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Re: X client wrapper for Win apps?


--- Jehan <nahor@bravobrava.com> wrote:
> Stuart Adamson wrote:
> >>Every Windows draw command is translated into calls to a GDI 
> >>driver. this
> >>driver is either the driver of the graphics card or a 
> >>printer. The people
> >>from wine already have written a driver which exports a GDI 
> >>interface and
> >>maps all calls to X11. Maybe this is a starting point.
> > 
> > 
> > But xfree86 will also be using this interface to draw to the
> screen (as 
> > will the logon box etc).  I can see this becoming rather circular
> ....
> > 
> > You need to be able to set the GDI context per application.
> > 
> > Maybe the way forward is to filter calls to user32.dll (where
> most of the
> > basic
> > windowing functions end up).  By filtering I mean renaming
> user32.dll to
> > user32-real.dll and writing your own user32.dll which either
> sends requests
> > to
> > X11 or to user32-real.dll, depending on the process id of the
> requesting
> > process.
> 
> Oh nice! I'll then look forward to the new Windows service pack and
> the 
> number of new posts in the mailing about XFree being broken after
> the 
> upgrade.

So?  Your point?  It can be fixed and rereleased.  You forget that
this isn't a CD distro, it's a net distro.

> But I have a better idea, replace the kernel32.dll with our own
> that 
> will convert Windows calls into a Linux/BSD/Un*x calls. That way, 
> instead of having Windows window showing in Xfree running in
> Windows, 
> you'll just have Windows on top of Xfree. We would also have a
> perfect 
> Unix layer for Windows then, we won't need Cygwin anymore, we would
> use 
> Linux/BSD/Un*x directly. It will also add to the 
> security/performance/whatever.

No, because then you have done what ReactOS is doing.  This is
different...

> Oh wait, that's WINE isn't it? ;)

No it isn't, because you are still accessing the other Windows dll's
for function calls, which is the whole point.  Can you run MS Visual
Studio in WINE?  I think not...  Getting rid of Explorer window
manager and server, replacing it with X11 is the ultimate goal.  You
still want to maintain the library compatibility though.  We
*already* know your position regarding this from the last time it was
discussed.  You may not be interested, but there are others who are. 
So, unless you have something to contribute (other then rants and
faulty arguments), why not give it a rest?  :-P

Cheers,
Nicholas

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