“In XFree86 for Linux, author Aron Hsiao presents his
material in six sections: X11R6, XFree86, and Linux; Starting and
Using XFree86; Configuring the XFree86 Runtime; Integrated Linux
Environments; Multiuser and Networked X; and Appendices. The
Appendices include sample configuration files for the fvwm, fvwm2,
and twm window managers; listings of fonts; and a short treatment
of framebuffer support, a relatively recent addition to
XFree86.”
“In the third section, Hsiao presents enough detail about
configuring XFree to make just this roughly 100-page section worth
the price of the entire book. He covers configuration of fvwm,
fvwm2, and twm; palette issues; using PostScript and TrueType
fonts; the boundless mystery that is X resources; and more. The
examples and techniques in this section are well-presented, and
they reasonably represent tasks and issues that users will
encounter in the real world.”
“Unlike many books on the shelves today, this one doesn’t try to
present a mountain of data that turns every reader into a
prospector seeking info-nuggets. Taken on its own terms, the book
is clearly a success. Anyone who wants to learn how XFree86
works will find Hsiao’s book to be a painless way to build a solid
foundation.”