X.Org Server
Overview
The X.Org Server is the free and open-source implementation of the display server for the X Window System stewarded by the X.Org Foundation. Technically, the server is a background process that manages access to the graphics hardware, provides visual display services, and interprets input from pointing devices and keyboards.
History
The X.Org Server is a fork of the XFree86 project's X server that was started in 2004. The XFree86 project was itself an implementation of the X Window System, which was created at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1984. The X.Org Foundation was formed as a result of a schism within the XFree86 project, and the X.Org Server was one of the first components to be forked.
Architecture
The X.Org Server uses a client-server model, where the server runs on the computer with the graphics hardware, and clients are applications that request the server to render images on that hardware. The server and its clients communicate over a network protocol, called the X Protocol.
Extensions
The X.Org Server supports a number of extensions to the X Protocol that provide additional functionality. These include the Composite extension, which allows for advanced desktop effects, and the XVideo extension, which provides hardware-accelerated video playback.
Input Handling
The X.Org Server handles input from a variety of devices, including keyboards, mice, and touchscreens. It uses the evdev and libinput libraries to handle input events, and can also use the Wayland protocol for input handling.
Display Drivers
The X.Org Server uses display drivers to communicate with the graphics hardware. These drivers are typically provided by the hardware manufacturer, and are responsible for translating the server's drawing commands into instructions that the hardware can understand.
Security
The X.Org Server includes a number of security features, including the ability to run clients in a sandboxed environment, and support for the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol, which allows clients to connect to the server over a secure network connection.
Performance
The performance of the X.Org Server can be influenced by a number of factors, including the speed of the network connection between the server and its clients, the capabilities of the graphics hardware, and the efficiency of the display driver.
Future
The future of the X.Org Server is uncertain, as the development of the newer Wayland protocol continues. However, the X.Org Server is still widely used, and is likely to remain an important part of the Linux desktop environment for the foreseeable future.