X Window System

The X Window environment in Slackware is provided by XFree86. X is responsible for providing a graphical user interface. t is independent from the operating system! unlike Windows or the "ac#S. The X Window System is implemented through many programs that run in userland. The two main components are the server and the window manager. The server provides the lowlevel functions for interacting with your video hardware! thus it is system specific. The window manager sits on top of the server and provides the user interface. The advantage to this is you can have many different graphical interfaces by simply changing the window manager you use.

Picking an X Server
The X server is specific to your video hardware. $uring the Slackware installation! you are asked what servers you want to install %in the &X& series'. (y default! we select the XF86)*+,6! XF86)S*+-! and XF86)F($ev servers to install on your system. These are the most common ones for people to use! and if you use the XF86)F($ev server! you don.t have to configure the server. /ere.s a description of the X servers you can install. x3dl x8514 xagx xi128 xma8 X server for cards using 0$1abs chips %XF86)0$1abs' X server for cards using ("82,3 chips %XF86)82,3' X server for cards using -+X chips %XF86)-+X' X server for the 45 magine ,68 %XF86) ,68' X server for cards using "ach8 chips %XF86)"ach8'

xma32 X server for cards using "ach06 chips %XF86)"ach06' xma64 X server for cards using "ach63 chips %XF86)"ach63' xmono - "onochrome X server %XF86)"ono' xp k xs3 xs3v xsvga X server for cards using 75888 chips %XF86)75888' X server for cards using S0 chips %XF86)S0' X server for S0 *i9+: chips %XF86)S0*; obsolete! use S*+-' X server for most S*+- cards %XF86)S*+-'

xvg16 xw32 xx!"

- ,6<color generic X server %XF86)*+-,6' X server for cards using the :T3888=W06 chipset %XF86)W06' +eneric framebuffer server for most *:S- cards %XF86)F($ev'

The left column above indicates the Slackware package name for that particular X server. The actual server name is given in parentheses in the right column.

#on!ig$ring t%e X Server

f you select the X&86'&()ev server! then you.re done. >ust make sure that you have selected your desired video mode during the 1 1# configuration %run lilocon!ig as root'. The server will use that video mode. f you prefer to use a regular X server! you.ll need to build an =etc=XF86?onfig file specific to your system. The easiest way to do this is to run *$sr*X11+6*"in*X&86Set$p as root. t.s a graphical setup program for X. f that does not work! you can always use *$sr*X11+6*"in*x!86con!ig. The setup program allows you to pick your server! resolutions! color depths! and monitor settings. (e sure to enter the correct information for your system.

Picking a Window ,anager

The last thing to do to setup your graphical environment is to select a window manager. There are do@ens available! and we include a handful of them with Slackware. 9un the xwmcon!ig program to set the default window manager for your system. This program will present a list of installed window managers and let you pick one.

$esktop environments can also be grouped into this category! as they are most closely related to a window manager. A$: and +B#": are eCamples of desktop environments! having a standard set of programs that look and act the same.

SlackwareD is a registered trademark of Slackware 1inuC! nc.