Re:X Window System Basics
by lproven on Thursday January 12, 2023 @08:32AM
(#34353201)
> X continues to be the Linux standard
Part of it is, of course, that it is not just the Linux standard. It's also the FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, DragonflyBSD, GNU HURD, Minix 3, Solaris, OpenSolaris/Illumos, AIX, HP/UX, z/OS, and OpenVMS standard.
I am sure I missed some currently-maintained OSes in there.
X is a core part of the interoperable, cross-platform, open systems world, as it has been for decades. Since most of those will never undertake large new development now, it will probably never be replaced in this, but some of those systems will keep running the world for decades to come, until the collapse of technological civilisation.
Personally, since nobody can kill off or totally replace X, my suggestion is that we collectively decide what bits we don't need any more, and cut it down to the core stuff that we need to keep.
Byte-swapped clients just were banished.
Why not get ruthless and strip out all the ancient stuff that nobody uses in the 21st century, keep just the essentials, and call the result X12?
I am no expert in this area but I gather that most of the font server stuff is obsolete now. It is probably safe to assume only 24-bit colour now. In the mid-1990s I ran X11 over DECnet on VAX/VMS. I am sure everything but TCP/IP can go now. I am willing to bet there is lots of other stuff that could be removed, leaving a smaller, more maintainable core that someone somewhere is going to need for years to come.
Part of it is, of course, that it is not just the Linux standard. It's also the FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, DragonflyBSD, GNU HURD, Minix 3, Solaris, OpenSolaris/Illumos, AIX, HP/UX, z/OS, and OpenVMS standard.
I am sure I missed some currently-maintained OSes in there.
X is a core part of the interoperable, cross-platform, open systems world, as it has been for decades. Since most of those will never undertake large new development now, it will probably never be replaced in this, but some of those systems will keep running the world for decades to come, until the collapse of technological civilisation.
Personally, since nobody can kill off or totally replace X, my suggestion is that we collectively decide what bits we don't need any more, and cut it down to the core stuff that we need to keep.
Byte-swapped clients just were banished.
Why not get ruthless and strip out all the ancient stuff that nobody uses in the 21st century, keep just the essentials, and call the result X12?
I am no expert in this area but I gather that most of the font server stuff is obsolete now. It is probably safe to assume only 24-bit colour now. In the mid-1990s I ran X11 over DECnet on VAX/VMS. I am sure everything but TCP/IP can go now. I am willing to bet there is lots of other stuff that could be removed, leaving a smaller, more maintainable core that someone somewhere is going to need for years to come.