X.Org versioning system.

stf92 · 07-31-2014, 11:21 AM

Hi: in the documentation coming with the NVIDIA drivers, it asks for X.Org version >= 6.7. But look this:

Code:

bill@server:~/Desktop$ Xorg -version

X.Org X Server 1.12.3
Release Date: 2012-07-09
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Slackware 14.0 Slackware Linux Project
Current Operating System: Linux server 3.2.29-smp #1 SMP Mon Sep 17 13:02:10 CDT 2012 i686
Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=slack14-32 ro root=801 nomodeset
Build Date: 23 August 2012  02:27:55PM
 
Current version of pixman: 0.26.2
	Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
	to make sure that you have the latest version.
bill@server:~/Desktop$

How can NVIDIA ask for X.Org >= 6.7 when in 2012 X.Org was in 1.12.3? In only two years from 1.12 to 6.7?

AlucardZero · 07-31-2014, 06:53 PM

1.12.3 is the X Server version, not the Xorg version. Still, X.Org 6.7 was released in 2004. Maybe you need the development headers?

stf92 · 07-31-2014, 11:59 PM

So 'Xorg -version' does not give me the Xorg version. But almost every program has an option to print the version number. Is not that a bit odd?

jefro · 08-01-2014, 02:53 PM

http://www.x.org/wiki/Releases/7.7/

Seems to me that nomodeset borks x doesn't it? (might be wrong)

Common slack x wiki. http://docs.slackware.com/slackbook:xwindow_system

stf92 · 08-02-2014, 02:55 AM

Still don't understand the difference between X and Xorg. According to their manuals, Xorg is a server and X is a window system.

Code:

X(7)                                                                      X(7)

NAME
       X - a portable, network-transparent window system

Code:

Xorg(1)                                                                Xorg(1)

NAME
       Xorg - X11R7 X server

In any case, do both of them run on my computer?

jpollard · 08-02-2014, 05:24 AM

They are the same thing - Xorg is an implementation of the X window system. There are a number of other implementations, though most of those run on Windows rather than Linux.

On most systems, the server binary is identified as "X", but that name is usually a symbolic link to the given X server, which on most linux systems will be Xorg.

stf92 · 08-02-2014, 10:31 AM

You're right. In slackware 14.0 all paths ending is /X point to Xorg in their same directory and in turn all these Xorg point to /usr/bin/Xorg. In slackware 7.1 X is linked to one of 15 files in /usr/X11R6/bin having names such as XF86_VGA16 and XF86_8514, which are the servers.

jpollard · 08-02-2014, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stf92

You're right. In slackware 14.0 all paths ending is /X point to Xorg in their same directory and in turn all these Xorg point to /usr/bin/Xorg. In slackware 7.1 X is linked to one of 15 files in /usr/X11R6/bin having names such as XF86_VGA16 and XF86_8514, which are the servers.

That is due to the development of Xorg - it has a plugin for the various types of hardware interfaces, thus doesn't need to have multiple. In the older XF86_x, the x is equivalent to what is now a plugin. It is from this collection of servers that the symbolic link came from - X would point to the desired default server. Nowdays, there is only the Xorg server, though there could be some others, but it would only be because they haven't been ported to the plugin, or they are still in development.

stf92 · 08-02-2014, 09:36 PM

Thanks for the info. As a matter of fact I'm trying to drive an NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 4000 with Slackware 7.1 (kernel 2.2.16). At this time I am using the XF86_VGA16 server, but I hope I will be able to use some of the more advanced. This is not to say I understand anything about servers or drivers. I am using the xf86config utility but I fail miserably when it presents me with a list of almost a hundred cards none of which is mine, except for GeForce 256 (generic) and GeForce DDR (generic). I chose each of them in turn but I wasn't lucky.

jpollard · 08-03-2014, 04:26 AM

You really need the updated system. A lot of improvements are present in the X.org server that is just not available in the old XFree86 releases...

The X.org server came about due to some internal problems in the XF86 project, patches not being applied, updates not accepted. It bot bad enough that when some license issues came up, the project forked, and X.org formed. Nearly all (or by now, all) distributions went with the X.org release. There has been nearly 10 years of improvements since the XFree86 project died.

see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XFree86
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X.Org_Server

stf92 · 08-05-2014, 12:52 PM

Thanks for your replies.