Understanding the X Server Process

An X server is a single process that controls access to the hardware. The X server performs the following functions:

Listens for incoming connections from new clients
Track inputs from input devices
Manages display access of the clients

Depending on the configuration of your Oracle Solaris system, the X server is started from one of the following programs:

xdm, the X Display Manager
gdm, the GNOME Display Manager

The X client can connect to the X server by using TCP/IP, UNIX domain sockets, and several varieties of SVR4 local connections. For information about specifying the transport type for clients, see the DISPLAY NAMES section of the X(5) man page.

Working With X Servers

Oracle Solaris currently includes several X servers designed for different usage types. The following table lists some of the X servers included in the Oracle Solaris OS.

X Server	Description
`Xorg`	Used with physical hardware (input and output) or in virtualization environments that simulate physical hardware. For example, an `Xorg` server is used when running an Oracle VM VirtualBox guest or when using the keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) functionality of the Oracle ILOM service processors. For detailed information, see the `Xorg`(1) man page.
`Xvfb`	Used to allocate system virtual memory as a virtual frame buffer. It does not receive input from any input devices and no output is shown. Therefore, the system on which the `Xvfb` server is running need not have a screen or any input device. For detailed information, see the `Xvfb`(1) man page.
`Xephyr`	Runs as a window displayed on another X server (host X server). It uses the host X server's input and display devices. For detailed information, see the `Xephyr`(1) man page.
`Xvnc`	Runs a VNC session that can be connected by using a VNC client. In a shared connection, multiple VNC clients can connect to the same VNC session. The `vncviewer` is the default VNC client that is available in the Oracle Solaris 11 OS. For detailed information, see the `vncserver`(1) and `vncviewer`(1) man pages. For instructions on setting up remote desktop access using VNC, see Setting Up Remote Desktop Access Using VNC.
`Xdmx`	Used as a proxy X server that uses one or more X servers for displaying X clients. It provides X functionality for displays that might be located on different machines. For detailed information, see the `Xdmx`(1) man page.
`Xnewt`	Interacts with Sun Ray clients such as Oracle Sun Ray 3 series DTU hardware units or the Oracle Virtual Desktop client for Windows, MacOS, or iPad. For more information, see http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E25749_01/index.html.

For more information about the X servers included in the Oracle Solaris OS, see the Xserver(1) man page.

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