It supports
a wide range of hardware, from PDAs and standalone terminals to
multimonitor workstations and information displays. Technology may be mixed
and matched to suit user preferences, needs, and budget.
Network-based
Programs can display anywhere on the network, and windows from programs
running on machines several time zones apart can be displayed side-by-side on
one screen. With X, users have complete freedom to work wherever they want.
Display system
X is not a graphical user interface (GUI), but it provides a solid foundation for
building one. GUI developers can escape from dealing with the intricacies of the
display hardware and focus on user interface design, and legacy applications
written for decades-old X-based GUIs will continue to work with modern ones.
Although most users of Unix (or Linux, or FreeBSD, or Darwin) often take X for
granted, a good understanding of how it works opens up a world of possibilities,
from speeding up remote access to building personal video recorders to configuring
multiuser computers and information kiosks.
In this book, I assume that you have used X and that you have a basic understanding
of Unix. This chapter introduces some of the history and basic concepts of X as well
as the hardware technology used in modern displays; this sets the stage for the rest of
the book, which uses a hands-on approach.
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