how does X works??

[omicron]

i'm a newbie and i've searched and searched and cannont find a complete explanation of how X works. Is X a server that handles basic graphical functions while KDE and GNOME is the desktop environments that run on X? On top of that u have windows manager like sawfish and enlightment running on desktop environment??

thanks in advance :confused: :confused:

[optech]

yes.
X is a server, which allows local and remote graphical connections...
it's pretty easy to get the hang of, just keep reading about it

[mrBen]

Yup, you got it. There is basically 3 levels:

X - the server. In charge of putting graphics on the relevant screen (note that this has more power than your standard Windows)

Window Manager - manages the windows :) In charge of how windows look and where they are placed and stuff.

Desktop Environment - integrates everything together - adding things like cut 'n' paste, allowing apps to work with each other.

KDE have done a good job of putting the second 2 levels together. The K window manager (kwm) just kinda sits in the background. GNOME, on the other hand, is a pure DE, and needs a window manager of its own. There is also some blurring of the two in some progs.

The hardest bit (IMHO) is getting past the mindset of XWindows = Windows on Linux, because XFree86 is really completely different - optech hinted at this with the mention of remote graphical sessions. AFAI understand it, this means that I can log into my machine from a non-X machine, but still run X. I think. :) (/me off to do some more reading :) )

[omicron]

thanks for clearing it out :) :)
but here's another thing, if X is just a server, i already know that it is possible to run a windows manager from a remote machine to connect to the server, but how?? and can it be remotely on another OS? like windows? thanks :rolleyes: