X11 Windowing Enhancements

This section describes all X11 windowing features in the Solaris 10 3/05 release that are new or have been enhanced since the Solaris 9 OS was originally distributed in May 2002. To view enhancements to the Xorg server that were made in the more recent Solaris 10 7/05 release, see Desktop Enhancements.

Xorg X Server

This feature is new in the Solaris Express 10/04 release.

The Xorg X server from the X.Org Foundation X11R6.8 open source release is now provided for x86 systems. This server is based on the X.Org and XFree86 open source releases, which are commonly used on Linux and other platforms. This server provides higher performance and support for a wider range of hardware, including third-party drivers written for the XFree86 and Xorg servers. The Xsun server is still provided in this release for users who need features that are not provided in the Xorg server.

For more information, see the Xorg man pages. The following command locates these man pages: man -M /usr/X11/man Xorg.

Xfixes Xserver Extension

This feature is new in the Solaris Express 8/04 release.

The Xfixes Xserver Extension from the open source community has been added to support comprehensive cursor support for Sec. 508 accessibility.

Xscreensaver Program

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program and in the Solaris 9 8/03 release. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

The Xscreensaver program locks your monitor screen after a period of inactivity in order to prevent others from gaining access to your system session. Xscreensaver supports a variety of animation displays that can be used while the screen is locked. This program is used in the Java Desktop System.

See the xscreensaver(1) man page for further information.

X Event Interception Extension (XEvIE)

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program and in the Solaris 9 4/03 release. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

XEvIE is a low-level interface that intercepts all the keyboard and mouse events so that these events can be read, consumed, or modified as needed. This X extension enables better integration of assistive technologies, including technologies in the Java Desktop System.

FreeType 2.1.x

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program and in the Solaris 9 4/03 release. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

FreeType 2.1.x is an open source library that provides a simple application programming interface (API). This API can access font content in a uniform way, independently of the file format. Additionally, some format-specific APIs can be used to access special data in the font file.

Further information on FreeType is available at http://freetype.org.

Xserver Virtual Screen Enhancement

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program and in the Solaris 9 12/02 release. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

The Xserver Virtual Screen enhancement provides accessibility support for the Java Desktop System. This capability enables support of magnification software on systems that have just one frame buffer.

Xrender Extension

This feature is new in the Software Express pilot program and in the Solaris 9 12/02 release. This feature is included in the Solaris 10 3/05 release.

The new Xrender feature increases performance for applications, such as the StarOffice software suite, that run on the Solaris Operating System. The Xrender feature provides a modern appearance for these applications. Xrender uses hardware processing for alpha-blending and transparency effects.