Lesson 8

This module discussed the X Windows System the fundamental software layer for the Linux Graphical User Interface (GUI).
X Windows is a large and complex system and can benefit you in many ways. The configuration tool XFree86 allows you to upgrade your graphical Linux system without reinstallation.
Knowing how to control GUI startup applications and the window manager gives you the tools to create a user-friendly workstation that is also be flexible, powerful, and easily maintained. Because X is so complex, you should study it further by reading the man pages and other documentation.

Having completed this module, you should now be able to:

1. Describe the function and basic installation of the X Windows System
2. List the factors that influence the installation of XFree86
3. Explain the various methods to obtain video card specifications
4. Configure XFree86 with command line tools
5. Discuss gdm and startx
6. Configure X startup with .xinitrc

This module introduced the following terms:

1. Chipset : The particular graphics processing system used on a particular video card.
2. Raster: To apply all transformations (scaling, skewing, rotating, etc.) to a font and display a string of characters on a graphical display.
3. Scan rates: The rate at which horizontal scan lines are drawn on the monitor and the rate at which one entire sweep of the screen is made. These are referred to as the horizontal and vertical scan rates.
4. Window manager: Layer of the GUI system responsible for moving and resizing windows and handling other window events. It also provides configuration and organization.
5. .XF86Config: The main configuration file for XFree86, the X windows server used by Linux.
6. XFree86: A popular implementation of the X11R6 X Window System standard used by many operating systems. XFree86 is the default X server for Red Hat Linux.
7. .xinit: File in each user's home directory that controls graphical application and window manager startup when the X server is started.
8. X Window System: A collection of programs which act as an intermediate layer between X applications and the computer's video hardware, keyboard, and mouse.

The next module shows you how to configure the client-side graphical environment.

Before moving on to the next module, click the Quiz link below to check your understanding of the concepts presented in this module.
Configuring Xdisplay Server - Quiz
The link below gives additional information of several important X configuration files and utilities.
XWindows Utility