Node name used by controller if it cannot find another name.
DECW$DECTERM_CTRL_SSRWAIT Sets the SSRWAIT flag for the controller.
DECW$DECTERM_CTRL_PSWAPM Sets the PSWAPM quota for the controller.
DECW$DECTERM_CTRL_WSEXTENT Sets the WSEXTENT quota for the controller.
DECW$DECTERM_CTRL_WSQUOTA Sets the WSQUOTA quota for the controller.
DECW$DECTERM_DISABLE_QUOTA_CHECKING Turns off quota checking.
DECW$DECTERM_MEM_DIAG Shows controller quota calculations.


+VAX specific

3.5.1.2 Automatic Window Positioning

V1.1

A resource has been defined to manage repositioning a DECterm window when a resize operation forces part of the window off the screen. If a DECterm window is enlarged by using the Options/Window dialog box or by entering a SET TERMINAL/PAGE=nn or SET TERMINAL/WIDTH=nn command, the controller moves the newly resized DECterm window so that it can be viewed in its entirety. If you prefer DECterm not to move, add the following line to your DECW$TERMINAL_DEFAULT.DAT file:


DECW$TERMINAL.main.terminal.autoAdjustPosition: off 

3.5.1.3 Improving Hold Screen Response Time

V1.1

If the hold screen key response time is too slow, add the following lines to your DECW$TERMINAL_DEFAULT.DAT file:


DECW$TERMINAL.main.terminal.syncFrequency: 1 
DECW$TERMINAL.main.terminal.batchScrollCount: 1 

Using this resource can affect the performance of the DECterm window. The actual impact on performance varies from site to site. You can trade off scrolling speed to hold-screen response time. A faster hold-screen response results in a slower scrolling speed. The default values for these resources are 10 and 0, respectively.

3.5.1.4 Using the Debugger

V1.0

To redirect the output from the debugger to a DECterm window, enter the following command:


$ CREATE/TERMINAL/NOPROCESS/DEFINE=xxx

This command creates a DECterm without an associated process but with a logical name of xxx that points to the terminal. This procedure enables you to direct output to a DECterm window other than the window where the application is currently running. To redirect the output, enter the following commands:


$ DEFINE /USER DBG$INPUT xxx:
$ DEFINE /USER DBG$OUTPUT xxx:
$ RUN /DEBUG application.EXE

3.5.1.5 Virtual Terminal Support

V1.0

To create a process that uses a virtual terminal, enter the following command:


$ CREATE/TERMINAL/NOPROCESS 

Then establish focus to the newly created DECterm, press Return, and log in. Note that the /DEFINE qualifier is not required.

3.5.2 Problems and Restrictions

The following notes describe known problems and restrictions that currently effect the management of the DECterm application.

3.5.2.1 DECterm Window Shrinking Problem

V1.2--5

If the XUI window manager is in use, "Auto Resize Terminal" is on, and you used the mouse to resize the DECterm window, the DECterm window shrinks. To workaround this problem, add the following line to the DECterm resource file DECW$TERMINAL_DEFAULT.DAT:


DECW$TERMINAL.main.terminal.useWMHints: false 

If you make this change, be aware that the window manager will report the size of the DECterm window in pixels rather than character cells. Also, if you maximize a DECterm window, it might not properly restore to its previous size. However, it will no longer shrink.

3.6 Session Manager and FileView

This section describes important considerations related to the Session Manager and FileView applications.

3.6.1 Changes and Enhancements

The following notes describe changes and enhancements that effect the management of the Session Manager and FileView applications.

3.6.1.1 Implications of the Message, "System Menu Bar: Pseudo Mouse Not Available"

V1.2--3

"System Menu Bar: Pseudo Mouse not available" is an informational message that is included in the user's DECW$USER_DEFAULTS:DECW$SM.LOG file when you run a session. It is not an error message. The message occurs when the OpenVMS Session Manager is run remotely to a non-OpenVMS server. The OpenVMS server provides pseudomouse mode, a mode that allows you to use arrow keys to move the mouse cursor.

3.6.1.2 Detached Processes Created by Default

V1.1

Applications created by FileView and Session Manager are detached processes.

The implication is that during application startup, SYS$MANAGER:SYLOGIN.COM and SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.COM command procedures are executed. Any command executed by these command procedures which reads from SYS$INPUT reads data intended to be used by FileView or Session Manager for the application startup. This prevents the application from starting. Examples of such commands are INQUIRE, READ/PROMPT, and SET TERMINAL/INQUIRE.

Extensive SYLOGIN.COM or LOGIN.COM command procedures slow down application startup. Many of the operations performed in a SYLOGIN.COM or LOGIN.COM are meaningless for DECwindows application startup. Therefore, the SYLOGIN.COM and LOGIN.COM files should be conditionalized for DECwindows application startup performance. When starting a DECwindows application, only a minimum of SYLOGIN.COM and LOGIN.COM commands should be executed. Typically, the commands that should be executed are the redefinition of DECW$USER_DEFAULTS (if present), and other logical name definitions if the user will be referencing them from within the context of a DECwindows application. The following code segment can be inserted into SYLOGIN.COM and LOGIN.COM immediately following the commands necessary for DECwindows:


$ mode = f$mode() 
$ tt_devname = f$trnlnm("TT") 
$ session_mgr_login = (mode .eqs. "INTERACTIVE") .and.  - 
      (f$locate("WSA",tt_devname) .ne. f$len(tt_devname)) 
$ session_detached_process = (mode .eqs. "INTERACTIVE") .and. - 
      (f$locate("MBA",tt_devname) .ne. f$len(tt_devname)) 
$ if session_mgr_login .or. session_detached_process then exit 

Applications continue to run even if these lines are not added to the SYLOGIN.COM and LOGIN.COM files.

3.6.2 Problems and Restrictions

The following notes describe known problems and restrictions that currently effect the management of the Session Manager application.

3.6.2.1 DTSESSION Logging Problem (New Desktop Only)

V1.2--5

In some cases, DTSESSION continues to log errors to its log file until all free disk space is filled. These errors could occur, for example, if DECW$DISPLAY is set to an incorrect value, or if CDE$SYSTEM_DEFAULTS:[BIN]DTSCREEN.EXE is not properly installed.

If the New Desktop's Session Manager (DTSESSION) is unable to start the Screen Saver (DTSCREEN), it logs an error to the log file device:[user.DT]ERRORLOG. DTSESSION logs this error at a user-settable interval controlled by the Style Manager's "Time Per Background" parameter.

To workaround this problem, increase the "Time Per Background" parameter to the maximum (120 minutes), or exit the New Desktop when you are done with it, rather than locking the screen.

3.7 Window Manager

This section contains information about Window Manager system management issues.

3.7.1 Changes and Enhancements

The following notes describe changes and enhancements that effect the management of the DECwindows Motif Window Manager application.

3.7.1.1 Overlay Support

V1.2--3

The latest version of the Window Manager (MWM) is modified to support overlays and utilize additional planes of memory, which are available on some 3D graphics accelerators. The Window Manager places borders and banners for all the windows into these extra planes of memory and thereby reduces the number of expose events for your applications that use overlays.

You may need to modify your existing applications that use overlays to avoid potential problems with the colormap. Compaq recommends that you set up your system to share the overlay colormap with the Window Manager, as the hardware supports only one colormap for the overlay planes.

See the associated documentation for your 3D graphic accelerator to determine if overlays are supported.

Setting Up the Overlay Colormap

To modify your applications to share the overlay colormap with the Window Manager, query the server property name SERVER_OVERLAY_COLORMAPS. When you make the query, the server returns the 32-bit value for the overlay Colormap ID.

To set up your system to share the overlay colormap with the Window Manager, edit the files SYS$COMMON:[VUE$LIBRARY.SYSTEM]VUE$MWM.COM and SYS$COMMON:[SYSMGR]DECW$MWM.COM. Change the following line in each file:


 $ mwm -multiscreen 

Edit this line by adding the -Overlay command-line option as follows:


 $ mwm -multiscreen "-Overlay" 

Note that if you create and install your own colormap, the following problems can result:

Restrictions

The following restrictions apply when you enable the Window Manager to use overlays:


Chapter 4
Programmer Release Notes

This chapter contains programmer release notes.

4.1 OSF/Motif Toolkit Support

V1.2--6

The Compaq DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS, Version 1.2--6 release is based on the CDE Motif 1.0 Toolkit (OSF/Motif Release 1.2.5) and X11 Release 5.

V1.2--5

The DECwindows Motif Version 1.2--5 for OpenVMS release is based on the CDE Motif 1.0 Toolkit (OSF/Motif Release 1.2.5) and X11 Release 5.

V1.2--4

The DECwindows Motif Version 1.2--4 for OpenVMS release was based on the CDE Motif 1.0 Toolkit (OSF/Motif Release 1.2.5) and X11 Release 5.

V1.2--3

The DECwindows Motif Version 1.2--3 for OpenVMS release was based on the OSF/Motif Release 1.2.3 Toolkit (with extensions for the Common Desktop Environment (CDE)) and X11 Release 5 (R5).

V1.2

The DECwindows Motif Version 1.2 for OpenVMS release was based on the OSF/Motif Release 1.2.2 Toolkit and MIT X11 Release 5 (R5).

V1.1

The DECwindows Motif Version 1.1 for OpenVMS release was based on the OSF/Motif Release 1.1.3 Toolkit and MIT X11 Release 4 (R4).

V1.0

The DECwindows Motif Version 1.0 for OpenVMS release was based on the OSF/Motif Release 1.1.1 Toolkit and MIT X11 Release 4 (R4).

Note that although DECwindows Motif Version 1.1 applications will continue to run without modification with current version of DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS, only those applications that have been built against the OSF/Motif Release 1.2.2 Toolkit can take advantage of Version 1.2 features, such as drag-and-drop functionality and tear-off menus.

See Appendix B additional information related to the OSF/Motif Toolkit.

4.2 Run-Time and Programming Environment Support

V1.2--4

The following run-time and programming environments are provided with the Compaq DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS software:

4.2.1 Changes and Enhancements

The following notes describe changes and enhancements related to the DECwindows Motif development environment.

4.2.1.1 Available Language Bindings

V1.2--3

Fortran, Pascal, C, and C++ language bindings are provided to support software development for the following DECwindows components:

4.2.1.2 Running Translated Images on OpenVMS Systems

V1.2--3

In versions of OpenVMS Alpha systems prior to Version 1.5, translation support was provided to address the following problems for users who migrated to OpenVMS Alpha systems:

For programming languages whose OpenVMS VAX versions are currently under development, native Alpha versions are available in the OpenVMS Alpha Version 6.1 operating system. The translated-image environment is maintained to support language features that are available as of the VMS Version 5.5--2 release.

Similarly, translation is supported for images whose use of system services and run-time library entry points is restricted to those images that existed on the VMS Version 5.5--2 operating system.

If you have installed layered products on your system since the VMS Version 5.5--2 release, you may need to make additional changes if you rebuild an image to support translation. For instance, for applications that are included with Compaq DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS VAX software, you must build images with the OSF Motif Release 1.1.3 library or the DECwindows XUI library, instead of with the OSF Motif Release 1.2.3 library.

The Compaq DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS, Version 1.2--6 release includes the same translated-image support file that was provided with the DECwindows Motif Version 1.2 for OpenVMS Alpha release.

DECwindows Motif Version 1.2 for OpenVMS Alpha includes support for DECwindows Motif Version 1.1 for OpenVMS VAX images on an OpenVMS Alpha system.

V1.2

The DECwindows Motif Version 1.2 for OpenVMS Alpha release does not include support for running translated DECwindows Motif Version 1.2 for OpenVMS VAX images on OpenVMS Alpha systems.

If you want to run an application against DECwindows Motif Version 1.2 shareable images on an OpenVMS Alpha system, build it (compile and link) on an OpenVMS Alpha system. You cannot obtain a Version 1.2 translated image by building your application against the DECwindows Motif Version 1.2 shareable images on an OpenVMS VAX system, copying the resulting image file to an OpenVMS Alpha system, and translating it (using DECmigrate).

If you cannot build your application on an OpenVMS Alpha system and need to obtain a translated image with DECmigrate, you should continue to build your application against the OSF/Motif Release 1.1.3 programming environment provided in the DECwindows Motif Version 1.1 for OpenVMS VAX product. (Note that you are given the option to save your OSF/Motif Release 1.1.3 programming environment when you upgrade to DECwindows Motif Version 1.2 for OpenVMS VAX.) VAX images built against the OSF/Motif Release 1.1.3 programming environment can be copied to an OpenVMS Alpha system, translated, and executed successfully.

You can install translated-image support during the DECwindows Motif installation procedure. See the DECwindows Motif Version 1.2--4 for OpenVMS Installation Guide for instructions.

The OSF/Motif Release 1.1.3 shareable images that are used with translated images are different from and incompatible with the shareable images used for native images. As a result, the following image restrictions apply:

For more information on translated-image support, see the DECmigrate for OpenVMS AXP Systems Translating Images guide.

4.2.2 Problems and Restrictions

The following notes describe problems and restrictions that currently exist in the DECwindows Motif development environment.

4.2.2.1 Support for Display PostScript Removed

V1.2--6

Starting August 1, 1998, Compaq discontinued its support for the Display PostScript software licensed by Adobe Systems Incorporated. Compaq took this action because Adobe ended their former ongoing support of Display PostScript.

Due to this decision, Compaq is contractually obligated to remove all Display PostScript capability from the DECwindows Motif software. This includes all related translated-image support and any functionality described in the following programming reference manuals:

Currently, there is no workaround. See the following sections for more information on the potential impact to applications in the DECwindows Motif environment.

4.2.2.1.1 Impact on DECwindows Motif Applications

Removing Display PostScript from DECwindows Motif impacts any application that relies on its capabilities to present and display graphics and documents in PostScript format.

Unfortunately, this includes not only those applications developed by Compaq, such as the CDA Viewer, but also any third-party, user-written, or translated VAX applications that depend on one or more of the following files and libraries. These items are no longer a part the product kit and are removed from your system when upgrading from a previous version of DECwindows Motif client software.

The actual effect of removing Display PostScript depends on the extent to which it was implemented in the application. Applications that call the PSWRAP command, may fail only at the point where the command is invoked. However, applications that link against one or more of the XDPS libraries or TIS images will fail to function entirely due to unresolved links at run time.

As a result, you may need to modify those portions of DECwindows Motif applications that rely on these files to run successfully in the Compaq DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS, Version 1.2--6 environment.


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