Programmer Holger Veit has just updated Xfree86 for OS/2 to Version 3.3.3. To jump Holger
Veit website simple click the logo above. XFree86
is a port of X11R6.3 that supports several versions of Intel-based Unix. It is
derived from X386 1.2, which was the X server distributed with X11R5.
Introductory Note About the Release 3.3.3
by Holger Veit
This version of the code is called XFree86/OS2 3.3.3. This
is a bugfix release for 3.3 and later which also adds hardware support for some
newer cards (including AGP boards). XFree86-3.3.3 contains all security fixes that
were released for earlier versions.
XFree86/OS2-3.3.3 is a full, unrestricted version which does not expire, and for
which the complete source code is available. In contrast to beta versions, we consider
this code as sufficiently stable for use by an end user. Since there have been numerous
bugfixes, we recommend this version, even if you had XFree86/OS2 3.3 before and
it worked satisfyingly with your hardware. By the time 3.3.3 is released, the older
version 3.3 will be withdrawn, and archives will be updated to this version. There
may still be references to 3.3 still in documents; these apply to 3.3.3 as well,
unless otherwise noted.
Previous versions have been tested in a large number of configurations and have
been found to be working, with some bugs left, rather flawlessly.
This release is almost complete (with a few exceptions) regarding the X11R6.3 ``core''
distribution. A subset of the ``contrib'' distribution is available from the ported
software page http://set.gmd.de/~veit/os2/xf86ported.html
In the past beta testing, it has been found that the software itself is rather
stable and does not damage hardware - provided the user does not try to push the
builtin limits and change certain configuration parameters which could operate the
video hardware out of specs.
However, even with a code we consider stable there is no explicit or implicit warranty
that certain code works correctly or works at all although no damage reports are
known, it does not mean that it is impossible to damage hardware with this code;
some deeply hidden bugs may still be present in the software. It is recommended
that you backup essential data of your system before installing this software, but
this should be your general precautions before ANY installation. No reports exist
that a crashing X server itself actively destroys or modifies data, but it is possible
in rare cases that the system is left in an unusable state (video display mode garbled
or system unresponsive, not reacting to mouse or keyboard actions). If you then
hard reset or switch off the system, file caches of the operating system might not
be written correctly back to disk, thus causing data loss.
What and Where is XFree86?
XFree86 is a port of X11R6.3 that supports several versions
of Intel-based Unix. It is derived from X386 1.2, which was the X server distributed
with X11R5. This release consists of many new features and performance improvements
as well as many bug fixes. The release is available as source patches against the
X Consortium X11R6 code, as well as binary distributions for many architectures.
XFree86/OS2 is the name of the implementation of XFree86 on OS/2 based systems.
See the Copyright Notice.
Generally, you find source and binary code at ftp.xfree86.org
The XFree86/OS2 home page will usually show more references to FTP or WWW sites
to retrieve sources or binaries.
Other versions:
XFree86/OS2 will run on all dialects of Warp 3, including Warp "red spine
box", Warp "blue spine box", Warp Connect, Warp Server, and Warp
4.
For Warp 3 installing fixpack level 17 or later is strongly recommended. There
have been a few reports that the installation of FP26 causes XFree86 no longer to
work, but I am not sure about a real reason. Current fixpacks for Warp 3, like FP36,
seem to work well also.
Warp 4 may be used with or without the recent public fixpack.
Please check in all cases a LATEST.OS2 file.
OS/2 2.11 is not supported any longer with this release, due to lack of a working
test environment. Consequently, OS/2 SMP 2.11 is not supported either. Warp Server
SMP is supported, but SMP does not give significant advantage, other than the general
speedup because of multiple processors working. OS/2 versions 1.X are definitely
not supported and will never be.
It is possible to build XFree86/OS2 from the sources. Read about this in the document
OS2.NOTES.
Hardware and Software Requirements
1 Supported, Required, and Recommended Hardware
At least a 486DX33 with 16MB RAM is required. A Pentium or Pentium Pro and more
main memory is recommended. A 386 or a system with 8MB or less memory is an insufficient
configuration.
There are no specific requirements concerning network cards, disk types, or CD
ROM equipment; of course the more powerful, the better.
Depending on the packages installed, a disk space of 20-55MB on a HPFS formatted
partition (or a NFS or ext2fs partition natively allowing long filenames) is required.
XFree86/OS2 will not run on FAT partitions.
You need a video card that is supported by XFree86. Refer to the general README
document for a list of supported cards. Note that the sets of video cards supported
by XFree86 on one hand and OS/2 on the other hand overlap, but do not match exactly,
i.e. the fact that your card is supported by OS/2 does not mean it works with XFree86
as well, and vice versa. XFree86 does not use the video services of the OS/2 operating
system.
2 Required Software
Any version of Warp 3 with at least fixpack 17, or Warp 4 is required
XFree86/OS2-3.3.3 may use a local named-pipe connection or a TCP/IP based network
connection.
Warp comes with the Internet Access Kit (IAK), which is sufficient. Warp Connect
and Warp Server come with a full version of TCP/IP (3.0). Use of this software is
preferred over IAK then.
Warp 4 comes with TCP/IP 4.0 which should also work.
There are reports that with EMX 0.9 fix 4, you can also use the new 32 bit IBM
TCP/IP 4.1 product.
The old IBM TCP/IP 2.0, that comes with the IBM PMX product may be used with Warp
as well, although it is no longer supported by IBM. Please ensure that you have
the latest CSDs installed.
Other versions of TCP/IP, such as FTP's, DEC's, or Hummingbird's TCP/IP versions,
as well as IBM TCP/IP 1.X are not supported. Nor does any networking support from
DOS (packet drivers, winsock), Netware, or NetBIOS work, and I won't to provide
support for that in the future.
If you want to write or port applications for XFree86, you are encouraged to do
so. You will need a complete installation of EMX/gcc 0.9C fix4 or later for doing
so. Neither the second (obsolete) implementation of gcc, nor any commercial package,
including Cset/2, VAC++, Borland C++/OS2, Watcom C++, Metaware C, and others, is
suitable for porting, because various parts of the X DLLs rely on certain features
only present with EMX.
Installing the System
The binary distribution is composed of a number of zip archives
which are the executables, servers, fonts, libraries, include files, man pages,
and config files. The full distribution requires about 40-55MB of disk space.
All archives of this alpha version are packed with the info-zip utility, which
is available under the name UNZ512X2.EXE (or a later version) from many OS/2 archives.
Please obtain a native OS/2 version of this unpacker. DOS PKUNZIP does not work,
because it cannot unpack long file names and extended attributes. ,P> At this
moment, the distribution covers only the ``core'' distribution which somewhat reduces
the usability. Refer to WWW sites and archives listed in the XFree86/OS2 FAQ and
elsewhere to obtain pre-built X clients which were ported to XFree86.
The contents of the packages are:
REQUIRED:
Xbase
A special device driver and the SuperProbe program
Xdoc
READMEs and XFree86 specific man pages.
Xbin
all of the executable X client applications and shared libs
Xfnts
the misc and 75dpi fonts
emxrt
Runtime libraries of EMX
Choose at least one of the following to match your hardware:
X8514
the X server for IBM 8514/A and compatible boards
XAGX
the X server for AGX boards
XGlnt
the X server for Permedia / GLINT boards
XI128
the X server for #9 Imagination 128 boards
XMa32
the X server for ATI Mach32 graphics boards
XMa64
the X server for ATI Mach64 graphics boards
XMa8
the X server for ATI Mach8 graphics boards
XMono
the Monochrome X Server
XP9K
the X server for P9000 based boards
XS3
the X server for S3 based boards (excluding S3 ViRGE)
XS3V
the X server for S3 ViRGE based boards
XSVGA
the 8-bit pseudo-color X server for Super VGA cards
XVG16
the 4-bit pseudo-color X server for VGA & SVGA cards.
XW32
the X server for et4000w32 based boards
OPTIONAL:
Xman
pre-formatted man pages for the X11 interface and clients
Xf100
100dpi fonts
Xfscl
Speedo and Type1 fonts
Xfnon
Japanese, Chinese and other fonts
Xfcyr
Cyrillic fonts
Xfsrv
the font server with man pages.
Xprog
the X11 header files and programmer's utilities for compiling other X applications
Xpex
PEX fonts and libraries required for PEX applications
In order to save space on your disk and reduce net bandwidth, choose the software
to obtain carefully. Each X server is an archive of about 1.2MB and occupies 3.0MB
on the disk. You won't normally need more than the single Xserver tailored to your
video card.
If it is your first time install, get the Xbase archive before any of the other
packages. This package contains a driver and a test program, which analyzes your
video hardware. If this program fails or reports an incompatible hardware, it makes
no sense to obtain the other packages in the hope that they would magically work.
Troubleshooting
Surprised to see this section directly in the beginning?
We have put it here because chances are best here not to overlook it. This does
not mean that you will necessarily encounter trouble when installing XFree86, but
be warned: the following sections are IMPORTANT and neglecting one or more things
out of impatience or sloppiness will leave you with a non-working X11 system and
us with unnecessary problems.
Still, due to the incredibly large number of hardware configurations, there may
be some special situations and configurations where the below description is not
successful. If this happens, read - I repeat READ - the list of ``frequently asked
questions'' (FAQ) which has meanwhile evolved to a troubleshooting guide. The latest
version is always at x11os2faq.html.
Maybe - but we found you must be very creative - you find a bug. Consult the page
http://set.gmd.de/~veit/os2/xf86bugs.html whether it is already known. If not, you
have a case and should report it to XFree86 (xfree86@xfree86.org). Please refer
to the FAQ about the information to be provided for a complete problem report.
The recommended newsgroup for setup questions is comp.os.os2.setup.misc. I read
this group, so it won't speed up the process or enforce anything if you post to
other groups, or forward the report to my mail address as well or to xfree86@xfree86.org.
So, not to discourage you completely, the setup section begins:
Checking Compatibility of Video Hardware
In the following, we assume that you want to install XFree86/OS2
on a disk drive with the letter Y: (which you probably don't have). Change the letter
in all commands accordingly.
Obtain the package Xbase and install it from the root directory of the Y: drive,
by entering the following commands:
[C:\] Y:
[Y:\] cd \
[Y:\] unzip \path_of_package\Xbase.zip
Edit your CONFIG.SYS file to contain the following line somewhere:
DEVICE=Y:\XFree86\lib\xf86sup.sys
Of course replace ``Y:'' with the correct drive letter.
At this point, you may consider to add the variables required for XFree86/OS2 as
well, which will save you from one additional reboot. Refer to section Adding Variables
to CONFIG.SYS (section 9., page 8) below.
After adding the device driver entry to the CONFIG.SYS file, you must reboot to
install the driver. XFree86/OS2 will not work without this driver.
Start a full screen OS/2 CMD session and enter the following command:
[C:\] Y:\XFree86\bin\SuperProbe
This command will (normally) report important information about your video configuration,
i.e. the type of chipset, the available video memory and the RAMDAC circuit available.
Please write this down or redirect the output of ``SuperProbe'' into a file by entering:
[C:\] Y:\XFree86\bin\SuperProbe >filename
SuperProbe can identify many more video cards than are supported by XFree86. In
some cases, SuperProbe unfortunately detects a wrong card, often it claims to have
seen a MCGA card which is some sort of a fallback. Generally, if it is approximately
right, there are only few reasons for doubts; if it is totally off (e.g. saying
it has seen a ET4000, and you have a Cirrus card), you should report a mis-detection
as a bug to the given address. In all cases, please take the few minutes and check
the accompanying README.* files to check for special precautions, options, or features
of the card.
If the README files tell you that your hardware is supported, please obtain the
rest of the software.
Installing the packages
XFree86/OS2 assumes a directory hierarchy starting from drive:\XFree86.
This can be changed, but is strictly discouraged.
Choose a HPFS partition with sufficient free space.
For each package to install, go to the root directory of this drive, and type:
drive:> cd \
drive:> unzip \path_of_packages\Xxxxx.zip
You might encounter that some packages report duplicate files, e.g. the X server
packages install corresponding README files, which are also in the Xdoc package.
This is okay, the files are the same. Let unzip replace the files.
No special sequence to unpack the files is required.
Adding Variables to CONFIG.SYS
XFree86/OS2 requires a number of settings in the CONFIG.SYS
file to work correctly. Please add the following settings, and in particular take
care to set forward versus backward slashes correctly:
TERM
Set the preferred terminal type for the xterm or editor to be used. Some programs
need this setting. I have my type set to
SET TERM=ansi
\XFree86\lib\X11\etc\termcap.x11 contains a suitable termcap which can be used
in place of termcap files that come with EMX, EMACS, or other ported software.
TERMCAP
This variable must be set to the location where the termcap file used for the
above TERM variable is searched. My setting, for instance, is:
SET TERMCAP=D:/EMX/ETC/TERMCAP.X11
Note that forward ``/'' is used as a directory separator.
ETC
Set to an ETC directory. Normally, this is already set to the ETC directory of
the TCP/IP code, such as
SET ETC=C:\TCPIP\ETC
TMP
Set to an TMP directory. Normally, this is already set to the TMP directory of
the TCP/IP code, such as
SET TMP=C:\TCPIP\TMP
HOSTNAME
Set to the internet hostname. Normally, this is already set by the TCP/IP installation
program, such as
SET HOSTNAME=myhost
With IAK, you would normally run a loopback configuration Network configuration
(section 10., page 11) and would then set this to
SET HOSTNAME=localhost
USER
LOGNAME
Set both to a username. Currently, they are there just to make some programs happy;
in the future, this variable might be set by a login shell of a multiuser configuration.
My variable, for instance, is set to
SET USER=holger
SET LOGNAME=holger
HOME
Set this to an existing directory that is supposed to be a home directory of a
user. Some utilities place temporary and init files here. This is also future investment
for a multiuser configuration, but must still be there. For instance, this variable
might be set to
SET HOME=H:\user\holger
X11ROOT
This is one of the most important settings, it determines the root of the XFree86
directory tree. Normally, you will set this to the drive letter of the partition
where the \XFree86 tree resides, such as in
SET X11ROOT=Y:
You may try to move the tree to another subdirectory, e.g. to K:\OS2\X11\XFree86...
and would then have to change this to
SET X11ROOT=K:/OS2/X11
, but this is discouraged, since some utilities might not accept this. Note the
forward ``/'' as a directory separator here.
DISPLAY
This variable may be set to the display to be used for displaying clients. Normally
you will set this variable to the same value as the HOSTNAME variable and simply
add a :0.0 after it, such as
SET DISPLAY=myhost:0.0
Read the X11 man page on the exact meaning of these postfixes and other options.
XSERVER
Set this to the executable name of the X server to be used. This must be a complete
path. My setting is as follows:
SET XSERVER=D:/XFree86/bin/XF86_Mach64.exe
PATH
Add the binary directory for the X11 utilities to your search PATH. This is normally
the directory (adjust the letter)
Y:\XFree86\bin
It is possible to move the binaries to another directory in the search path; for
maintenance reasons and clarity of the structure, this is not recommended, though.
LIBPATH
Add the DLL directory for the X11 utilities to the LIBPATH. This is normally
the directory (adjust the letter)
Y:\XFree86\lib
It is possible to move the DLLs to another directory in the library path; for maintenance
reasons and clarity of the structure, this is not recommended, though. Note that
Y:\XFree86\lib has several other subdirectories; these may not be moved elsewhere,
rather they must stay there, because most utilities form a path to these directories
by using %X11ROOT%\XFree86\lib as a base.
The recent version of XFree86/OS2 has a REXX script named checkinstall.cmd which
you can (and should) use to check whether you have entered most things correctly.
This is not bullet-proof, but prevents the most obvious setup problems. Also, the
X server itself will do some checking and will refuse to start if something is wrong.
Remarks on the Network Configuration
It is beyond the scope of this document to even give an introduction
about the correct installation of the TCP/IP networking system. You must do this
yourself or seek assistance elsewhere. It is only possible to say here that a PC
working well in a TCP/IP based LAN network will also work with XFree86/OS2 (when
all other prerequisites are matched as well).
With IAK, there is a special configuration necessary, unless you want to use XFree86/OS2
only during a hot link to your Internet provider, the so called ``localhost'' or
``loopback'' configuration. This is a local network interface which ``loops'' back
to the same host. The following settings are necessary for this:
Create a file \tcpip\etc\hosts with the following content: (Warp Connect, Warp
4: \mptn\etc\hosts)
127.0.0.1 localhost
Add the following line to your \tcpip\bin\tcpstart.cmd: (Warp Connect, Warp 4:
\mptn\bin\start.cmd)
ifconfig lo 127.0.0.1 up
Set the HOSTNAME environment variable to localhost as described in the last section.
Add the following line to CONFIG.SYS:
SET USE_HOSTS_FIRST=1
After rebooting, verify that the following command works:
[C:\] ping localhost
You don't need this ``loopback'' interface if your PC is connected to a LAN (either
directly or through SLIP/PPP).
In case of a SLIP/PPP line, you have to establish this connection BEFORE you start
XFree86.
The checkinstall.cmd script coming with XFree86/OS2 gives some advice on the configuration
as well.
If you have problems to get this or other basic networking things running, seek
assistance elsewhere.
Configuring X for Your Hardware
After you have added the required settings and setup a working
network, run the xf86config program to create a standard configuration file in Y:\XFree86\lib\X11\XF86Config
from a windowed or full screen OS/2 text session:
[C:\] xf86config
The xf86config program will ask a number of questions. You will need the information
obtained from the SuperProbe program here. The program should be self explanatory;
if you have problems to understand something though, seek assistance in the newsgroups.
It is possible, but strongly discouraged for the non-expert, to edit the XF86Config
file with a text editor. In a few situations as described in the FAQ, however, this
might even be mandatory. This file is not a hacker's area, such as the Win95 registry,
but it has in common with it that you can easily cause damage.
For details about the XF86Config file format, refer to the XF86Config(4/5) manual
page.
If you know the configuration process from Linux or other XFree86 platform, you
will encounter a few differences:
The configuration file is named XF86Config in Unix environments.
There is no configuration for the mouse type or device. The mouse device name is
fixed to OSMOUSE, and this cannot be changed. If you have a three-button-mouse,
install the correct OS/2 driver for it, such as
DEVICE=D:\OS2\BOOT\PCLOGIC.SYS SERIAL=COM1
DEVICE=D:\OS2\BOOT\MOUSE.SYS TYPE=PCLOGIC$
for a MouseSystems compatible mouse, for instance.
The X server does not read the native OS/2 keyboard map, so you need a xmodmap
file for a non-us keyboard. Fortunately, it is the same you use for Linux. Alternatively,
for standard keyboards, you can also use the XKB extension which is offered during
the xf86config dialogue, provided your language is available.
There is no support for the Wacom and Elographics input devices yet. In most cases,
an existing XF86Config file for the same XFree86 version from Linux or another platform
may be used without changes. There is one prominent exception: some S3 805 based
VLB cards put their video memory in odd locations. The X server can search for this
memory by experimentally mapping and unmapping possible memory regions. In XFree86/OS2,
the OS may run out of memory tiles during this process. If this happens, you must
find out the location of the memory yourself and add it as an option
MemBase 0x12345678
to the XF86Config file.
Once you've set up a XF86Config file, you can fine tune the video modes with the
xvidtune utility.
Running X
16mb of memory is a recommended minimum for running the network
software, X and the presentation manager in parallel. The server, window manager
and an xterm take about 4-6 Mb of memory themselves. X will start up on a system
with 8MB or less, but the performance will severely suffer from heavy disk swapping.
Your mileage may vary, though, so some people might consider this still tolerable.
The easiest way for new users to start X windows is to type:
[C:\] startx
.
To get out of X windows, type: ``exit'' in the console xterm. You can customize
your X by creating .xinitrc, .xserverrc, and .twmrc files in the directory that
the HOME environment variable points to. These files are described in the xinit
and startx man pages.
By default, the systemwide xinitrc file (in Y:/XFree86/lib/X11/xinit/xinitrc.cmd)
installs the rather simplistic twm window manager. You can find better window managers
on the ported software page.
Rebuilding the XFree86 Distribution
Do you really want to rebuild XFree86/OS2 from source? Read the file OS2.Notes
on details to recompile XFree86/OS2 from scratch.
Building New X Clients
The easiest way to build a new client (X application) is
to use xmkmf if an Imakefile is included in the sources. Type ``xmkmf -a'' to create
the Makefiles, check the configuration if necessary and type ``xmake''. ``xmake''
is a wrapper for the GNU make program which defeats the improper SHELL setting typically
found in a Makefile generated from an Imakefile. Also see the XFree86/OS2 FAQ for
more hints about porting X clients.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to:
Sebastien Marineau for his great work on getting the server code debugged
Eberhard Mattes for the wonderful base platform EMX which this port heavily relies
on
ME - no, no, forget this: I won't praise myself :-)
CONTACT AUTHOR:
Holger Veit
XFree86@Xfree86.org
@Macarlo, Inc.
@Macarlo's Shareware & Web
OS/2
Java Lobby Member
Java Site Accredited
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