| Re: Installing IDL 6.0 on Mac OS X [message #36358 is a reply to message #36269] |
Thu, 04 September 2003 14:06   |
Karl Schultz
Messages: 341
Registered: October 1999
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Senior Member |
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On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 10:04:56 +0000, Patrick Ford wrote:
> adams_forum@yahoo.ca (Adam) wrote in message news:<6f1027e6.0309030829.854e896@posting.google.com>...
>> I've read in the IDL documentation that a software requirement for IDL
>> 6.0 on a Mac is the X11 window manager which can be downloaded from
>> Apple's website. Is this the same as OroborosX? This computer
>> currently has OroborosX which runs IDL from within it, but I was
>> wondering if there might be a simpler, cleaner way to do it now with
>> IDL 6.
>
> If I understand your questions correctly, (1)the X11 from Apple Inc is
> not the same as OroborosX. (2) Apple's X11 is considerable faster for
> graphics and (3) Apple's X11 does not appear to be as "stabile." I
> have had to quit and restart X11 when I have had an IDL error(not bug)
> bomb the program.
Maybe I can clarify a bit:
Today, you've got a few choices of X11 solutions on OS X that work with
IDL:
1) XDarwin - this is the XFree86 'port' to OS X. It isn't particularly
optimized or integrated into OS X. It uses the 'twm' window manager
by default. Its biggest problem from a user point of view is that it
doesn't interact or play very well on the Apple desktop. The X11 windows
have the twm window manager decorations, the stacking order gets all
messed up in relation to the non-X11 windows, and cut/paste is difficult.
If you are a dyed-in-the-wool "I cut my teeth on X10" sort of
person, this environment might be OK for you.
2) XDarwin + OroborOSX - This is XDarwin with the OroborOSX window manager
sort of wedged in a little more tightly than a 'standard' X11 window
manager like twm. The names of these components gets a little confusing
because the more recent versions of OroborOSX actually contain a slightly
modified XDarwin, and you launch the XDarwin window system by launching
OroborOSX. OroborOSX provides a look and feel a little closer to the
Apple desktop, but there are still some integration issues. This was the
configuration RSI recommended for IDL 5.6, but there is no reason why it
would not work for IDL 6.0.
3) Apple X11 Beta - Apple released three of these (0.1, 0.2, 0.3). This
X11 implementation is much more tightly integrated into OS X, as it was
modified by Apple to hook into OS X in places where only Apple could do
it. These were Beta releases and like all Betas, they have bugs and
problems. 0.3 introduced 8-bit visual support, but it has problems that
IDL programs seem to expose quite a bit. There is integrated hardware
OpenGL support and the regular X graphics are a lot faster. RSI
encouraged IDL 6.0 users to use the Apple X11 beta. 0.2 or 0.3 are good
choices. RSI has forwarded all known problems with IDL on the Beta
releases to Apple and many of them have already been addressed. Apple has
announced that OS X 10.3 will include the final version of this X11
implementation.
RSI tested IDL 6.0 using the Apple Betas, but we also know that 6.0 runs
on the XDarwin/OroborOSX combination, although it was not formally tested.
Hope this helps,
Karl
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