UNIX Futures

[aglew at ccvaxa.UUCP]

[Comment:] I find the term `shell layers' inappropriate. It seems to imply, to 
me, subshells, perhaps not even tree structured. When I think of multiplexing
on a wire I do not think of layered sets of data, with this layer being above
or below that - I think of a switch.
   The term `layers' is really only appropriate to an aspect of the
implementation, in terms of (overlapping) windows.
   [Has anyone ever made a non-layered windowing system - one where you
can get cycles of overlaps? Wouldn't work with rectilinear windows.]

[Question:] does the `shell layering' system include true virtual terminals 
mapped into a memory image of the screen display? If so, nice, but could
quickly start consuming large amounts of memory (say I want to have N 
1Kx1K colour maps, but I'm only displaying the equivalent of 1.5 at any time).
Is there provision for less storage costly alternatives - a window resized
or revisibled interrupt?

Andy "Krazy" Glew. Gould CSD-Urbana.    USEnet:  ihnp4!uiucdcs!ccvaxa!aglew
1101 E. University, Urbana, IL 61801    ARPAnet: aglew at gswd-vms