diff -u old/colour.c colour.c
--- old/colour.c	Fri Jun  3 14:39:39 1994
+++ colour.c	Fri Jan 12 17:25:53 1996
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
 static int allocate_colours(Colormap c);
 
-static unsigned long colours[6*6*6], greys[33], black, white;
+static unsigned long *colours, greys[33], black, white;
 
 /*
  * Create a colourmap with 6 levels each of red, green and blue,
@@ -27,12 +27,19 @@
  * enough space, otherwise create a new one.
  */
 
+#define shift(x)                                                            \
+	for(i = 31, m = 0x80000000L; (m & v->x##_mask) == 0; i--, m >>= 1)  \
+	    ;                                                               \
+	x##_shift = i;
+
 Colormap create_colourmap(void)
 {
-    int r, g, b, n;
+    int r, g, b, n, i, m;
     XColor colour;
     Colormap cmap;
-
+    Visual *v;
+    int red_shift, green_shift, blue_shift;
+    
     if(screendepth == 1)
     {
 	black = BlackPixelOfScreen(screen);
@@ -51,42 +58,85 @@
 	XAllocColor(display, cmap, &colour);
     }
 
-    /* Allocate the colours */
+    if(screendepth <= 8)
+    {
+	/* Allocate the colours */
 
-    n = 0;
-    for(r=0; r<256; r+=51)
-	for(g=0; g<256; g+=51)
-	    for(b=0; b<256; b+=51)
-	    {
-		colour.red = r * 256;
-		colour.green = g * 256;
-		colour.blue = b * 256;
-		if(XAllocColor(display, cmap, &colour) == 0)
+	colours = (unsigned long *)malloc(6*6*6 * sizeof(unsigned long));
+	if(colours == 0)
+	{
+	    fprintf(stderr, "Out of memory allocating the colour table.\n");
+	    exit(1);
+	}
+	n=0;
+	for(r=0; r<256; r+=51)
+	    for(g=0; g<256; g+=51)
+		for(b=0; b<256; b+=51)
 		{
-		    fprintf(stderr, "using private colormap\n");
-		    cmap = XCopyColormapAndFree(display, cmap);
-		    XAllocColor(display, cmap, &colour);
+		    colour.red = r * 256;
+		    colour.green = g * 256;
+		    colour.blue = b * 256;
+		    if(XAllocColor(display, cmap, &colour) == 0)
+		    {
+			fprintf(stderr, "using private colormap\n");
+			cmap = XCopyColormapAndFree(display, cmap);
+			XAllocColor(display, cmap, &colour);
+		    }
+		    colours[n++] = colour.pixel;
 		}
-		colours[n++] = colour.pixel;
-	    }
 
-    /* Allocate the greys */
+	/* Allocate the greys */
 
-    for(n=0; n<33; n++)
-    {
-	colour.red = colour.green = colour.blue = n * 8 * 256 - (n == 32);
-	if(XAllocColor(display, cmap, &colour) == 0)
+	for(n=0; n<33; n++)
 	{
-	    fprintf(stderr, "using private colormap\n");
-	    cmap = XCopyColormapAndFree(display, cmap);
-	    XAllocColor(display, cmap, &colour);
+	    colour.red = colour.green = colour.blue = n * 8 * 256 - (n == 32);
+	    if(XAllocColor(display, cmap, &colour) == 0)
+	    {
+		fprintf(stderr, "using private colormap\n");
+		cmap = XCopyColormapAndFree(display, cmap);
+		XAllocColor(display, cmap, &colour);
+	    }
+	    greys[n] = colour.pixel;
 	}
-	greys[n] = colour.pixel;
-    }
 
-    black = greys[0];
-    white = greys[32];
+	black = greys[0];
+	white = greys[32];
+    }
+    else /* > 8 bit, assume truecolor display */
+    {
+	/* Use a 5*5*5 truecolor map */
+	colours = (unsigned long *)malloc(32768 * sizeof(unsigned long));
+	if(colours == 0)
+	{
+	    fprintf(stderr, "Out of memory allocating the colour table.\n");
+	    exit(1);
+	}
+	
+	v = DefaultVisualOfScreen(screen);
+	shift(red);
+	shift(green);
+	shift(blue);
+	n=0;
+	for(r=0; r<32; r++)
+	    for(g=0; g<32; g++)
+		for(b=0; b<32; b++)
+		{
+		    /*
+		     * We assume the default colormap has a certain
+		     * format, so we can compute the pixel values
+		     * without asking the XServer (which would take a
+		     * tremendous amount of time for 32k colours).
+		     */
+		    colours[n++] =
+			(r << (red_shift - 4)) |
+			(g << (green_shift - 4)) |
+			(b << (blue_shift - 4));
+		}
 
+	black = BlackPixelOfScreen(screen);
+	white = WhitePixelOfScreen(screen);
+    }
+    
     return cmap;
 }
 
@@ -112,7 +162,7 @@
 	    pix_best = black;
 	}
     }
-    else
+    else if(screendepth <= 8)
     {
 	int min = r < g ? (r < b ? r : b) : (g < b ? g : b);
 	int max = r > g ? (r > b ? r : b) : (g > b ? g : b);
@@ -131,6 +181,21 @@
 	    b_best = ((b + 25) / 51) * 51;
 
 	    pix_best = colours[(r_best/51)*36 + (g_best/51)*6 + (b_best/51)];
+	}
+    }
+    else /* > 8 bit */
+    {
+	if(r == 255 && g == 255 && b == 255)
+	    pix_best = white;
+	else if(r == 0 && g == 0 && b == 0)
+	    pix_best = black;
+	else
+	{
+	    r_best = ((r + 4) / 8) * 8;
+	    g_best = ((g + 4) / 8) * 8;
+	    b_best = ((b + 4) / 8) * 8;
+
+	    pix_best = colours[(r_best/8)*1024 + (g_best/8)*32 + (b_best/8)];
 	}
     }