FYI on the X window system
The widely-used system that draws windows and manages graphics on workstations.
Scheifler, R.W., "FYI on the X window system", FYI 6, RFC 1198, DOI 10.17487/RFC1198, January 1991, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc1198>.
@misc{rfc1198,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 1198,
howpublished = {RFC 1198},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC1198},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc1198},
author = {R.W. Scheifler},
title = {{FYI on the X window system}},
pagetotal = 3,
year = 1991,
month = jan,
} RFC text
Contents
Network Working Group B. Scheifler
Request for Comments: 1198 MIT Laboratory for Computer Science
FYI: 6 January 1991
FYI on the X Window System
Status of this Memo
This FYI RFC provides pointers to the published standards of the MIT
X Consortium. This memo provides information for the Internet
community. It does not specify any Internet standard. Distribution
of this memo is unlimited.
The following documents are standards of the MIT X Consortium:
X Window System Protocol
X Version 11, Release 4
Robert W. Scheifler
Xlib - C Language X Interface
X Version 11, Release 4
James Gettys, Robert W. Scheifler, Ron Newman
X Toolkit Intrinsics - C Language Interface
X Version 11, Release 4
Joel McCormack, Paul Asente, Ralph R. Swick
Bitmap Distribution Format
Version 2.1
Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual
Version 1.0
David S. H. Rosenthal
Compound Text Encoding
Version 1.1
Robert W. Scheifler
X Logical Font Description Conventions
Version 1.3
Jim Flowers
X Display Manager Control Protocol
Version 1.0
Keith Packard
X11 Nonrectangular Window Shape Extension
Version 1.0
Keith Packard
The following documents are draft standards of the MIT X Consortium.
To become standards, further "proof of concept" is required, in the
form of working implementations. The specifications may be subject
to incompatible changes if implementation efforts uncover significant
problems.
PEX Protocol Specification
Version 4.0P
Randi J. Rost (editor)
Extending X for Double-Buffering, Multi-Buffering, and Stereo
Version 3.2
Jeffrey Friedberg, Larry Seiler, Jeff Vroom
Standards and draft standards of the MIT X Consortium are generally
included in the MIT X software distribution. The distribution is
usually available via anonymous FTP from a variety of hosts around
the world. Questions about FTP sites for the current release can be
sent to xrequest@expo.lcs.mit.edu. The distribution can also be
ordered on tape from MIT for a nominal charge, contact:
MIT Software Distribution Center
Technology Licensing Office
Room E32-300
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: (617) 258-8330
The MIT X Consortium can be reached by writing to the Director:
Bob Scheifler
MIT X Consortium
Laboratory for Computer Science
545 Technology Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
EMail: rws@expo.lcs.mit.edu
Security Considerations
Security issues are not discussed in this memo.
Author's Address
Bob Scheifler
MIT X Consortium
Laboratory for Computer Science
545 Technology Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: (617) 253-0628
EMail: rws@expo.lcs.mit.edu
AI ELI5
On this page
§1The X Window System Standards
RFC 1198 is a reference document that points to the published standards of the MIT X Consortium for the X Window System. Rather than defining new specifications itself, it serves as a guide to where the official X standards live.
The standards cover the complete X Window System, from the low-level network protocol that sends drawing commands from client applications to an X server, to the high-level programming libraries and toolkits that application developers use.
This document is like a table of contents that tells you where to find the official rulebooks for X Window System.
§2The X Architecture and Components
X Window System uses a client-server architecture where a client application sends requests to an X server, which manages the display, keyboard and mouse on a workstation. This design allows applications running on remote computers to display on a local screen over the network.
The standards encompass the X Protocol (the network messages), Xlib (a C language library), the X Toolkit Intrinsics (for building graphical interfaces), font conventions, the Display Manager for login sessions, shape extensions for non-rectangular windows, and draft standards for 3D graphics with PEX.
X separates the program from the screen. A program can ask a distant X server to draw pictures, so one computer can show what another computer is doing.
§3Availability and Distribution
The MIT X software distribution was generally included with X Consortium implementations and was available via anonymous FTP from many sites around the world. The RFC lists contact information for the MIT Software Distribution Center, which could provide the distribution on tape for a nominal charge.
Questions about FTP sites and distribution were directed to xrequest@expo.lcs.mit.edu, and the MIT X Consortium Director could be reached at the Laboratory for Computer Science at MIT.
The X software was shared freely over the Internet, and you could also order it on tape from MIT.