Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification Chapter Ten The X Window System

Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification

Chapter Ten

The X Window System

ObjectivesObjectives

• Explain the purpose of the major Linux GUI components: X Windows, windows manager, and desktop environment

• List common windows managers and desktop environments used in Linux

• Gather the hardware information necessary to configure X Windows

• Configure X Windows settings using various Linux utilities

Linux GUI ComponentsLinux GUI Components

Figure 10-1: Components of the Linux GUI

X WindowsX Windows

• X Windows– The component of the Linux GUI that displays

graphics to windows on the terminal screen

• X clients– Component of X Windows that requests graphics

to be drawn from the X server and displays them on the terminal screen

X WindowsX Windows

• X server– The component of X Windows that draws

graphics to windows on the terminal screen

• XFree86– The Open source licensed version of X Windows

version 11– Originally intended for the Intelx86 platform

Windows Managers and Desktop Windows Managers and Desktop EnvironmentsEnvironments

• Window manager– The GUI component that is responsible for

determining the appearance of the windows drawn on the screen by X Windows

• Desktop environment– Software that works with a window manager to

provide a standard GUI environment that uses standard programs and development tools


• KDE is the traditional desktop environment used on Linux systems

• K Windows Manager (kwm)– The window manager that works under the KDE

Desktop Environment

• Qt toolkit– Software toolkit used with the KDE Desktop

environment


• GNOME Desktop Environment– Default desktop environment in Red Hat Linux

– Typically uses the Sawfish Window Manager and the GTK+ toolkit for the C programming language

• The GTK+ toolkit was originally developed for the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)


Figure 10-2: The KDE Desktop Environment


Figure 10-3: The GNOME Desktop Environment


Table 10-1: Common windows managers


Figure 10-4: The Enlightenment Window Manager


Figure 10-5: The Feeble Virtual Window Manager


Figure 10-6: The Tab Window Manager


Figure 10-7: The Window Maker Window Manager

Starting and Stopping X WindowsStarting and Stopping X Windows

Figure 10-8: The GNOME Display Manager


• GDM Configurator– Graphical tool used to configure the appearance

and behavior of the GNOME Display Manager

• /etc/X11/gdm/gdm.conf– The file that contains the configuration of the

GNOME Desktop Manager


• X Display Manager (xdm)– Present a graphical login screen to users

• KDE Display Manager (kdm)– Graphical login screen for users that resembles

the KDE desktop


• startx– Command used to start X Windows and the

associated window manager and desktop environment

• Desktop Switching Tool– Graphical tool that allows Red Hat Linux users to

set the default desktop environment or window manager


Figure 10-9: The Desktop Switching Tool

Configuring X WindowsConfiguring X Windows

• X Windows is the component of the GUI that interfaces with the video hardware in the computer

• In order for X Windows to perform its function, it needs information regarding the keyboard, mouse, monitor, and video adapter card

• For the video adapter card, X Windows requires:– The video adapter card model

– The amount of RAM on the video adapter card

– The chipset on the video adapter card


• RAM Digital Analog Converter (RAMDAC) chip– Used to convert the digital video images used by

the computer to the analog format needed for the monitor

• Clockchip– Computer chip that coordinates the flow of

information on a peripheral component such as a video adapter card


• X Windows also requires the following information about the computer monitor that is attached to the video card:– The maximum resolution supported

– The horizontal sync (hsync) range– The vertical sync (vsync) range


• SuperProbe– Program used to determine the computer’s video

adapter card properties

• /etc/X11/XF86Config– Configuration file used by X Windows


• Mouseconfig– Command used to configure a mouse for use by

X Windows

• Xconfigurator– A program that is used to configure video adapter

card and monitor information for use by X Windows


Figure 10-10: Mouse configuration using mouseconfig


Figure 10-11: Updating the XF86Config file using mouseconfig


Figure 10-12: Starting the Xconfigurator utility


Figure 10-13: Detecting the video adapter card model using Xconfigurator


Figure 10-14: Choosing the monitor model using Xconfigurator


Figure 10-15: Choosing custom monitor settings using Xconfigurator


Figure 10-16: Choosing the hsync range using Xconfigurator


Figure 10-17: Choosing the vsync range using Xconfigurator


Figure 10-18: Probing for video adapter card information using Xconfigurator


Figure 10-19: Manually selecting the video adapter card memory using Xconfigurator


Figure 10-20: Manually choosing a clockchip setting using Xconfigurator


Figure 10-21: Probing for clockships and RAMDACs using Xconfigurator


Figure 10-22: Choosing resolutions and color depths using Xconfigurator


Figure 10-23: Starting X Windows to test configuration using Xconfigurator


Figure 10-24: Completing the Xconfigurator utility


• Xf86config– Text-based X Windows configuration program

that ships with X Windows– It allows the configuration of keyboard, mouse,

video adapter card, and monitor information for use by X Windows

• /dev/mouse– symbolic link to the device file used for the

mouse configured at installation


• Although most monitors today support a wide range of hsync and vsync values, choosing too high a value for either may damage the monitor

• Xvidtune– Program used to fine-tune the vsync and hsync

video card settings for use in X Windows


Figure 10-25: The xvidtune utility

Chapter SummaryChapter Summary

• The Linux GUI has several interchangeable components

• X Windows is the core component of the Linux GUI that draws graphics to the terminal screen and uses a text configuration file

• Window managers modify the look and feel of X Windows

• Desktop environments include a window manager as well as a set of standard programs and development libraries

Chapter SummaryChapter Summary

• You may start the Linux GUI from runlevel 3 by typing startx at a command prompt, or from runlevel 3 or 5 by using gdm

• Configuring X Windows requires a thorough knowledge of the video hardware used by the computer

• The Xconfigurator, mouseconfig, xf86config, and xvidtune utilities may be used to configure the hardware settings of X Windows for such things as the mouse, keyboard, and video adapter card

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Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification Chapter Ten The X Window System