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<h1><img border="0" src="file:///C:/My%20Documents/My%20Webs/myweb2/images/evearth.gif" WIDTH="36" HEIGHT="36"> Microwindows Frequently Asked
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Questions</h1>
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<p>1999/12/04 Microwindows FAQ - <a href="mailto:greg@censoft.com">greg@censoft.com</a></p>
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<h3>What is Microwindows?</h3>
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<p>Microwindows is an Open Source project that brings some of the features of modern
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graphical windowing systems to the programming community not wanting or requiring the
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large disk and ram requirements of higher-end windowing systems like Microsoft Windows or
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the X Window System. Microwindows does not require any operating system or other
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graphics system support, as it writes directly to the display hardware, although it runs
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well on Linux framebuffer systems. Microwindows is designed to be portable, and can
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run in a wide variety of hardware and software environments. One the of more
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interesting targets is the emerging market of portable handheld and pocket PC's running
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Linux, also known as LinuxCE. </p>
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<h3>What does Microwindows run on?</h3>
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<p>Microwindows currently runs on 32-bit Linux systems with kernel framebuffer support, or
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through the popular SVGAlib library. In addition, it has been ported to 16-bit Linux
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ELKS, and real-mode MSDOS. Microwindows screen drivers for 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32
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bits-per-pixel have been written, as well as a VGA 16 color 4 planes driver.
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Microwindows has been ported to a number of Handheld and Pocket PC's, as well. The
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Microwindows graphics engine is capable of running on any system that supports readpixel,
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writepixel, drawhorzline and drawvertline, and setpalette. Blitting support is
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optional, but if implemented allows enhanced functionality. All bitmap, font, cursor
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and color support is implemented on top of these routines. Support for 8, 15, 16 and
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32 bit truecolor systems as well as 1, 2, 4 and 8bpp palletized systems is implemented.<br>
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<br>
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Recently, an X11 driver was completed that allows Microwindows applications to be run on
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top of the X Window desktop. This driver emulates all of Microwindows' truecolor and
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palette modes so that an application can be previewed using the target system's display
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characteristics directly on the desktop display, regardless of the desktop display
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characteristics.</p>
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<h3>What CPU's are supported?</h3>
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<p>Microwindows is extremely portable, and completely written in C, although some routines
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have been recoded in assembly for speed. It has been ported to the Intel 16 and 32
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bit cpu's, as well as MIPS R4000 (NEC Vr41xx) and ARM chips found on popular handheld and
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pocket PC's.</p>
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<h3>How big is Microwindows?</h3>
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<p>On 16 bit systems, the entire system, including screen, mouse and keyboard drivers runs
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in less than 64k. On 32-bit systems, support includes proportional fonts and
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applications are typically less than 100k.</p>
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<h3>What is Microwindows' architecture and what API's are supported?</h3>
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<p>Microwindows is essentially a layered design that allows different layers to be used or
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rewritten to suite the needs of the implementation. At the lowest level, screen,
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mouse/touchpad and keyboard drivers provide access to the actual display and other
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user-input hardware. At the mid level, a portable graphics engine is implemented,
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providing support for line draws, area fills, polygons, clipping and color models.
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At the upper level, various API's are implemented providing access to the graphics
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applications programmer. These APIs may or may not provide desktop and/or window
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look and feel. Currently, Microwindows supports the Win32 and Nano-X APIs.
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These APIs provide close compatibility with the Win32 and X Window systems, allowing
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programs to be ported from other systems easily.</p>
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<h3>What's the difference between Microwindows and NanoGUI?</h3>
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<p>Microwindows' origin is with NanoGUI. NanoGUI was created by Alex Holden by
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taking David Bell's mini-X server and Alan Cox's modifications and adding client/server
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networking. Greg Haerr then took interest in the NanoGUI project and began making
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extensive enhancements and modifications to NanoGUI. Around version 0.5, Greg Haerr
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added support for multiple API's, and began distributing Microwindows. In
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Microwindows 0.84, all previous NanoGUI changes were incorporated and since then
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Microwindows has been the combined NanoGUI/Microwindows distribution.</p>
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<h3>What is Nano-X?</h3>
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<p>Nano-X is the X-like API that Microwindows supports. It is based on David Bell's
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mini-X server API, and includes X-like primitives for low-level window and graphics
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operations. Window management is not included, and the window look and feel must be
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created through a widget set or directly by the applications programmer. Currently,
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there are a number of people working on widget sets for Nano-X. There is some
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discussion about converting the Nano-X API to be X Window System compatible.</p>
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<h3>What is the Microwindows API?</h3>
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<p>Microwindows supports an API based on the Win32 graphics device interface
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module, and implements a large portion of it. The function calls try to be 100%
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compatible, so that code compiled for other operating systems can usually be
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compiled with no source code changes. In addition, a portion of the Win32
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USER module is implemented, which contains routines for window dragging, title
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bars, message passing, and generating required window messages.
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Because of this, window manager support is built into the system, and a single
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API for applications programs can be used that doesn't change based on the
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widget set being used.<br>
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<br>
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Since the WinCE API is mostly a subset of the Win32 API for graphics-related
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functions, the Microwindows API is also WinCE compatible, and can be used to
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implement WinCE graphics functions on platforms Microwindows is running on.</p>
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<h3>What are Microwindows' graphics features?</h3>
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<p>Microwindows features full RGB color support, color mapping, optimized palette bitmap
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drawing, truecolor and palletized displays, and a 3d look-and-feel. Overlapped and child
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windows are supported, with complete window and client area clipping. Proportional and
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fixed fonts are supported, along with utilities for converting fonts or bitmap files.
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Optimized painting algorithms are used to allow maximum response while the user is moving
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windows on the screen. Offscreen drawing and bit-blit routines are implemented for
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flicker-free drawing and animation. Polygon draws, fills and arbitrary region clipping are
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also supported.</p>
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<h3>What license is Microwindows under?</h3>
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<p>The project is licensed under the MPL. Alternatively, the software can be
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licensed under the GPL, if desired. This means that the standard Microwindows
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distribution can be used for commercial purposes, and supports the needs of developers
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working under non-disclosure or writing proprietary device drivers. Modifications to
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source code supplied in the standard distribution must stay open source. Or the
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entire project can be converted to GPL, with files added by a developer considered GPL
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only.</p>
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<h3>Where is the most current source?</h3>
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<p>The FTP site <a href="ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows">ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows</a>
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is the primary distribution point for all releases. The home web site is at <a href="http://microwindows.censoft.com">http://microwindows.censoft.com</a>. I can be
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reached at <a href="mailto:greg@censoft.com">greg@censoft.com</a>. I am working on
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getting the development tree moved to CVS, stay tuned.</p>
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<h3>Are there screenshots and/or demos available?</h3>
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<p>There are demos for Linux, ELKS and MSDOS, as well as screenshots, available at:</p>
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<blockquote>
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<p><a href="ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/ScreenShots">ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/ScreenShots</a></p>
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<p><a href="ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/ScreenShots">ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/LinuxExamples</a>
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<a href="ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/ScreenShots">ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/ElksExamples</a>
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<a href="ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/ScreenShots">ftp://microwindows.censoft.com/pub/microwindows/DosExamples</a></p>
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</blockquote>
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<h3>Is there a mailing list?</h3>
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<p>The mailing list is <a href="mailto:nanogui@linuxhacker.org">nanogui@linuxhacker.org</a></p>
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<p>To subscribe, send an empty email to:</p>
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<p> <a href="mailto:nanogui-subscribe@linuxhacker.org">nanogui-subscribe@linuxhacker.org</a></p>
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<p>To unsubscribe, send an empty email to:</p>
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<p> <a href="mailto:nanogui-unsubscribe@linuxhacker.org">nanogui-unsubscribe@linuxhacker.org</a></p>
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<h3>What can I do to help?</h3>
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<p>We need help in all sorts of areas. There are currently projects to port base
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level widget sets and custom controls to Microwindows. Fast screen drivers and
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blitting routines are also on the list. There are lots of folks interested in
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getting the system to run on one of the many new Handheld or Pocket PC's. Please
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join the list and join the fun.</p>
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<p> </p>
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</body>
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</html>
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