XFree86 |
XFree86 is an implementation of the X Window System. It was originally written for Unix-like operating systems on IBM PC compatibles and is now available for many other operating systems and platforms. It is free software and open source software under the XFree86 License version 1.1. It is developed by the XFree86 Project, Inc.; the lead developer is David Dawes. The current release is version 4.5.0.
For most of the 1990s and early 2000s, the project was the source of most innovation in X and was the de facto steward of X development. Until early 2004, it was almost universal on Linux and the Berkeley Software Distributions. It lost much popularity and most of its software developer when it adopted an unpopular software license for version 4.4.0.
= Architecture =
XFree86 consists of client library (computer science) used to write X applications ( clients ), and an X server responsible for the display. Client and server communicate via the X protocol, which allows to run clients and server on different computers.
The XFree86 server communicates with the host operating system s kernel to drive input and output devices, with the exception of graphics cards. These are generally managed directly by XFree86, so it includes its own drivers for all graphic cards a user might have. Some cards are supported by vendors themselves via binary-only drivers.
Since version 4.0, XFree86 has supported (some) accelerated 3D graphics cards via the GLX and Direct Rendering Infrastructure extensions.
Because the server usually needs low level access to graphics hardware, on many configurations it needs to run as the Superuser, or a user with UID 0. However, on some systems and configurations it is possible to run the server as a normal user.
It is also possible to use XFree86 in a Linux framebuffer, which in turn uses a kernel graphics card driver.
On a typical POSIX-system, the directory /etc/X11 includes the configuration files. The basic configuration file is /etc/x11/XF86Config (or XF86Config-4) that includes variables about the screen (monitor), computer keyboard and graphics card. The program xf86config is often used, although xf86cfg also comes with the XFree86 server and is certainly friendlier. Many Linux distributions include a configuration tool that is easier to use (such as Debian s debconf) or autodetects most (if not all) settings (Red Hat Linux and Fedora Core s Anaconda installer , SuSE s YaST and Mandrake Linux chose this path).
=History=
== Early history and naming ==
The project began in 1992 when David Wexelblat, Glenn Lai, David Dawes and Jim Tsillas joined forces addressing bugs in the X11 X386 source code (written by Thomas Roell), as contributed to X11R5. This version was initially called X386 1.2E. As newer versions of the (originally freeware) X386 were being sold commercially by SGCS (of which Roell was a partner), confusion existed between the projects. After discussion, the project was renamed XFree86, as a pun, (compare X-three-eighty-six to X-free-eighty-six). Roell has continued to sell commercial X servers, most recently under the name Accelerated-X
== Rise with Linux ==
As Linux grew in popularity, XFree86 rose with it, as the main X project with drivers for PC video cards.
By the late 1990s, official X development was moribund [http://www.computerworld.com/softwaretopics/software/appdev/story/0,10801,67861,00.html]. Most technical advancement was happening in the XFree86 project. In 1999, XFree86 was sponsored onto X.Org (the official industry consortium) by various hardware companies [http://slashdot.org/article.plsid=99/12/01/1342251&tid=104] interested in its use with Linux and its status as the most popular version of X.
== 2003: dissent within the project ==
By was ejected from the Core Team with considerable ill-feeling [http://www.xfree86.org/pipermail/forum/2003-March/001997.html] [http://www.xfree86.org/pipermail/forum/2003-March/002165.html] [http://www.xfree86.org/pipermail/forum/2003-April/003016.html]. The Core Team claimed this was for conspiracy: Keith had been trying to fork the XFree86 project, working inside the project, while trying to attract core developers to a new X Server project of his own making. Packard denied this had been his aim.
== Disbanding of the Core Team ==
XFree86 used to have a Core Team which was made up of experienced developers, selected for their merits. Due to limited innovation capacity the XFree86 Core Team voted to disband itself, on December 30, 2003, effective the following day.
== Licensing controversy ==
XFree86 4.4 was released in February 2004 with a change to the license: the addition of an advertising clause, similar to that in the old version of the [http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/l=openbsd-tech&m=109945283014871&w=2].)
= Forks of XFree86 =
== Xouvert ==
An experimental branch of the XFree86 server code, Xouvert, was announced in late 2003, but showed no activity after early 2004.
== The XOrg Foundation Open Source Public Implementation of X11 ==
The X.Org Server is the official reference implementation of X11, produced by X.Org. The first version, X11R6.7.0, was a Fork (software) from XFree86 version 4.4 RC2, with X11R6.6 changes merged in. Version X11R6.8 added many new extensions, drivers and fixes. It is not encumbered by the XFree86 license changes. It is hosted by and works closely with freedesktop.org.
Most of the open-source Unix-like operating systems have adopted the Xorg Server in place of XFree86, and most of the XFree86 developers moved to Xorg [http://www.dwheeler.com/essays/gpl-compatible.html#xfree86].
=Release history=
= See also =
=References=
|
|