Difference between revisions of "X Window System"

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The '''X Window System''' is the now-dominant [[window system]] used by [[application]]s which wish to perform output to a [[window]] (either in the form of text, [[graphics]], or images). Unlike earlier window systems, which were part of an [[operating system]], or interacted though [[subroutine call]]s, X is based on a [[protocol]] which runs over a [[reliable byte stream]]. An X session can be run over any [[data network]] which provides such streams. (Currently [[TCP/IP]] [[internetwork|internets]] are used, but in the past the [[Chaosnet|CHAOS protocol]] was also used.) The streams connect the application to an X [[server]] which has direct access to the [[display]] being used.
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The '''X Window System''' (sometimes called '''X11''' or just '''X''') is the now-dominant [[window system]] used by [[application]]s which wish to perform output to a [[window]] (either in the form of text, [[graphics]], or images).
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Unlike earlier window systems, which were part of an [[operating system]], or interacted though [[subroutine call]]s, X is based on a [[protocol]] which runs over a [[reliable byte stream]]. An X session can be run over any [[data network]] which provides such streams. (Currently [[TCP/IP]] [[internetwork|internets]] are used, but in the past the [[Chaosnet|CHAOS protocol]] was also used.) The streams connect the application to an X [[server]] which has direct access to the [[display]] being used.
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==History==
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X is based on the [[W window system]] (which was used initially for a window system in the [[CLU]] project)), but Bob Scheifler largely re-wrote it to become X. CLU was one of the first programming languages to get support for X, in fact even before [[C programming language|C]]. The X10 release of X has many [[subroutine package|libraries]] and [[application]]s written in CLU, but the X11 release retains no traces of the language.
  
 
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* [https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/22949.24053 The X Window System], Robert W. Scheifler, Jim Gettys (ACM Transactions on Graphics 5 (2), April 1986)
 
* [https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/22949.24053 The X Window System], Robert W. Scheifler, Jim Gettys (ACM Transactions on Graphics 5 (2), April 1986)
* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/lcs/tr/MIT-LCS-TR-368.pdf The X Window System], Robert W. Scheifler, Jim Gettys (TR-368,MIT-LCS)
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* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/lcs/tr/MIT-LCS-TR-0368.pdf The X Window System], Robert W. Scheifler, Jim Gettys (TR-368,MIT-LCS)
 
* [https://github.com/larsbrinkhoff/absolutely-not-a-vaxstation100-emulator/issues/1 X version history, prehistory]
 
* [https://github.com/larsbrinkhoff/absolutely-not-a-vaxstation100-emulator/issues/1 X version history, prehistory]
  
[[Category: Network Protocols]]
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[[Category: Network Application Protocols]]
 
[[Category: Window Systems]]
 
[[Category: Window Systems]]

Latest revision as of 12:05, 17 September 2024

The X Window System (sometimes called X11 or just X) is the now-dominant window system used by applications which wish to perform output to a window (either in the form of text, graphics, or images).

Unlike earlier window systems, which were part of an operating system, or interacted though subroutine calls, X is based on a protocol which runs over a reliable byte stream. An X session can be run over any data network which provides such streams. (Currently TCP/IP internets are used, but in the past the CHAOS protocol was also used.) The streams connect the application to an X server which has direct access to the display being used.

History

X is based on the W window system (which was used initially for a window system in the CLU project)), but Bob Scheifler largely re-wrote it to become X. CLU was one of the first programming languages to get support for X, in fact even before C. The X10 release of X has many libraries and applications written in CLU, but the X11 release retains no traces of the language.

External links