Running devwsys

The most straightforward way to use devwsys is from 9vx. First, devwsys have to be launched:

user@unix$ devwsys

This will post a 9p server in /tmp/ns.user.:0/wsys (where user is the user name in the unix system and :0 is the current X display). Now, this 9p server can be mounted from 9vx to create new windows. An easy way to access devwsys is setting the wsys environment variable. Then, you will be able to open programs in new windows using window(1) with the -m flag:

term% wsys='#Z/tmp/ns.user.:0/wsys'

term% window -m acme

For a better experience the wctl rc script, included in the util directory of the devwsys distribution, can be used to provide a wctl service. Then, the -m option is not needed any more, new applications will use the namespace of the wctl process:

term% wctl=`{wctl}

post...

term% window acme

Similar commands will work from drawterm(8) too. Inferno, instead, is a bit different. Some files have different names, and cursors have a slight different format. To solve this issue, devwsys will deduce what cursor format is being used depending on what is written to the cursor file, while extra keyboard and pointer files are equivalent to cons and mouse. So, the only required step is to mount devwsys before launching wm(1):

; mount -Ab '#U*/tmp/ns.user.:0/wsys' /dev

; wm/wm

Have fun!

Drawing cats

The main function of the drawing device is to draw the catclock window. This video shows how devwsys can be used for this fundamental task, and even to play sudokus, using 9vx on top of linux.

There are still many thing to be done: resizes are not working, programs segfault when the right mouse button is pressed, anything using fonts will fail and memory is being leaked all over the place. But we can draw cats, everything should get easier now.