PC Graphics Terminal - replace X with less bloat
author Neil Franklin, last modification 2004.03.10

use existing PC hardware, only new software
  AT+RS232 or PS/2 or USB keyboards and mice
  ISA/PCI/AGP graphics cards, in bitmap mode, full 24bit
    use cards as as dumb framebuffers
    ev 2D accelerator for scrolling, but that is card dependant
    modelines for using full monitor size like in Xfree or Linux console-tools
  PC loudspeaker or sound card for audio out
initially call from .profile, after login, runs as user program
  will need SUID for video card setting (or call console-tools for this?)
    what is needed for then memory mapping the frame buffer?
    svgalib? ggi? kgi? direct?, what graphics standard for hardware access?
  login no xdm, but possible login-mode, runs getty/login in one window
    allow new pty to be same login (comfort, X) or different (flexible, cons)
split screen into windows, program replaces X+wm+xterm
  window frame just 4 sides frame+3Dedge(+border?), for move/resize/menu(close)
    frameless window possible, for graphical effects or iconised applications
      ev full screen frameless window, like consoles, but low priority
    no scrollbar, wastes space, requires widgets
      or between term and shell a scrollbar operated "less" replacement
    no buttons, as that also requires widgets built into terminal
      iconification must be from application, window move/resize/dock/de-frame
    facult window title, escape seq on/off, as that is app designers stuff
    window stacking controllable by applications
      desktop just blank one colour, no picture, use back-stacked window
    generally no-nonsense design, get stuff done, without troublemakers
  escape sequences to manipulate window, set/modify size/pos before show
    auto-appear at standard size/pos if first char recieved is ASCII
    escape sequences to find size/pos of window and entire screen
  each window with independant terminal state
    for each of these an pty to running users shell/programs
    background/desktop can also run an tty, with prog or cat can do picture
  ev screen-like feature, each pty has state, windows can swap ptys
    make this compatible with sshd+screenclient, for connects from remote
    make pty selector use its own ssh connect to fetch lists f remote screens
      then for each connection to remote own ssh connection and sshd+ownclient
no netwerk awareness, no ports [678]00x, no xhost, no xauth, no holes
  use ssh from shell or direct, to other system, no X mode, no 6010, no hole
    then run program in there which is using same escape sequences as local
  same simplicity, comfort, safety, security as normal ASCII or ANSI progr
    just port 22 daemon on server, no ports open on workstation
output graphics drawn to pixel coordinates, not char coord
  scroll behaviour like browser, when not enough space for printing
  for bitmap graphics use 6bit-in-ASCII, uuencode, 64-127
    sixel (as in VK100/VT340), mime/base64, pgp ascii armor, or similar
  bits for 1/2/4/6/8bit gray, 3/6/12/24bit truecolor, 1/2/4/6/8bit invert
    1/2/4/6/8bit palette (and gray/truecolor for writing palette definition)
    compressed mode RLL/fax/gif/png like and possibly also JPEG like
  LF advances one pixel line, too wide bitmap wraps or dropped, like many chars
    bitmap is pixels+LF, as many lines as come, no size indicators, cat-able
    cursor positioning escape sequences for placing on pixel pos
      cursor als crosshair, inverted or colour, middle unchanged pixel
  no vector graphics as vector->bitmap better in application
    no need for complicated vector descriptions and encodings and xlib
  no user libs, also no need for bloated fits-everyone gtk or kde
    any program can just send escapes, like today full screen char progr
output text, used as indexes in character bitmaps
  draw line of chars with left/right margin, and top margin from last used
    in char mode LF advances font hight, ev plus-minus spacer
    if not enough space with bottom margin, scroll, add background
  cursor positioning in pixel or chars, so chars can be placed anywhere
    cursor block or underline, steady or blink, invert, empty if unfocus
  use existing Linux console or X bitmap or own fonts for default
    all other fonts from application and computer it is on, no font server
    1bit bitmap for font definition, const hight and variable width chars
      space for multiple loaded fonts, short escape to switch them
    own font format, ist nothing more than formatted escape bitmap graphic
      can be drawn with any bitmap editor, any format, convert to escapes
output sound also 6bit-in-ASCII for samples and timbre definition samples
  only sample based output, no older sound generators or midi, do that in apps
    this is same as only bitmap and doing vector in apps
  possibly analog to ascii -> font-bitmap als ascii-score -> timbre-samples
    load an timbre with n same-"instrument" sounds, beep/ctrl-g is sound 0
  are automatically synchronous with bitmaps, no lagging problems
    escape sequence for wait until at least "n" ms since last sync point
    possibly multiple channel sound, will need sync
    no mess with n different sound daemons, sync troubles, security holes
input keyboard as ascii with escapes, any existing program can work with this
  keyboard use existing Linux console or X layout definition files
  possibly extensions if keys with no given representation
input mouse also generate escapes, same ones as in xterm, so programs use them
  no need for hacks like gpm, no support for working with gpm either
  mouse copy/paste delivers keys or bitmap, depending on what there
    copy mode for "linear" content and rectangle/block extraction
    read back as bitmap or text, depending on what there, empty=bitmap
    ev escape for readback (if superimposing stuff onto what is there)
  mousewheel scrollback like xterm, but also char/pixel lines sensitive
    als mouse cursor scroll x/y if paste->drag%drop mode, no scrollbars
  mouse on window frame elements for active/stack/move/resize/kill/duplicate
tools for pnm->escapes (stdout shows), escapes->pnm
  tool for direct all(->pnm)->escapes with horizontal cut, else wraparound
  less-like viewer for bitmaps, for photo viewing, and usable from lynx&co
  bitmap editing tool running direct in window, direct own mbitmap format,
    for drawing sketches and fonts, and modifying photos
  port an webbrowser or raw gecko HMTL renderer to this terminal
start with dumb tty, add ANSI, then VT100 (or VT340?), then add xterm
  then add VK100, then expand escape sequences for all other newer stuff