X client wrapper for Win apps?

[Keith D. Tyler]

Hello,

I don't know if this has been asked before, but I can't find a great
search string that would help me find answers to my question.

I'm dreaming of the possibility of using Xwin as my Windows shell. I've
seen the recent post from D.F. about using KDE as his Windows
desktop. I've tried basically this already, but it has two flaws that IMO
make the solution very clunky:

Running Windows apps makes the Xwin minimize.
Win apps are independent of the X Windowing environment; for example, I
can't use a virtual desktop that will affect my Win apps.

(Right now I am using two virtual desktops: JSPager for my Windows
environment, and then FvwmPager in my Xwin. This means I have a weird
nested virtual desktop, which is fine but awkward -- I have to have two
sets of desktop-switching keys, etc.)

D.F. noted that Cygwin/Xfree doesn't or can't run in the same sort of
rootless manner as Windows Explorer. I was thinking of an alternate
solution. Is there an app that can wrap MS apps (running on real
Win32) into X windows clients? I.e. I could start iexplore.exe and it
would appear within my X environment like an X app, not indifferent to it.

Is this even possible? Feasible/practical?

Another alternate solution would be if there was a native Win32 version of
fvwm, that could manage Win32 windows as well as accept X client connects,
but thats a question for someone else I'm sure... At very least, some
native Win32 WM, fvwm or not, that could handle both types of apps.

This is, I realize, all probably very unrealistic dreaming, but any leads
or tips are welcome.

TIA,

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Keith D. Tyler                                keith@keithtyler.com
Federal Way, WA                          http://www.keithtyler.com
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 Terrorists can attack freedom, but only Congress can destroy it.
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