X protocol dumps [was: Bug#107864]

[Juliusz Chroboczek <jch@pps.jussieu.fr>]

[CCd to debian-x in case someone is interested]

>> I am attaching a fragment of an X protocol dump.

MM>  I'm curious... how do you get this?

I'm using an old, old tool called `xscope'.  I have found it an
absolutely necessary tool for debugging X efficiency problems.  A
trace of your app can point out useless chattering or redundant
activity that you'd never notice otherwise.

A web or FTP search will let you find the sources, although you'll
need to hack it a little bit to get it to compile with Linux and
X11R6.  You'll need to rip out all the X11R5 PEX stuff, for a start,
and I also seem to recall some minor tweaks to the sockets code.

(Xscope also doesn't grok big requests, but if your client generates
requests over 64 Kwords them you've got more urgent problems.)

Unfortunately, the only copyright notice that xscope carries is

       James L. Peterson (MCC)
       Copyright 1988, MCC

which means that technically you're not even allowed to redistribute
unmodified versions.  At some point in the past, Keith Packard did go
to quite a bit of effort to retrace Peterson; as far as we know, he's
vanished.

If anyone can find James L. Peterson and convince, bribe, threaten or
bully him into republishing xscope under the X11 licence, I'll
personally get a working version into the XFree86 tree.

Regards,

                                        Juliusz