NeXT Computers

dgb75 · Joined: 23 Jan 2014 Posts: 18 Location: North Carolina

I'm looking for a way to make Openstep my "daily driver" in a laptop setup. I've got a few more or less modern laptops laying around and had an idea on how to accomplish it, but I wanted ask a few questions to see how possible it is.

My thought is to create a linux-bootable laptop to abstract hardware and to provide a means to provide modern software where it currently isn't available on Openstep. Linux would start X, but rather than a window manager, a virtualization solution would start full-screen and boot Openstep. Obviously there are limits to how big the disk can be, etc. For modern software, I'd like to find an XDM for Openstep which allows applications to be run within Openstep windows, with those windows managing the applications size, minimization, etc. I know this is at least theoretically possible because I used to use software which did something similar on Windows. Mini-applications could easily be created that would connect to the linux system and launch the application with the XDM as the target display. This can provide applications such as a modern browser until native software is available.

1) How completely does Previous emulate Motorola hardware? I'd be looking for support for color (true color ideally), 1080p resolution, networking and sound. I would not be looking to simulate speed, but rather would like it to run as fast as possible. I can use other solutions (VMware, Virtual Box), but I prefer a Motorola solution as there are applications that I want to run that are Motorola-only.
2) Does such a window manager as I describe above exist for Openstep? I've played with CubX, but if you minimize a window, it's gone.
3) Is there a version of XRemote which will work with Windows 8/10? I have a few servers which I'll need to connect to.
4) Does Openstep work with shares over 8GB? If not, I'm curious about the effects of hacking the Linux NFS code to falsify the amount of used/free space so Openstep never complains. Basically, if the free space is over 2GB, it reports 2GB.

Thanks

andreas_g · Joined: 30 Jan 2009 Posts: 448 Location: Austria

bobo68 · Joined: 03 Jun 2015 Posts: 213 Location: Germany

Why not use OpenStep in VMware or Parallels?

Andreas · Joined: 27 Dec 2005 Posts: 356 Location: Germany

itomato · Joined: 27 Dec 2005 Posts: 302 Location: Santa Cruz, CA

This is the result of hacking a bit on the Previous sources in conjunction with the Open Build Service.

I'm still looking at packaging more recent builds, but there is a packaged version for OpenSUSE (1.4_r637-1.2). Thus, you can boot and run Previous from this minimal appliance: https://susestudio.com/a/LVy15n/previousappliance

Quitting Previous will leave you in a Windowmaker desktop. You can 'Run...' 'xterm' and 'yast' to configure NFS/Samba client access, network/wifi, etc.

I'll make the glue packages and appliance build and configuration code available at some point.

I want to do the same for Raspberry Pi.
_________________
-itomato

dgb75 · Joined: 23 Jan 2014 Posts: 18 Location: North Carolina

Looks like a good start. A few concepts I'm toying with: is there anything out there that allows for an app to run on one computer while showing up on another; something for Next that is akin to X Windows? The battery life and resolution issues are things I'm currently concerned about. With something like that, I can have previous running only when needed and otherwise use a different virtualization package.

Rob Blessin Black Hole · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 10:53 pm Post subject:

Hello: I think this app may be what you need http://www.kevra.org/TheBestOfNext/ThirdPartyProducts/ThirdPartySoftware/NetworkingAndSysAdmin/ScreenCast/ScreenCast.html , I know I had an original and went through stacks and stacks of NeXT software hasn't turned up yet.
And Watchme was another one used by Professors , I know have just need to find them somewhere in the Black Hole LOL http://www.kevra.org/TheBestOfNext/ThirdPartyProducts/ThirdPartySoftware/Multimedia/WatchMe/WatchMe.html , if I can find them I'll upload them . it would be fun to see if they work on Previous and over the internet! I'm wondering if they are Peanuts , if anyone knows the original Authors at Otherwise I'll contact them to seekk permission.
_________________
Rob Blessin President computerpowwow ebay sales@blackholeinc.com http://www.blackholeinc.com
303-741-9998 Serving the NeXT Community since 2/9/93