“I admit it. I barely know how to use the X window system, let
alone install or configure it. So with anticipation I read the
book, The New XFree86. Before now, the only book available about
XFree86 was The Concise Guide to XFree86 for Linux by Aron Hsiao.
With major revisions to the XFree86 software in the new 4.x
version, a new book seems both welcome and necessary.”
“For anyone totally unfamiliar with Linux, XFree86 is an
open-source implementation of X, the graphical user interface used
by Linux and other flavors of UNIX. X has a look and feel much like
Microsoft Windows or the Mac. But unlike Windows, which always has
a GUI running, X can run as a text-mode console….”
“XFree86 4.x represents a significant internal redesign of the X
server. The big news is that 4.x has improved graphics performance
(including direct rendering) and the ability to support TrueType
fonts out of the box. Not all hardware drivers from 3.3.x have been
ported to 4.x yet, and 4.x has some drivers not in 3.3.x. The 4.0.1
release introduced a new graphical configuration tool called
xf86cfg, and a text mode interface was added to that for the 4.0.2
release. An experimental configuration tool is even built into the
X server. Run the XFree86 -configure command as root. You can still
use the old configuration tools, too.”
Web Webster has more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience in the tech sector. He’s written and edited news, demand generation, user-focused, and thought leadership content for business software solutions, consumer tech, and Linux Today, he edits and writes for a portfolio of tech industry news and analysis websites including webopedia.com, and DatabaseJournal.com.
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