XSERVER(1M) XSERVER(1M)
NAME
X - X Window System server
SYNOPSIS
X [:displaynumber] [-option ...]
DESCRIPTION
X is the generic name for the X Window System server.
/usr/bin/X11/X is a link to the X server executable
/usr/etc/X11/Xserver. There is one instantiation of
the server for each display.
The server supports up to four of the following
Motorola graphics devices:
MVME393 with MVME792-2 1024 x 768 4-plane 2 display
MVME395 with MVME795 1280 x 1024 8-plane 1 display
STARTING THE SERVER
The server is usually started from the X Display
Manager program xdm. This utility is run from the
system boot files and keeps the server running
(prompting for usernames and passwords) and starts the
user sessions. It is easily configured for sites that
wish to provide simple to use, consistent interfaces
for novice users (for example, loading convenient sets
of resources, starting up a window manager, clock, and
selection of terminal emulator windows).
The X server is configured by means of a configuration
file, /etc/X.config (see X.config(4)). This file is
read when the server is started and defines the
hardware and displays which the server can use.
Assistance in configuring, starting and stopping the X
server is provided by system administration procedures
available through the sysadm menus under gsemgmt.
When the server starts up, it takes over the display.
If you are running on a system whose console is the
display, the console window will be removed. However,
it may be brought back at any time by pressing the Sys
Rq (Alt-Print Screen) button. This action returns the
console window and freeze the X display. You may
switch back to X and remove the console window by
entering Sys Rq followed by x.
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STRUCTURE
The server consists of code which executes on the host
central processor, interfacing to clients through
network connections. This code also interfaces to the
intelligent graphics processor board, either an MVME393
or an MVME395, which in turn has two distinct
processors, a Texas Instruments 34010 and either a
Motorola 68010 (MVME393) or a Motorola 68020 (MVME395).
Thus, the Motorola X server consists of three distinct
executables:
That which executes on the main CPU
That which executes on the MVME393/5 68010/020
That which executes on the MVME393/5 34010
The two executables for the board are defined in the
configuration file, and are downloaded to the board by
means of the downloader 393dl(1). This occurs whenever
the system is rebooted, or whenever a server is started
and it is determined that the board is not in a
functional condition.
Connection between the board code and the CPU-based
server code is by means of queues resident in shared
memory. The shared memory is set up using the board
devices /dev/mvme393/dispn.m where n is the board
address and m is the board port.
NETWORK CONNECTIONS
The Motorola X server supports connections made using
the following reliable byte-streams:
TCP/IP
The server listens on port 6000+n, where n is the
display number.
Stream Pipe
The server uses /dev/X11/display.n as the filename
for a UNIX stream pipe, where n is the display
number.
OPTIONS
The following command line options are accepted:
-a number
Sets pointer acceleration (i.e., the ratio of how
much is reported to how much the user actually
moved the pointer).
-c
Turns off key-click.
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c volume
Sets key-click volume (allowable range: 0-8).
-f volume
Sets bell volume (allowable range: 0-7).
-logo
Turns on the X Window System logo display in the
screen-saver. There is currently no way to change
this from a client.
nologo
Turns off the X Window System logo display in the
screen-saver. There is currently no way to change
this from a client.
-p seconds
Sets screen-saver pattern cycle time in seconds.
-r
Turns off auto-repeat.
r
Turns on auto-repeat.
-s seconds
Sets screen-saver timeout time in seconds.
-t numbers
Sets pointer acceleration threshold in pixels
(i.e., after how many pixels pointer acceleration
should take effect).
-to seconds
Sets default connection timeout in seconds.
v
Sets video-on screen-saver preference.
-v
Sets video-off screen-saver preference.
-co filename
Sets name of RGB color database instead of the
default /usr/lib/X11/rgb.
-help
Prints a usage message.
-fp fontPath
Sets the search path for fonts.
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-fc cursorFont
Sets default cursor font.
-fn font
Sets the default font.
-xc filename
Supplies name of configuration file instead of the
default /etc/X.config.
SECURITY
The sample server uses an internal access control list
for deciding whether or not to accept connections from
clients on a particular machine. This list is built by
the server when it is started, and initially consists
of the host on which the server is running as well as
any machines listed in the file /etc/Xn.hosts, where n
is the display number of the server. Each line of the
file should contain an Internet hostname (e.g.,
expo.lcs.mit.edu). There should be no leading or
trailing spaces on any lines. For example:
joesworkstation
corporate.company.com
Users can add or remove hosts from this list and enable
or disable overall access control using the xhost
command from the same machine as the server. For
example:
$ xhost +janesworkstation
janesworkstation being added to access control list
$ xhost -joesworkstation
joesworkstation being removed from access control list
$ xhost +
all hosts being allowed (access control disabled)
$ xhost -
all hosts being restricted (access control enabled)
$ xhost
access control enabled (only the following hosts are allowed)
joesworkstation
janesworkstation
Unlike some window systems, X does not have any notion
of window operation permissions or place any
restrictions on what a client can do; if a program can
connect to a display, it has full run of the screen.
The core protocol does have support for providing
authentication information when establishing
connections, but this is not used in the Motorola
implementation.
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SIGNALS
The sample server attaches special meaning to the
following signals:
SIGHUP
This signal causes the server to close all existing
connections, free all resources, and restore all
defaults. It is sent by the display manager
whenever the main user's main application (usually
an xterm or window manager) exits to force the
server to clean up and prepare for the next user.
SIGTERM
This signal causes the server to exit cleanly.
FONTS
Fonts are usually stored as individual files in
directories. The list of directories in which the
server looks when trying to open a font is controlled
by the font path. Although most sites will choose to
have the server start-up with the appropriate font path
(using the -fp option mentioned above), it can be
overridden using the xset program.
The default font path for the sample server contains
four directories:
/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc
This directory contains several miscellaneous fonts
that are useful on all systems. It contains a very
small family of fixed-width fonts (6x10, 6x12,
6x13, 8x13, 8x13bold, and 9x15) and the cursor
font. It also has font name aliases for the
commonly used fonts fixed and variable.
/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi
This directory contains fonts contributed by Adobe
Systems, Inc. and Digital Equipment Corporation and
by Bitstream, Inc. for 75dpi displays. An
integrated selection of sizes, styles, and weights
are provided for each family.
/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi
This directory contains versions of some of the
fonts in the /75dpi directory for 100dpi displays.
/usr/lib/X11/fonts/oldX11
This directory contains fonts that were distributed
in releases of X Version 11 previous to Release 3,
i.e., those which were supplied with previous
versions of GSE.
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Font databases are created by compiling the fonts and
converting them into a form known as SNF. This is done
by executing the program bdftosnf with options -p0 -t
-l -u2. Next, the mkfontdir program is executed in the
directory containing the compiled versions of the fonts
(the .snf files). Whenever fonts are added to a
directory, mkfontdir should be rerun so that the server
can find the new fonts. If mkfontdir is not run, the
server will not be able to find any fonts in the
directory.
DIAGNOSTICS
Too numerous to list them all. Errors come in two
forms: those that can be attributed to a user's client
(which are reported by the server to the client as
listed in the X Window System Manuals) and those that
are the result of internal conflicts or inconsistencies
within the server. The latter are reported either on
the screen or on the stderr stream of the controlling
tty for the server, and the graphic subsystem will
generally halt.
FILES
/etc/X*.hosts initial access control
list
/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc font directory
/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi font directory
/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi font directory
/usr/lib/X11/fonts/oldX11 font directory
/usr/lib/X11/rgb color database
/etc/X.config server configuration file
SEE ALSO
X(1), xdm(1), mkfontdir(1), xinit(1), xterm(1), uwm(1),
xhost(1), xset(1),
xsetroot(1), X.config(4), xcf(1), xplore(1), 393dl(1)
BUGS
The option syntax is inconsistent with itself and
xset(1).
The acceleration option should take a numerator and a
denominator like the protocol.
If X dies before its clients, new clients will not be
able to connect until all existing connections have
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their TCP TIME_WAIT timers expire.
The color database is missing a large number of colors.
However, there doesn't seem to be a better one
available that can generate RGB values tailorable to
particular displays.
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