Has anyone installed XFree86?
- Thread starter jcontonio
- Start date
ITz The MaN
I am
You can get xfree86 to run several ways:
1) X Tools
2) installing xfree86 compiled for os x, running a vnc server, then connecting to display 1 via a vnc client. i couldnt find a very good window manager to works on this, but on the other hand, my first *nix system is OS X. Maby others will have better luck.
3) (note: this one i havnt really tried enough to get it to work, though im sure it is possible) loggin in as >console after installing xfree86, and some how starting x windows up from there.
I think X tools is the easyest way to go, but option # 2 is the best
[Edited by ITz The MaN on 12-22-2000 at 07:11 PM]
1) X Tools
2) installing xfree86 compiled for os x, running a vnc server, then connecting to display 1 via a vnc client. i couldnt find a very good window manager to works on this, but on the other hand, my first *nix system is OS X. Maby others will have better luck.
3) (note: this one i havnt really tried enough to get it to work, though im sure it is possible) loggin in as >console after installing xfree86, and some how starting x windows up from there.
I think X tools is the easyest way to go, but option # 2 is the best
[Edited by ITz The MaN on 12-22-2000 at 07:11 PM]
jcon -- had you read ITz last post, or any of the other threads relating to X windows, it would have become apparent that Tenon Systems' XTools software will launch a rootless X session over Aqua -- exactly what you want. To replace Aqua, just log in as >console and run startx. Do a little background reading first, please, and for god's sake pay attention when people are trying to help you!
The only problem with XTools is that it is beta now, and the final will cost several hundered dollars. (But the beta's free!)
As far as VNC being slow:
Have you actually set up VNC on your machine? It's not emulation. And when both the client and server are running on your own machine, the connection is quite fast. A good client is also helpful -- I like VNCThing and Robert Kedoin's coca VNC Viewer.
(Make sure to turn off all encodings other than copyrect -- these compression steps actually slow VNC (a little) when the connection between client and server is very fast.)
Zach
The only problem with XTools is that it is beta now, and the final will cost several hundered dollars. (But the beta's free!)
As far as VNC being slow:
Have you actually set up VNC on your machine? It's not emulation. And when both the client and server are running on your own machine, the connection is quite fast. A good client is also helpful -- I like VNCThing and Robert Kedoin's coca VNC Viewer.
(Make sure to turn off all encodings other than copyrect -- these compression steps actually slow VNC (a little) when the connection between client and server is very fast.)
Zach
Look man, I really didn't mean to be nasty, but:
Xtools was based off the Xfree86 codebase. I have in fact installed one on top of the other. XTools is pretty much Xfree86 without the ability to have a fullscreen rooted X display.
VNCServer will also not run without Xfree86. All that it does is substitute for the actual program X -- all other libs and tools that VNC needs are from Xfree86.
Review: Xfree86 is a huge codebase comprising all the tools needed to run and display X windows programs. There are several X windows "servers" that make use of this codebase:
1) X istelf, accessed via startx -- doesn't coperate with Aqua.
2) XTools does cooperate with Aqua. I'm sorry you don't like it, I think its great. It also allows you to run X programs resident on remote UNIX machines on your desktop. The ability to have a graphical matlab (running on an 16-proc solaris server elsewhere on campus) pop up in Aqua is huge for me.
3) VNCServer is yet another way to "access" the Xfree86 libs, etc. It is halfway between the other two in terms of Aqua compatibility.
Hope this clears up any difficulties in understanding
what precisely "using Xfree86" means, because all three options use Xfree86 -- its just the "last mile" of actually drawing the pixels that differs.
Pardon me if I sounded angry, but ITz did tell you how to "use Xfree86 by itself" and even still, you reposted the question. I'm sorry you don't like the X options available -- I personally would like something a bit slicker, too, but I think that XTools is well on its way.
Question -- have you used X before? It does take some getting used to -- perhaps what you dislike about XTools and VNC is more a problem with the X environment itself? Or with twm, the aging and pathetic little window manager that comes with the Xfree86 tarball?
Zach
[edit: clarified some points.
[Edited by zpincus on 12-22-2000 at 05:18 PM]
Xtools was based off the Xfree86 codebase. I have in fact installed one on top of the other. XTools is pretty much Xfree86 without the ability to have a fullscreen rooted X display.
VNCServer will also not run without Xfree86. All that it does is substitute for the actual program X -- all other libs and tools that VNC needs are from Xfree86.
Review: Xfree86 is a huge codebase comprising all the tools needed to run and display X windows programs. There are several X windows "servers" that make use of this codebase:
1) X istelf, accessed via startx -- doesn't coperate with Aqua.
2) XTools does cooperate with Aqua. I'm sorry you don't like it, I think its great. It also allows you to run X programs resident on remote UNIX machines on your desktop. The ability to have a graphical matlab (running on an 16-proc solaris server elsewhere on campus) pop up in Aqua is huge for me.
3) VNCServer is yet another way to "access" the Xfree86 libs, etc. It is halfway between the other two in terms of Aqua compatibility.
Hope this clears up any difficulties in understanding
what precisely "using Xfree86" means, because all three options use Xfree86 -- its just the "last mile" of actually drawing the pixels that differs.
Pardon me if I sounded angry, but ITz did tell you how to "use Xfree86 by itself" and even still, you reposted the question. I'm sorry you don't like the X options available -- I personally would like something a bit slicker, too, but I think that XTools is well on its way.
Question -- have you used X before? It does take some getting used to -- perhaps what you dislike about XTools and VNC is more a problem with the X environment itself? Or with twm, the aging and pathetic little window manager that comes with the Xfree86 tarball?
Zach
[edit: clarified some points.
[Edited by zpincus on 12-22-2000 at 05:18 PM]
Jeff Ulrikson
Registered
Can anyone tell me if installing XFree will address the profound lack of OpenGL video drivers for Mac OS X, finally allowing me to play ANY 3D accellerated games in OS X on my Revision D iMac?
Yes, I KNOW the video drivers work for the Rage Pro 128...but that's NOT what we're talking about here...
The irony here is that Apple didn't include the video drivers for more than half of their G3 range...most annoying...
Yes, I KNOW the video drivers work for the Rage Pro 128...but that's NOT what we're talking about here...
The irony here is that Apple didn't include the video drivers for more than half of their G3 range...most annoying...
jcon --
yes, enlightenment is very nice. I don't know if anyone's got it running under Darwin X11 yet... people seem to have fvwm, fvwm2, windowmaker, and perhaps ice posted on http://www.darwinfo.org. (They have great FAQs and other stuff about running X11 on darwin and on OS X boxes. check it out.)
As far as fullscreen, VNC clients can do that passably, but you're right, starting X directly is nicest. (Useful hint, thanks to AppleWatcher: To return to aqua after you've logged in as >console nad finished with the X session, just type "exit" from the login shell and it automatically boots you back to the loginwindow.)
jeff --
First, a terms clarification: OS X runs a window server / window manager that many people call "Aqua." X11 is the UNIX window server, different than OS X, but it can be run side-by-side with OS X
To answer your question: sorry, if you get Xfree86 (an X11-compatible window server) with drivers for your accelerator, those drivers will only work within the context of a native X11 session, and will not cross over to accelerating your OS X "Aqua" sessions. X11 is good if you have ported programs from UNIX that require it, like the GIMP, but X11 is totally unable to run Aqua programs. If this doesn't make sense, I'l try to clarify more.
(Does the new version of Xfree86 finally support all the ATI cards, anyway? I profess ignorance.)
Understand that OS X is a beta, and Apple has long told us that the beta would only support accelerated video from the rage 128. All the drivers will come with the 1.0 release.
Zach
yes, enlightenment is very nice. I don't know if anyone's got it running under Darwin X11 yet... people seem to have fvwm, fvwm2, windowmaker, and perhaps ice posted on http://www.darwinfo.org. (They have great FAQs and other stuff about running X11 on darwin and on OS X boxes. check it out.)
As far as fullscreen, VNC clients can do that passably, but you're right, starting X directly is nicest. (Useful hint, thanks to AppleWatcher: To return to aqua after you've logged in as >console nad finished with the X session, just type "exit" from the login shell and it automatically boots you back to the loginwindow.)
jeff --
First, a terms clarification: OS X runs a window server / window manager that many people call "Aqua." X11 is the UNIX window server, different than OS X, but it can be run side-by-side with OS X
To answer your question: sorry, if you get Xfree86 (an X11-compatible window server) with drivers for your accelerator, those drivers will only work within the context of a native X11 session, and will not cross over to accelerating your OS X "Aqua" sessions. X11 is good if you have ported programs from UNIX that require it, like the GIMP, but X11 is totally unable to run Aqua programs. If this doesn't make sense, I'l try to clarify more.
(Does the new version of Xfree86 finally support all the ATI cards, anyway? I profess ignorance.)
Understand that OS X is a beta, and Apple has long told us that the beta would only support accelerated video from the rage 128. All the drivers will come with the 1.0 release.
Zach