OPEN LOOK / Motif Re: Why OpenWindows instead of Motif ?

Halvard Halvorsen halvard at solan.unit.no
Sat Feb 16 08:26:31 AEST 1991


I've checked out some more about this - this text is from Unix System V
release 4 : An introduction.

 page 890 ->

THE OPEN LOOK GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

The OPEN LOOK graphical user interface was designed by AT&T and Sun to be a
standard graphical interface for the UNIX system.It is the most complete and
most full-featured of the GUI's available for the UNIX system. ...
The OPEN LOOK GUI & SW that developers can use to create OPEN LOOK applications,
as well as the X Window system, are included with Release 4. ....
.. including a file manager appl. that you can use to perform file system
commands by operating on graphic representations of directories and files.

 page 917 ->

THE MOTIF GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

Another graphical user interface for the UNIX system is Motif, developed
by the Open Software Foundation and based on work by Hewlett-Packard and
Digital Equipment Company. ... Motif is built on the foundation provided
by the X Window System. ... there are many important similarities between
the two... Some differences between the Motif and OPEN LOOK include
window appearance,specific details on mouse button assignments, how you 
move and resize windows, the use of certain keybord features and what
applications are included with the system. Motif provides an xterm appl.,
but it does not include a file manager.



from 'Deskset Environment Reference Guide' ( a Sun manual )

Chapter 1 GETTING STARTED

This chapter introduces the DeskSet Environment for OpenWindows.
The DeskSet Environment contains the following applications:
 o the file manager ...
 o the mail tool ...
 o the calendar manager ...
 o the text editor ...
 o the print tool ...
 o the tape tool ... way for you to archive & retrieve files using a streaming
   tape cartridge
 o the snapshot ... snapshots of regions,windows or the entire workspace
 o the shell tool ...
 o the command tool and console ...
 o the performance meter ...
 o the clock ...
 o the calculator ...
 o the icon editor ...
 o the binder ... check the default system bindings,to customize the visual display
   of icons in the File manager, and to specify the default print scripts for use 
   with the print tool.

These are applications that are included OpenWindows - which I presume would be
correct to call ' a product based on OpenLook ' - and when it comes to OpenLook
it seems like AT&T have both an OpenLook standard *and* an OpenLook product. Where
the line between them is I do not know - but I bet some netters could clarify it ?

Is OpenLook better than Motif ? Well I've used them both and I do not really matter
- if you wanna discuss Motif vs OpenLook take it to comp.windows.x ... 

Sorry for mixing OpenWindows and OpenLook - but looking at picures of the File
Manager in the System V book and looking at the OpenWindows one they look pretty
much the same. But if this File Manager is defined *in* the Open Look GUI standard I do not know - it dont think it belongs there ... 

So maybe Commodore dont have made any decisions concerning which GUI to use ?
They just ship a System VR4 - period. And that we will have the two GUI's on the
Amiga as well - Motif and OpenLook ??? ... just as elsewhere in the unix world ...
As to which of two is the 'most popular' - they both claim to be ....

Could someone from C= answer what their policy ( if they have any ?? ) in this
is ?? Will there be Motif support or not ? Will applications made be C= 
have the OpenLook GUI ? What do Commodore recommend Software companies to do -
write their SW with OpenLook tools / Motif tools ?

What are you guys working with SW for the Amy3000 UX doing ?? OpenLook ? Motif?
none of them ??

halvard.



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