[ANNOUNCEMENT] [1.7] X11R7.5

[ANNOUNCEMENT] [1.7] X11R7.5

[Yaakov (Cygwin/X)]

Cygwin/X has been updated to X.Org X11R7.5 (for Cygwin 1.7 only).


WHAT'S NEW IN X11R7.5?
======================

* Almost 200 binary packages have been updated, including the latest 
upstream improvements and bug fixes.

* New packages: dmxproto, libdmx1/libdmx-devel, xf86bigfontproto.

* Support for IPv6 and other features new to Cygwin 1.7 are now 
available in packages using them.

* The X11 headers have been rearranged, with a lot of shuffling between 
the *proto packages and their libX*-devel counterparts.  This should be 
transparent to the end user as long as these packages are updated 
simultaneously.

* The technical documentation in xorg-docs and other packages has been 
built into text, HTML, and PDF formats.


FEATURES AND NOTES
==================

X11R7.5 includes xorg-server 1.7 with many changes, including:

* DMX support has been added.  DMX allows one DISPLAY to span multiple 
screens on one or more computers within a network.  It consists of Xdmx, 
the DMX server (which runs on top of the displaying computers' native 
XWin/Xming/Xorg/Xquartz servers), several dmx* clients, and the 
xdmxconfig GUI configuration editor.  Because of the additional 
dependencies of these components, they have been packaged separately as 
xorg-server-dmx.

* Support for the XFree86-BigFont extension has been restored.

* In addition to the default gzip-compression of bitmap fonts, support 
for reading bzip2-compressed fonts has been enabled.

* XWin's internal clipboard manager and -multiwindow window manager now 
default to using the local socket listener, then falling back to the 
inet and inet6 listeners.  This allows them to work even in the case of 
a difficult firewall configuration, or if an explicit -nolisten argument 
has been passed.

Please note the following limitations in this release:

* Despite the update to X Input extension version 2.0 (XI2) which 
includes Multi-Pointer X (MPX), XWin is still limited to a single 
keyboard and pointing device due to the Windows APIs it uses.

* The Record extension is currently broken and has therefore been 
temporarily disabled upstream.  A fix is expected soon, at which time 
the extension will be re-enabled.  In the meantime, clients using this 
extension (typically through libXtst) may be missing some functionality.


DEPRECATIONS
============

These X extensions, and their related packages, are no longer available:

* XEvIE
proto: evieext
library: libXevie, libxcb-xevie
Support for this extension was dropped before xorg-server-1.6.


FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
===================

Development of Cygwin/X is primarily focused on the XWin server; most
other components are extremely stable and work OOTB.  Anyone who
despaired of touching the old monolithic tree will find things much 
easier with modular packages.  If you want to see XWin stay current and 
add new features, then WE NEED YOU.  Here are some of the projects that 
could be worked on:

* Update the Cygwin/X website.
* Continue development of hardware-accelerated AIGLX support.
* Implement Extended Window Manager Hints in multiwindow mode.
* Implement the Composite extension in multiwindow mode.
* Implement Multi-Pointer X.
* Implement the XVideo extension.
* Implement newest XRandR protocol.
* Continue development of WindowsWM extension and xwinwm.


FEEDBACK
========

All comments, questions, bug reports, patches, discussion, etc. should
take place on the cygwin-xfree@ list.


CREDITS
=======

Jon Turney for pushing our existing patches upstream and contributing 
many new patches to this release.

Colin Harrison for helping push his Xming patches upstream.

Numerous users for their bug reports and suggestions during the 7.4 cycle.

And whomever else I may have inadvertently neglected to mention.


Enjoy!


Yaakov
Cygwin/X coordinator


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Re: X11R7.5 & fontcache..

[Linda Walsh]

Does this mean it is a 'beta' or test version?

If it is a released version, will it be made available for the
released version of cygwin (1.5).  I've no idea when cygwin
will release 1.7 as being 'ready'...

How difficult would it be to turn on compiling in of the 'font-cache' extension?  I use fonts  (oddly enough), and use the xfs.  I believe the font-cache allows faster performance for networked fonts?  



Yaakov (Cygwin/X) wrote:
> Cygwin/X has been updated to X.Org X11R7.5 (for Cygwin 1.7 only).

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Re: X11R7.5 & fontcache..

[Yaakov (Cygwin/X)]

On 29/10/2009 20:36, Linda Walsh wrote:
> Does this mean it is a 'beta' or test version?

X11R7.5 is not a beta, it is a full release.  Cygwin 1.7 is technically 
still in beta, but is very usable and much improved over 1.5.

> If it is a released version, will it be made available for the
> released version of cygwin (1.5).

Probably not; I gave up on 1.5 a long time ago.

 > I've no idea when cygwin will release 1.7 as being 'ready'...

http://cygwin.com/acronyms/#RSN :-)

> How difficult would it be to turn on compiling in of the 'font-cache'
> extension?

Impossible; support for the extension was completely removed from the 
server over a year ago[1].


Yaakov
Cygwin/X

[1] http://cgit.freedesktop.org/xorg/xserver/commit/?id=0b45ba4

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Re: X11R7.5 & fontcache..

[Linda Walsh]

Yaakov (Cygwin/X) wrote:
> http://cygwin.com/acronyms/#RSN :-)
---
	I don't suppose you could express that in 
ISO format?  :-)


>> How difficult would it be to turn on compiling in of the 'font-cache'
>> extension?
> 
> Impossible; support for the extension was completely removed from the 
> server over a year ago[1].
---
	I see.    Well, why'd they go and do that?  Just because
they don't use it...hmmm...

	Was that because they implemented a replacement?  OR 
it was no longer needed?  the git below doesn't really say
much other than 'diff...'

> [1] http://cgit.freedesktop.org/xorg/xserver/commit/?id=0b45ba4


tnx,
-l

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Re: X11R7.5 & fontcache..

[Larry Hall (Cygwin X)]

On 10/29/2009 11:56 PM, Linda Walsh wrote:
> Yaakov (Cygwin/X) wrote:
>> http://cygwin.com/acronyms/#RSN :-)
> ---
> I don't suppose you could express that in ISO format? :-)


Since you've asked this on multiple lists, I'm going to assume this is more than
just a humorous comment that you don't expect an answer to.  Cygwin 1.7 will
be released as soon as it's ready.  There is no specific date at this time. 
  That's
not a reason not to use it however, if you prefer.  And if you need something
that's only on 1.7, this is a good time to try it out.  And since you can 
install
1.7 beside 1.5 if you like, your risk of borking your Cygwin installation is 
pretty
minimal.

-- 
Larry Hall                              http://www.rfk.com
RFK Partners, Inc.                      (508) 893-9779 - RFK Office
216 Dalton Rd.                          (508) 893-9889 - FAX
Holliston, MA 01746

_____________________________________________________________________

A: Yes.
 > Q: Are you sure?
 >> A: Because it reverses the logical flow of conversation.
 >>> Q: Why is top posting annoying in email?

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Re: release scheduling, cygwin 1.7 et al (was Re: X11R7.5 & fontcache..)

[Linda Walsh]

* Yaakov (Cygwin/X) wrote: "http://cygwin.com/acronyms/#RSN :-)"
** LW wrote: "--I don't suppose you could express that in ISO format? :-)"

Larry Hall wrote:
> Since you've asked this on multiple lists, I'm going to assume this is
> more than just a humorous comment that you don't expect an answer to.

   Posting this as a reply on cygwin would have been more appropriate, as
there, it was obvious, I was *repeating* the question, (I mentioned it came
up on this list), and it was there that I was *probing*, to see if a more
firm day had been given that I had missed.

> Cygwin 1.7 will be released as soon as it's ready.
   So I've heard.

> There is no specific date at this time. 
---

   Same as before.  So I haven't missed any news and there is still no
timeframe (could still be a year away) for release...  firm dates are one
thing, but "we are hoping before Xmas, or Beltane (May Day)" would give an
idea.  That said, I very well know  the unpredictable nature of SW
development.  How can one give a "real schedule" about something that has
never been done before?  

   Managers have pushed the moniker 'software engineering' onto the field --
as though software is something that can be engineered and manufactured like
off-the-shell nuts and bolts.  That does the field a great disservice.  As
writing software is all about creativity.  It's not about creating the nuts
and bolts, but how they go together -- just like painting is not about the
paint, it's about how it goes onto the medium.

   Sure you can give estimates, but reality is they are only best guesses
and any number of things can come up to alter them.  This was known as far
back as 1985.  See good paper at:

   http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/48174?show=full

   Says basically, even the "act" of coming up with a schedule can
[adversely] affect the outcome of not creating one.  The compare it to the
'Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle' But even with such knowledge at your
disposal, you'll still run into Dilbertian manager types who live in a
fantasy world, where, by force of will, they believe they can force a
product into existence on their schedule.  :^)  However, I am not the
manager type -- I'm not ruthless enough.

> That's not a reason not to use it however, if you prefer.  And if you need
> something that's only on 1.7, this is a good time to try it out.  And
> since you can install 1.7 beside 1.5 if you like, your risk of borking
> your Cygwin installation is pretty minimal.
---

   I saw support for dual installations in a recent announcement on Cygwin's
main list.  I've also seen quite a few problems reported against 1.7 in the
compatibility department, but I realize that gives no indication of the
number of users who don't have problems.  

The announced wasn't clear if the dual installation support was backwards
compatible to 1.5.  My history with cygwin goes back a bit, to, when having
more than one cygwin install on your disk at the same time was grounds for
being drawn and quartered if you reported any problem in such a setup.  You
know how the cygwin-standard team can be...any excuse for flaying a user
provides them joy (in their 'we take pride in our meaness' way).  :-)

   Maybe when I'm not swamped w/other probs...

   Thanks for the ~informative~ response.  ;^)

-linda


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Re: release scheduling, cygwin 1.7 et al (was Re: X11R7.5 & fontcache..)

[Larry Hall (Cygwin X)]

On 11/04/2009 05:05 PM, Linda Walsh wrote:
>    I saw support for dual installations in a recent announcement on Cygwin's
> main list.  I've also seen quite a few problems reported against 1.7 in the
> compatibility department, but I realize that gives no indication of the
> number of users who don't have problems.
> The announced wasn't clear if the dual installation support was backwards
> compatible to 1.5.

It's been possible to install and run Cygwin 1.7 alongside 1.5 since, well, for
quite a long time.  This was seen as a requirement for package maintainers
to start making the move to 1.7 (though it isn't a strict requirement that they
do so).  The announcement that you saw about multiple cygwin1.dlls with
1.7 means that this "flexibility" has been extended to any 1.7.x version as
well.  So, start dropping 1.7 cygwin1.dlls all over your disk.  It's time to
spread the joy! ;-)

As for "compatibility", that's in the eye of the beholder.  But I haven't seen
anything yet that I consider a show-stopper, especially considering that 1.5 is
still going to be there for anyone that can't tolerate 1.7 for some reason. But
that's just my opinion.

-- 
Larry Hall                              http://www.rfk.com
RFK Partners, Inc.                      (508) 893-9779 - RFK Office
216 Dalton Rd.                          (508) 893-9889 - FAX
Holliston, MA 01746

_____________________________________________________________________

A: Yes.
 > Q: Are you sure?
 >> A: Because it reverses the logical flow of conversation.
 >>> Q: Why is top posting annoying in email?

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