This document discusses the new Motif feature release. It is not intended to teach Motif programming; instead it is aimed at current Motif 1.2 developers who wish to port their code to the new API.
Not all libraries supplied by Silicon Graphics are available in Motif 2.1 versions. The following libraries are available in Motif 2.1 compatible versions:
Media Warehouse
Digital media
Impressario
GL Drawing area widget
Because this is available in source, only a single archive library is shipped. It includes both the 1.2 and 2.1 objects.
WebViewer
ViewKit
Versions of the above libraries released before Irix 6.5.2 are known to cause problems. Installing the 6.5.2 versions should fix this.
The following are known problems with Motif 2.1 in IRIX 6.5.2:
Display PostScript does not work.
sgitcl does not work.
The custom libraries that the Workshop Debugger, cvd, uses are not available.
The libraries are not completely corded.
Motif 2.1 does not include a library for the O32 ABI. Any applications that are not yet using the n32 ABI must switch to that ABI before they can use Motif 2.1.
Motif 2.1 supports a print widget for interaction with the X Print Server that comes with X11R6 (and later). The print server and the print widget are not available in this release.
Motif 2.1 was announced as being thread safe. However, tests run by Silicon Graphics show that this is not necessarily the case.
In the next major release of IRIX, Silicon Graphics will be making Motif 2.1 the default build environment (while continuing to support Motif 1.2 development much as 2.1 is supported currently).
Later still, the capability to develop with Motif 1.2 will be removed, but the 1.2 execution environment will continue to be shipped.
The execution environments for all Motif 2.1-supported software (Motif, ViewKit, WebViewer, and so on) are combined, so installing any of the above EOE images from any release, 6.5.2 and later, will provide you with all the shared libraries you need to run applications that have been developed with either Motif 1.2 or 2.1.
To determine which release of IRIX you have, use the following command:
/bin/uname -R |
Motif 2.1 Programmer's Guide, The Open Group, 1997.
Motif 2.1 User's Guide, The Open Group, 1997.
Motif 2.1 Widget Writer's Guide, The Open Group, 1997
Motif 2.1 Glossary, The Open Group, 1997.
Motif and Common Desktop Environment: Style Guide, The Open Group, 1997.
Motif and Common Desktop Environment: Style Guide Certification Checklist, The Open Group, 1997.
Motif and Common Desktop Environment: Style Guide Reference, The Open Group, 1997.
Most of these books are also available using the IRIS InSight viewer.