DIGITAL Cover Letter for VMS DECwindows Motif[TM] Version 1.0 AV-PHQ3A-TE Dear DECwindows Customer: Welcome to VMS DECwindows Motif Version 1.0. Starting with this release, DECwindows software is offered separately from the VMS operating system. As a separately licensed and packaged layered product, VMS DECwindows Motif Version 1.0 complies with the License Manage- ment Facility (LMF) and requires a license Product Authorization Key (PAK). Your license PAK has been enclosed. You must regis- ter and load your license PAK to install and run VMS DECwindows Motif Version 1.0. VMS DECwindows Motif Kit Contents Your VMS DECwindows Motif kit contains either a single TK50 tape cartridge or two magnetic tapes and the following documentation: o VMS DECwindows Motif Installation Guide o VMS DECwindows Motif Software Product Description (SPD) o VMS DECwindows Motif System Support Addendum (SSA) o VMS DECwindows Motif User Documentation Kit containing three manuals: - VMS DECwindows Motif User's Guide - VMS DECwindows Motif Applications Guide - VMS DECwindows Motif Quick Reference Card ___________________ [TM] Open Software Foundation, OSF, OSF/Motif, and Motif are regis- tered trademarks of the Open Software Foundation. Benefits of DECwindows as a Layered Product We believe that providing DECwindows as a layered product gives our customers certain advantages over our previous method of packaging DECwindows with the VMS license: o Faster availability of new OSF/Motif[TM] features and re- leases. By decoupling DECwindows Motif from VMS releases, we can provide new features in VMS DECwindows more frequently. o More flexibility in pricing. We believe that customers should pay only for the features they need. Our new packaging lets customers purchase DECwindows software only if they need it. Same Environment for Both Motif and XUI Applications The OSF/Motif graphical user interface (GUI) is the new default user interface for VMS DECwindows Motif. The OSF/Motif GUI is an open standard, developed jointly by the Open Software Foundation[TM] (OSF)[TM] Digital Equipment Corporation, and Hewlett-Packard. The X User Interface (XUI) delivered in VMS DECwindows continues to be maintained and supported within the VMS DECwindows Motif layered product. Because both the Motif and XUI interfaces are based on the X Window System, applications written to either toolkit continue to run, regardless of which environment the user selects. Getting Started with VMS DECwindows Motif The "look and feel" of the OSF/Motif user interface differs from previous versions of VMS DECwindows based on XUI. It might take you a little while to become comfortable with this new user interface. We suggest that you begin by reading Part 1 of the VMS DECwindows Motif User's Guide. Another way to gain hands-on experience with DECwindows Motif is through the online tutorial available from the Session Manager's menu bar. To start the tutorial, select the Help pull-down menu from the Session Manager menu bar and choose Tutorial. 2 VMS DECwindows Motif Performance The OSF/Motif interface consumes more memory resources than the XUI interface that shipped in previous versions of DECwindows. Consequently, you may notice that Motif applications take longer to start and use more memory than XUI applications. Once a Motif application is running, however, performance should be comparable to that of applications in previous versions of DECwindows. The performance of XUI applications under VMS DECwindows Motif Version 1.0 should be equal to or better than performance under previous versions of VMS DECwindows. Digital is working independently and with OSF to improve the performance of DECwindows Motif. We are planning to deliver performance improvements in future releases of VMS DECwindows Motif. Prerequisite VMS Support and Minimum Memory Hardware Requirements VMS DECwindows Motif Version 1.0 has a temporary minimum memory requirement of 12 MB per system. This memory requirement will be lowered to 8 MB with the release of VMS Version 5.4-3, which contains memory management enhancements allowing support of 8 MB systems. The prerequisite VMS release for 12 MB systems is VMS Version 5.4 through Version 5.4-2. The prerequisite VMS release for 8 MB systems is VMS Version 5.4-3. 3 Supported VAXstation Hardware The following is a revised list of supported VAXstation hardware requiring the DECwindows workstation device support: o VAXstation II o VAXstation 2000 o VAXstation 3100 (all models) o VAXstation 3200 o VAXstation 3500 o VAXstation 3520, VAXstation 3540 For a complete list of supported VAX, MicroVAX, and VAXserver systems, please consult the VMS DECwindows Motif SSA (36.09.00- A). OSF/Motif Toolkit Restriction When a DECwindows application is first started, it must estab- lish a connection to a workstation. This is called opening the display. When the user is finished with the application, the application closes the display. A single Motif application that opens, closes, then re-opens displays can experience problems with display and screen- specific data, such as pixmaps. Therefore, we recommend that Motif applications not open and close displays multiple times. Digital is working with OSF towards a more comprehensive so- lution to this problem for a future release of VMS DECwindows Motif. 4 VAXELN Window Server for VMS VAXELN Window Server for VMS Version 1.0 (SPD 33.69.xx) is incompatible with VMS DECwindows Motif Version 1.0. A compatible version of VAXELN Window Server for VMS, Version 1.0A, is currently available. Please be sure that you are running Version 1.0A or higher of VAXELN Window Server for VMS. ©Digital Equipment Corporation. 1991. All rights reserved. 5