What Is X Window System

Computer History Notes - Herong's Tutorial Notes

∟1984 - X Window System Developed a MIT Team

∟What Is X Window System

This section provides a quick introduction of the X Window System that offers a graphical user interface framework for any user applications.

What Is X Window System? X Window System is a free windowing system that offers a framework for applications to build graphical user interfaces (GUIs). The X Window System was originally developed by a team of MIT developers led by Bob Scheifler and Jim Gettys.

Some features of the X Window System:

X Window System uses a client-server model: an X server the controls the graphical input and output, and an X client sends data to the X server to display and receives user input from the X server for processing.
X Window System uses X network protocol for communications between a X server and a X client between remote machines. This allows an application to run on one machine and interact with a user on another machine through X Window System.
X Window System provides no specification on user interface allowing multiple window managers to be developed as user applications.