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From: montnaro@sprite.crd.ge.com (Skip Montanaro)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: X over the phone?
Message-ID: 
Date: 28 Sep 89 15:40:39 GMT
References: 
Sender: news@crdgw1.crd.ge.com
Reply-To:  (Skip Montanaro)
Organization: GE Corporate Research & Development, Schenectady, NY
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In-reply-to: zs04+@andrew.cmu.edu's message of 28 Sep 89 14:43:39 GMT

In article  zs04+@andrew.cmu.edu (Zachary T. Smith) writes:

   Don't bother. It says in the server-porting documentation that X needs
   about 5 kilobytes per second data rate to work. In the same paragraph
   they mention that a 9600 baud connection (hinting at a phone line hookup)
   would be unacceptably slow.

For those who aren't content with what others say can't be done, take a look
at GraphOn's X terminal. You run it through a Sun, which is where the X
server actually resides. A different protocol is used to communicate over
the serial line to the terminal.

I borrowed an evaluation unit we have and hooked it up at home through a
Trailblazer Plus. With a bit of diddling of ~/.awmrc to avoid extra bitmap
transfers, it appeared to work okay. Granted, I wouldn't want to use it day
in, day out, but for largely text-oriented work it's fine.

One use that has been suggested is to take on the road when you're in demo
mode.  Another possible use is for a developer who's confined to home for an
extended period of time due to illness. It's not a workstation, but it might
be a good substitute in some situations.

--
Skip Montanaro (montanaro@crdgw1.ge.com)