Re: VMS V8.3 (et al.) v. Netscape Navigator Gold Version 3.03



In article <a7a5d8d0-1ad1-46f7-94ba-c11e01bc0279@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Steven Schweda <sms.antinode@xxxxxxxxx> writes:
Today's entertainment involves a new problem with an old
Web browser.

ALP $ tcpip show version

HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Alpha Version V5.6 - ECO 4
on a COMPAQ Professional Workstation XP1000 running OpenVMS V8.3

OS patches should be pretty current.

Because its memory use is lower, and it doesn't grow
quickly without apparent limit, I still use the old Netscape
browser on my main Alpha system, when I can. Now, since my
recent OS (and IP) upgrade, it doesn't work properly. It
almost works, but only when the keyboard or mouse is busy.
Even when accessing a local file, it hangs unless I keep the
mouse moving (or strike keys). On VMS V7.3-2, I didn't see
this behavior. It's pretty bad. Image load+display stops
mid-image when the mouse stops moving, then resumes when the
mouse moves. (It's fun to watch, unless you just wanted to
load a Web page.)

Knowing nothing, I'm guessing that something in the new
VMS/DECwindows/who_knows_what user-interface code is (now)
using some event flag (or something) which is (and has been)
used by the old Netscape browser, so they're now interacting
in strange (and annoying) ways.

Has anyone else seen this? (Or, can anyone see it if he
tries?) Or am I the last Netscape 3 user left on VMS, or at
least on V8.3? If anyone has a fix/work-around, I'd be
interested. Otherwise, I suspect that I'll need to fetch a
fresh Mosaic or something. (Netscape's beyond support, I
gather, even if I (a non-paying peon) deserved support.)

Unless you need the very broken Javascript support in Netscape
3.03, you would be better off using VMS Mosaic. It doesn't
support Javascript or Java, but does a decent job on any page
not heavily dependent on style sheets.

I am hoping to get VMS Mosaic V4.3 out the door Real Soon Now.
It was supposed to have limited style sheet support; all the
needed libraries (libcroco and libxmx2) have already been added,
but I have not been well enough to do the coding.

Of course the above assumes you don't want to use the Mozilla
or Seamonkey releases for VMS.


George Cook
WVNET
.



Relevant Pages

  • Re: Script error on Google Homepage
    ... >> about Netscape's innerHTML support that reflects backward ... If Netscape had not abandoned backward-compatibility in the ... I did not claim Netscape 6 was a current browser. ...
    (microsoft.public.scripting.jscript)
  • Re: OT Ebay does not like netscape
    ... we recommend upgrading your Web browser. ... include the use of the latest security updates and support of interactive Web features. ... what version of netscape are you using? ...
    (rec.collecting.coins)
  • Re: FF prints only first page
    ... with FireFox, Mozilla and Netscape 8.1, while IE 6 and other browsers ... Also none of the browser uses my page formatting instructions in CSS ... CSS3 don't expect many browsers to support this yet. ...
    (alt.html)
  • Re: Dear Greg:
    ... I ain't blaming you - Netscape is a browser. ... something in it that Netscape does not support ... I have no problem viewing or loading to Picasa using Netscape. ...
    (rec.scuba)
  • Re: OpenVMS Support Issues
    ... > The most important thing for folks to do is for folks to send me detail ... > It is important to note that this is not a VMS specific thing so we are ... > wonderful people you the customers are the reasons that I love what I ... >>> support issues, down. ...
    (comp.os.vms)