New, Modularized X Window Release Now Available for Download

By Leon Shiman, X.org -- X11R7.0 is the first release of the complete modularized and autotooled source code base for the X Window System. It is the first major version release of the X Window System in more than a decade. X11R6.9, its companion release, contains identical features and uses the exact same source code as X11R7.0, but uses the traditional imake build system. (Read the rest of the announcement below) These changes in source code management, which give openness and transparency to the source code base and employ current technology, invite a new generation of developers to contribute, building on the long tradition of the X Window System. The new modular format offers focused development and rapid, independent updates and distribution of tested modular components as they are ready, freed from the biennial maintenance release timetable.

X11R6.9 is comprised of many distinct components bonded in a single tree, based on imake. X11R7.0 splits that set of components into logically distinct modules, separately developed, built, and maintained by the community of X.Org developers. This simultaneous release gives a transition point for developers, builders, and vendors to adapt their practices to the new X.Org modular process.

X11R7.0 supports Linux and Solaris at this time, with other support pending. X11R7.1, the first modular roll-up release, is scheduled mid-2006. While the monolithic tree will continue to be fully supported and released, new feature development is expected to concentrate on the modular code base.

The X11R7.0 and X11R6.9 releases are the work of more than fifty volunteer contributors worldwide, working under the release management team of Kevin Martin (Head), Alan Coopersmith, and Adam Jackson, with the support of Red Hat, Sun Microsystems, and the unsupported, generous contribution of effort by Adam Jackson.

All X Window System Releases are available from ftp.X.Org and mirror sites worldwide (see http://wiki.x.org/Mirrors). They are distributed under the MIT ("X") License by the X.Org Foundation LLC. Information concerning organization, activities, and mailing lists can be found at www.X.Org. Membership is free and open to contributors. Sponsorship is encouraged to support the global activities of the X.Org Foundation. Current X.Org Sponsors include Sun Microsystems, HP, IBM, StarNet Communications, AttachmateWRQ, Hummingbird, and Integrated Computer Solutions Incorporated [ICS].

In continuous use for over 20 years, the X Window System provides the only standard platform-independent networked graphical window system bridging the heterogeneous platforms in today's enterprise: from network servers to desktops, thin clients, laptops, and hand-helds, independent of operating system and hardware.

* LINUX is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. "Solaris" is a trademark of Sun Microsystems. All company names are trademarks of their registered owners.

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Comments

New developers

[lordofthemoose]

I have to admit that it's something I'm welcoming. The autotools are hard enough to learn, having to figure out imake on top of that was a bit of a hassle. Add to this the fact that it's now modular -we can work on different bits much more easily- and it's a winner...

Re:New developers

[KiloByte]

The autotools are hard enough to learn

Yeah, but they work just wonderful if you want portability to something more than just different Linux distros. Any problems tend to stem from third-party sabotage (for example, Debian source packages mangle timestamps at patch time).

The problem is, you need to be able to edit files using an insane slew of languages. Each of the autotools uses a different one, and in the case of autoconf, you have a weird combination of m4 and sh.

having to figure out imake on top of that was a bit of a hassle.

Oh right, imake is a living proof that you can get a lot worse.

Fully Modular

[Hatta]

What does this mean for me as an end user?

Re:Fully Modular

[lindi]

"Fully modular" immediately reminded me of "The X-Windows Disaster" which has a chapter titled "X: The First Fully Modular Software Disaster".

Re:Fully Modular

[sstidman]

And in that chapter he writes the following:

If you sit down at a friend's Macintosh, with its single mouse button, you can use it with no problems.

Of course, that Mac your friend is using is running X11, the very thing the article is bashing. I'm sure the article was written before MacOS X, but the statement is now a complete contradiction of his entire argument against X.

What this means

[Jotii]

Am I right in saying this will not make any difference to the end users? Making X module-based seems to greatly simplify coding for developers, but does it have any effect for the end user at all?

For the end-users, ...

[c0l0]

... there are a few new features to expect. I'm most curious about the new drivers for ATI's R300-Chips (and newer), called "r300", which will provide GLX-Support (hardware-accelerated OpenGL) in a Free Software-only manner.
Oh, and there are some minor features to be added, like 30Bit visuals for improved greyscale graphics for medical purposes, for example.
 
Apart from the new drivers, there's nothing to be OVERLY excited about this release - unless you're going to build yourself, I'm really looking forward to playing around with portions of the code without having to recompile the whole bloody source again. :)

nVidia

[dpilot]

So how long will it take us to get nVidia to support this with their evil, closed source drivers?

For that matter, even if there is R300 support, isn't it now 2 generations back?

Re:nVidia

[Slashcrap]

So how long will it take us to get nVidia to support this with their evil, closed source drivers?

It's working fine for me. Only a slight stench of evil.

Seriously, the latest 81.74 drivers and XOrg 7.0RC3 are working great for me. The composite support seems a lot faster and more stable. Previously I would get slight lag when moving big transparent windows around but now it's very fast and smooth. Of course I turn them off again after 30 seconds due to the almost total lack of usefulness, but it's nice to know they're there.

Anyway, closed source and evil they may be, but my cheap-ass Geforce 5700 is probably faster under Linux than any card from another manufacturer. Maybe ATI's 1800XT with their proprietary drivers would beat it, assuming that their Linux drivers even support the latest cards yet. I'm pretty sure it would be less stable even if it did. Sadly, I don't think that any card using OSS drivers would even come close.

Re:nVidia

[kelnos]

Exa is a replacement for XAA, the old X Acceleration Architecture. nvidia's binary drivers do not use XAA. They cooked up their own method for accelerating their drivers, independent of what the X developers were using. Their method is superior to XAA, and it remains to be seen whether or not it's superior to Exa. If so, don't expect them to change. If not, it'll likely be a while before it's implemented. This is proprietary software, remember. It takes a lot longer.

The OSS nv driver in 7.0 does *not* have Exa support. I've tried the currently-available experimental patch, and it crashes X within a few seconds of startup on my hardware. It also breaks XAA on non-AGP cards. Note that an exa-enabled nv may or may not accelerate 2D operations as well or as fast as the proprietary nvidia driver does. Personally, as long as it's better, I'll be happy, as nvidia is terribly unstable with composite enabled.

I love how incorrect information gets marked up as "informative". *sigh*

Re:In other news

[Nighttime]

What I find highly amusing is their list of distros carrying XFree86, which hasn't been updated since March 15 2005.

BSD-style based distribution

• NetBSD® Runs on practically everything; highly scaleable. (Offers X.org along with XFree86 in 2.x)
• FreeBSD® Yahoo uses it. Hotmail still might. (Uses X.org as of 5.3)
• MirOS BSD a new NetBSD/OpenBSD hybrid.

Linux® based distribution

• Conectiva Brazilian-based distro with a world-wide following using RPMs. (Absorbed into Mandriva, uses X.org)
• Lycoris Desktop L/X a desktop friendly environment for novices with Bitstream fonts. (Bought by Mandrake)
• Magic Linux when native Chinese-support is desired using ISOs. (Migrating to X.org)
• OneBase Linux a meta distribution. (Offers X.org along with XFree86)
• OpenNa Linux when security matters.
• Peanut Linux when size matters. (now aLinux, uses X.org)
• Plamo Linux best for native Japanese support; Slackware based.
• Rubyx Linux object-oriented ruby is its scripting language. (Now Heretix, uses X.org)
• Source Mage a source-based distro aimed at linux magicians (sys admins) with a social contract. (Offers X.org along with XFree86)
• Sorcerer Linux a source-based distro aimed at linux wizards (sys admins).
• Yoper Linux highly usable, with a KDE 3.3 customised desktop (Migrating to X.org)

I think we need to drop them an e-mail suggesting that the page needs updating :)

What other improvements are we expecting to see

[Billly Gates]

I used to X with a passion when I first started using linux back in 98. Actually I still do and think its bloated and horrible but with modern hardware its doable now.

The unix haters manual has alot of nice things to say about it. :-)

But seriously people have run X on VMS systems running in as little 3-4 megs of ram. Also ol linux users ran X fine with ONLY 8 MEGS OF RAM back in the 486 days.

X is not bad but perhaps Xorg sucks? What I want to know is if they are planning on cutting down on memory and cpu usage and adding features like sound support, transparent objects, anti-aligned fonts (I think support is added now), resolution changes that dont require a reboot, ajax/caml/dashboard or some xml and javascript support , and other technologies. Its still quite behind macosx and windows and since its free I hope it catches up. Also automatic scanning of video and monitors would be nice. Come on its 2005.

I hope Xorg moves along and creates a better X and so far its a step in teh right direction.

Waiting on the OpenGraphics based video card.

[MrSnivvel]

Since many of the posts are talking about if the latest and greatest card from ATI or nVidia will work with their respective binary-only driver; I feel compelled to mention that there is a project with the intention of getting open spec'd, hardware accellerated video cards out: OpenGraphics. The specs may not be the bleeding edge of current tech, but I personally will appreciate having hardware that can be fully utilized by the OS of my choosing.

You'll want to check out the new evdev driver

[goaty_the_flying_sho]

I went from this:

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier "Mouse1"
    Driver "mouse"
    Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
    Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
    Option "MouseButtons" "7"
    Option "ZAxisMapping" "6 7 4 5"
EndSection

to this:

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier "Mouse1"
    Driver "evdev"
    Option "Device" "/dev/input/wheelmouse"
EndSection

Functionality stays the same. It's getting there.

Re:Imake?

[prockcore]

NetBSD could learn a lot from the rest of the world.. where you don't have to recompile an entire project just because you made a small change to a header file.

Autotools do more than just make sure you have all the libraries needed to compile the app, they also set up a dependency tree so only the files affected need to be recompiled when a change is made.