X Window System: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:27, 2 September 2005

Revision as of 02:22, 2 September 2005

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[[XFree86]] originated in [[1992]] from the X386 server for [[IBM PC compatible]]s included with X11R5 in 1991, written by Thomas Roell and Mark W. Snitily and donated to the MIT X Consortium by Snitily Graphics Consulting Services (SGCS). XFree86 evolved over time from being just one port of X to being the leading open source implementation.

In May [[1999]], the Open Group formed [[X.Org]]. X.Org supervised the release of versions X11R6.5.1 onward. X development at this time was moribund [http://www.computerworld.com/softwaretopics/software/appdev/story/0,10801,67861,00.html]; most technical innovation since [[1992]]the X Consortium dissolved had taken place in the XFree86 project [http://keithp.com/~keithp/talks/Xarchitecture/Talk.htm]. In [[1999]], XFree86 joined X.Org as an honorary (non-paying) member [http://xfree86.org/pipermail/forum/2003-March/000418.html], encouraged by various hardware companies [http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=99/12/01/1342251] interested in its use with Linux and its status as the most popular version of X.

By [[2003]], while Linux's popularity, and hence the installed base of X, surged, X.Org was all but inactive [http://xfree86.org/pipermail/forum/2003-April/003127.html] and active development was largely carried out by XFree86. However, there was considerable dissent within XFree86. It was perceived as far too [[The Cathedral and the Bazaar|cathedral]]-like in its development model; developers were unable to get [[Concurrent Versions System|CVS]] commit access [http://www.xfree86.org/pipermail/forum/2003-March/002018.html] and vendors had to maintain extensive [[patch (computing)|patch]]es [http://www.advogato.org/person/mharris/diary.html?start=5]. In March 2003, Keith Packard, who had joined XFree86 after the end of the original MIT X Consortium, was expelled 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].