DECterm_DECwindows

DECwindows

X-Windows was developed as part of Project Athena at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the mid-1980s as a collaboration between MIT, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), and IBM. X-Windows has become the de facto standard for GUIs on Unix-like operating systems, including OpenVMS, and is currently an open-source GUI environment that is still widely used in the Unix and Linux world. It is highly customizable and allows users to create their own window managers, themes, and other graphical elements.

DEC was a major computer manufacturer and a prominent player in the industry during the time when X-Windows was growing in popularity. The company had a strong presence in the market and was known for its innovative products. DEC’s endorsement of the X-Windows Architecture demonstrated its commitment to supporting open standards and collaborative development.

By having DEC build the next version of X11, the X-Windows team leveraged the company’s expertise and resources to further enhance the capabilities and performance of the windowing system. DEC’s experienced team contributed valuable insights and technical knowledge ensuring that X11 met the evolving needs of users and developers. Furthermore, DEC’s rapid release of new hardware and software aligned well with the goals of the X-Windows initiative. As X11 was being developed, DEC was introducing new systems that were optimized for running X-Windows applications. This synergy allowed for close integration between hardware and software, resulting in improved performance and user experience.

The term “thin client” was first used in the context of X Window System (X11) in the early 1990s. In the X11 architecture, a thin client refers to a computing device that relies heavily on a central server for processing and storage capabilities. Unlike traditional desktop computers, thin clients have limited local resources and are designed to offload most of the computational tasks to the server. This approach allows for centralized management, reduced hardware costs, and improved security. Today, the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP), Citrix XenApp, and Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) are three popular implementations of the X-Windows thin client concept.

DEC recognized the importance of providing a graphical user interface for OpenVMS and decided to port X-Windows to their platform by developing DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS as a complete implementation of the X11 protocol with support for the Motif toolkit. The release of DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS brought a new level of graphical capabilities to the OpenVMS platform. Users could now develop and run X applications on OpenVMS, which opens a wide range of possibilities for GUI-based software development. It also allowed OpenVMS systems to interoperate with other Unix-like systems that supported X-Windows, enabling the exchange of graphical data and applications between different platforms.

DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS was widely adopted by the OpenVMS community, and many applications were developed using this environment. It provided a stable and reliable platform for GUI development on OpenVMS, leveraging the power and reliability of the underlying operating system.

OpenVMS Graphical User Interfaces

1984: The original graphical user interface for OpenVMS was a proprietary windowing system known as the VMS Workstation Software (VWS).

1989: DEC replaced VWS with a new X11-based windowing system named DECwindows.
Early versions of DECwindows featured an interface built on top of a proprietary toolkit named the X User Interface (XUI).

1991: DEC replaced XUI with the Motif toolkit, creating DECwindows Motif.

1996: DEC released the New Desktop interface for DECwindows Motif, based on the Common Desktop Environment (CDE).

Versions of OpenVMS running on DEC Alpha workstations in the 1990s supported OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) and AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) graphics adapters. OpenVMS also provides support for older graphics standards such as GKS (Graphical Kernel System) and PHIGS (Programmer’s Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System). Modern versions of DECwindows are based on X.Org Server.

1984

Project Athena

This was a joint project between MIT, DEC, and IBM for providing a platform-independent graphics system that would be responsible for linking together a variety of multiple computer systems of different hardware vendors.

May, 1984, X-Windows v1.0 was released and became the first windowing system environment to offer true hardware and vendor independence.

Project Athena was important in the early history of desktop and distributed computing because it created the X-Window System, Kerberos, and Zephyr Notification Service. It influenced the development of thin computing, LDAP, Active Directory, and instant messaging.

1985

X-Windows Version 6 & Version 9

In January 1985, DEC engineers successfully ported X-Windows version 6 to a MicroVAX system. This achievement marked an important milestone in the development and adoption of the X Window System, which is a network-transparent windowing system widely used in Unix-like operating systems.

In the second quarter of 1985, X-Windows v9 was released, marking a significant milestone in the development of graphical user interfaces (GUIs). This release introduced support for color graphics, allowing users to experience a more visually appealing and immersive computing environment. The DEC VAXstation-II/GPX workstation played a crucial role in enabling this advancement.

1986

X-Windows Version 10 Release 3

This version of X-Windows introduced the ability to run multiple applications simultaneously within separate windows. This multitasking capability greatly improved the usability and productivity of the system, as users could switch between different applications without having to close and reopen them.

X-Windows v10R3 became the first version to achieve wide deployment, with both DEC and HP releasing products for supporting the new advancements. Apollo Computers, Sun Microsystems and IBM started creating their own applications.

1987

X-Windows Version 11

It started becoming clear that the X protocol could use a redesign before it became too widely used; however, MIT didn't have the resources available for taking on this amount of work. As it happened, DEC's Western Software Laboratory found itself between projects with an experienced team and started working on the next realease of X-Windows.

X-Windows v11 was released by September, 1987. The X11 protocol design, was extensively discussed on open mailing lists and throughout USENET newsgroups. Resources were spread across the country working on its development. X-Windows represents one of the first very large-scale distributed free and open source software projects.

1988

First X Consortium Release

In January 1988, the MIT X Consortium was established as a non-profit vendor group with the purpose of overseeing the future development of X-Windows in a neutral atmosphere that included both commercial and educational interests.

The formation of this consortium was prompted by nine computer vendors who expressed their belief in the necessity of a neutral party to prevent fragmentation of X-Windows in the marketplace.

In February 1988, the MIT X Consortium produced X-Windows v11R2. This release included additional functionality by enahncing the window managers and the application libraries (Xlib). The new release required new fonts and additional utilties.

1990

X-Windows Version 11 Release 4

Introduced the X Toolkit Intrinsics (Xt), which is a graphical application used for creating consistent visually appealing graphical interfaces across different applications.

This release contained the first version of the X11 protocol, that established communication between the X server and client applications, which allowed for information to be shared between computer systems. This feature was useful where multiple machines were interconnected.

Introduced various optimizations to reduce memory consumption and improve rendering speeds. Additionally, it included support for hardware acceleration on certain graphics cards, allowing for smoother animations.

1994

X-Windows Version 11 Release 6

In May 1994, X-Windows v11R6 was released. This release introduced support for TrueColor visuals by allowing millions of colors to be displayed simultaneously by providing a more vibrant and realistic visual experience. Previous releases had limited color capabilities.

This release also supported scalable fonts, allowing applications to render text at different sizes without loss of quality where precise typography is required.

Another notable addition was the introduction of the X Input Extension (XI). XI provided a standardized mechanism for handling input devices such as keyboards, mice, and touchscreens.

1995

Common Desktop Environment (CDE)

CDE offered a consistent user experience across different platforms and facilitated interoperability between applications.

CDE was based on the Motif toolkit and addressed the fragmentation and lack of consistency in the desktop environment. Prior to CDE, different vendors had their own customized desktop environments, resulting in a lack of standardization and compatibility between systems.

CDE supported UNIX and OpenVMS, but became available on other platforms like FreeBSD and Linux. Over time, CDE declined due to the emergence of alternative desktop environments such as GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment) and KDE.

1996

X-Windows Version 11 Release 6.3

The final revision released by the X Consortium was X-Windows v11R6.3 in 1996. This version represented a mature and stable release of the X Window System, incorporating years of development efforts and community contributions.

With the X Consortium being dissolved at the end of 1996 various entities within the open-source community became responsible for maintaining and evolving the X Window system.

The legacy of the X Consortium's work continues to be felt today. The X Window System remains an essential component of many Unix-like operating systems, providing a foundation for graphical interfaces in desktop environments such as GNOME and KDE.

1998

X-Windows Version 11 Release 6.4

In 1998, X-Windows v11R6.4 was released. This release introduced the RENDER extension, which provided advanced 2D graphics capabilities such as alpha blending and antialiased text rendering. This extension allowed for smoother and more visually appealing graphics on X-based systems.

Another important addition was the introduction of the Xft library, which enabled anti-aliased font rendering using TrueType fonts. This greatly improved the quality of text displayed on X-based systems, making it more readable and aesthetically pleasing.

2004

XFree86 Project

XFree86 was a popular implementation of the X Window System, and in 2004, the X.Org Foundation was formed as a result of tensions within the XFree86 project regarding licensing policies and development processes. The split between X.Org and XFree86 led to many Linux distributions transitioning from using XFree86 to X.Org as their default implementation of the X Window System. This transition was driven by technical considerations and a desire for a more open and community-driven development process. The split also had implications for licensing and highlighted the importance of open governance in the success of open-source projects.

2005

X-Windows Version 11 Release 7

This release introduced modularization, which aimed to improve maintainability and flexibility allowing developers to update individual components without affecting the entire system.

Composite extension were introduced allowing window managers the ability to use transparencies, shadows, and animation effects by manipulating individual windows or elements within them.

A new input event system was implemented called XI2 (X Input Extension version 2). XI2 provided better support for multi-touch input devices, allowing applications to handle gestures and other advanced input interactions.

2012

X-Windows Version 11 Release 7.7

In 2012, X-Windows v11R7.7 was released with new sync extension for supporting Fence objects - this allows synchronizing operations between multiple clients in the X server and allows Fence objects to synchronize rendering operations between clients.

Added multitouch support in the X Input Extension (XI) for receiving information from multiple areas simultaneously.

Updated XFixes for improving pointer barriers allowing developers to define regions on the screen where the mouse pointer cannot cross; therefore, restricting the pointer's movement within specific boundaries.

This is the latest release of X-Windows.

OpenVMS

Alpha

VAX

PDP

DECwindows

StrongArm

DECnet

DECUS

Video Terminals

ReGIS/Sixel Graphics

VMS Clustering

Sim-H

Help & Support

On-Line Documentation VAX OpenVMS v7.3

On-Line Documentation VAX OpenVMS v7.2

On-Line Documentation VAX OpenVMS v7.1