The Labs.Com X11 Lab

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X11 - The UNIX Window System

1. Introduction
2. Applications
3. Window Managers
4. Xnest
5. Virtual Network Computing (VNC)
6. X2X
7. X11 Libs
8. Misc Interface Infos

X11 is the desktop window-system for UNIX. Programming low-level X11 is fairly a hassle as color-models dependent on the hardware. Several libraries give an open color-model (ie. 24bit) for the programmer.

From my own experience I strongly recommend to program GUIs using interpreter-based language, such as PerlTK or TCL/TK. It reduces development time, and source-maintance is cheap as comperable C or C++ sources are much longer.

To get first-hand information on X11 check OpenGroup: X-Windows.

X11 R6.4 Documents Postscript files

Insuffiency

There are several insufficiencies to be admited about X11: As per X11R6 there is still no native antialiasing font-support, neither alpha blending of windows. NeXTStep (bought by Apple) supported on X11 antialiased fonts, now the hopes remain on MacOS X (MacOS + BSD Kernel). There is a XFree86 effort underway, and since XFree86-4.0.2 included (Jan 2001) but doesn't work seamless yet, see also Xft-hack. Pro: X11's Future Future heading article Contra: X11 Must Die! Provocative article, but many good points

Embedded X11

X11 is huge to run on embedded-systems, a small window-system was developed from scratch: MicroWindows & Nano-X / GUI Lightweight window-system it provides through Nano-X an alike X11 API for easy porting of existing X11-apps.

AntiDesktop

An interesting slashdot thread: Killing Clutter With The Antidesktop Minimalism

X11 Lab 2. Applications

Some tiny applications we developed mainly for desktop purposes (nothing truly significant):

SystemViuw Small PerlTK script show cpu/memory and disk-space	NetViuw Small PerlTK script shows netstat	WorkTimer PerlTK script keeping track of different work you do
MountIt PerlTK script handling mounting devices	MyDiary PerlTK script as diary (textual, audio, video)	Backgrounds Diverse screen-backgrounds
MyDesk Small PerlTK script with some desktop features (outdated use kfm)

For other X11/OpenSource applications and resources please visit freshmeat.net and search for "X11".

X11 Lab 3. Window Managers

Under X11 the window-management is implemented apart from the core:

AfterStep X11 Window-manager of the best kind	Window Maker Further development of AfterStep	Enlightenment Great window-manager with themes
KDE The environment, also themeable	XWinMan.Org X-Window Managers Overview	OpenDirectory: X11 Window Managers Links collection

I prefere to use AfterStep Classic (even an older version than up-to-date AfterStep), the newer managers I consider as configuration-overkill.

X11 Lab 4. Xnest

As of XFree86-4.0 there is a neat server available, Xnest which allows to run on X11 another server (like the VNC-client portrayed below):

Xnest -geometry 1024x768  :1

xterm -display :1

And you created a new screen in which you can test applications (e.g. certain colormap or pixel-depths); even within this next X-server you are able to run Xnest again and so forth (mirror-in-a-mirror).

X11 Lab 5. Virtual Network Computing (VNC)

VNC is based on synchronizing screen-buffer from the server to a client. VNC by ATT/UK has developed VNC-servers & clients for X11, in other words you can run X11 server(s) on your machine and test applications and or window-managers; X11 within X11.

Below you see X11 within X11 within X11.

Virtual Network Computing (VNC) Main homepage (GPL source)

VNC actually replaces what X11 was meant for once; there are now various VNC-viewers and servers available, check InterOS-section.

X11 Lab 6. X2X

X2X is a small program which allows to connect two X-servers (-form source-X11 with -to dest-X11) together:

colossus% x2x -from colossus:0.0 -to polaris:0.0 -west -resurface

colossus% x2x -from colossus:0.0 -to storm:0.0 -east -resurface

This way you can control from the keyboard & mouse of colossus (in my setup) two other screens on the left (west) and one on the right (east); under XFree86-3.3.x running two x2x caused problems, under XFree86-4.x this seems resolved and works without problems.

X2X (digital.com) Source-code

X2VNC X2X for VNC, homepage & sources

X11 Lab 7. X11 Libs

XLib-Manual Online xlib-manual	PerlTK PerlTK, writing graphic application under X11 with Perl5	LessTif.Org Motif replacament
GTK, The GIMP Tookit Very good library	X11.Org Good resource-center, window-managers	Themes.Org Many themes for X11

X11 Lab 8. Misc Interface Infos

Videocards Some infos on X11 & videocards	Keyboards Some infos on keyboards	Monitors Some infos on high-end monitors
Multi-Head Multiple monitor approaches	Tablets dito on tablets

                                                                                                                                   

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