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F.A.Q. : X11 for Mac OSX Beta 2 (Part 1 of 2)
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F.A.Q. : X11 for Mac OSX Beta 2 (Part 1 of 2)


  • Subject: F.A.Q. : X11 for Mac OSX Beta 2 (Part 1 of 2)
  • From: Haroon Sheikh <email@hidden>
  • Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 14:11:58 -0800

X11 for Mac OS X Beta 2 has been released. The FAQ at http://developer.apple.com/qa/qa2001/qa1232.html hasn't been updated yet, so I'm posting the content of the new F.A.Q. here (in 2 parts).


Frequently Asked Questions for X11 for Mac OS X Beta 2 (Part 1 of 2)



General Information

Q: What is the X Window System (X11) for Mac OS X?

A: X11 for Mac OS X Preview is an implementation of the X Window System that makes it possible to run X11-based applications in Mac OS X. See http://www.apple.com/macosx/X11 for more information.


Q: Where can I download X11 for Mac OS X?

A: Please visit http://www.apple.com/macosx/x11 , which contains links to download both the User install and the SDK (for building X11 applications).


Q: I've installed X11 for Mac OS X, what should I do next?

A: After installing X11, you can activate the X11 server by launching the X11 application the Applications folder. To find other X11 applications and toolkits, please see resources at the bottom of this F.A.Q.


Q: Will source for X11 for Mac OS X be released?

A: Yes, the source code for the X11 server is available from the Darwin (http://developer.apple.com/darwin/) site. To build this source, you need to have installed the X11LibApple.pkg from the X11 for Mac OS X Preview. Source code is only available for the X11 server, and not for the quartz-wm window manager or X11LibApple.pkg.


Q: Which version of XFree86 does X11 for Mac OS X correspond?

A: The current Preview XFree86 4.2.1. We are tracking the progress of XFree85 4.3 and plan to synchronize with that in a future release. Eventually, our hope is to merge our changes into the XFree86 source tree and work directly from that.


Getting Help

Q: How do I file bug reports and request features?

A: Bug reports and feature requests related to X11 for Mac OS X can and should be filed at http://developer.apple.com/bugreporter . There is a web interface and e-mail one for those who are web-form adverse. We suggest writing bugs and feature requests there so things do not get lost in the shuffle, as you can be sure that the bug report will get to the team and someone definitely will look at it. Include as much info as possible such as detailed steps and a good system configuration like an Apple System Profiler report.


Q: Is there a mailing list?

A: Yes, you can subscribe to the email@hidden mailing list at http://lists.apple.com/x11-users . This list's main purpose is for discussions among the X Windows community. Apple monitors the list and can help answer questions when possible but, doesn't guarantee that every bug report or feedback sent to the mailing list will be processed. Use http://developer.apple.com/bugreporter to make sure your input is processed.


Q: Where is the mailing list archive?

A: The archives are available at http://lists.apple.com/mhonarc/x11-users for the web archive. Please note user name and password are required and provided at the archive web site. You can search the archive from http://search.lists.apple.com/x11-users .


Technical Questions

Q: Where are things installed?

A: In /Applications/X11.app ,/usr/X11R6 , and /usr/bin/open-x11 . If you have an existing /etc/X11 it is backed up during installation and a new one is installed. Symlinks are also added at /usr/include/X11 and /usr/lib/X11 .


Q: Does X11.app process my ~/.xinitrc ?

You may have a previous installation of X11 or XDarwin with a pre-existing ~/.xinitrc . The first time you launch X11.app after installation, it will ask whether to back up your existing ~/.xinitrc to ~/.xinitrc.old and use the standard /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc. If you reply no, it will use your existing ~/.xinitrc . If you reply yes, it will use /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc (the X11 default).
If neither ~/.xinitrc or /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc are present, X11 for Mac OS X will use hard coded values that launch an xterm and the quartz-wm window manager.



Q: Does X11 work with a previous installed version of XDarwin?

A: We recommend you back up and move aside your previous installation of XDarwin and then install X11 for Mac OS X. A few people have been able to get X11 for Mac OS X and XDarwin to co-exist. See this thread http://lists.apple.com/mhonarc/x11-users/msg00514.html) for some suggestions from other users.


Q: I don't see /Applications/X11.app after installing.

A: Make sure you install the X11UserForMacOSX.mkpg (> 40 MBs), not just the X11SDKForMacOSX.pkg file.


Q: I do not see an xterm startup when launching X11.app .

A: A default xterm will launch if you did a clean install and are using the standard xinitrc environment. See xinitrc related question above.


Q: How do I copy and paste using X11 for Mac OS X?

A: X11 for Mac OS X allows cut and paste between X11 and native applications using PRIMARY and PASTEBOARD selections.
You can cut text from X11 applications by selecting the text, performing a cmd-c or copy operation. You can paste in native Mac OS X applications as usual using Cmd-V.
Because there is no standard for pasting in X11 applications (some use middle mouse button, some use control-v, etc.), cmd-v doesn't work for pasting in X11 applications by design. As a result, the "Paste" menu item will be grayed out when X11 applications are in focus. You should use the control-v or the middle mouse button instead for pasting (See X11 Preferences for emulating a middle mouse button).
The "Paste" menu option will be active when non-X windows are active within X11.app (e.g., when entering text in the "Customize Applications" menu item).
A common request has been to make cmd-v work across all X11 applications. This isn't possible without re-writing all X11 applications to standardize on a single approach, which is outside the domain of X11 for Mac OS X.



Q: Can I run another window manager instead of quartz-wm?

A: Yes, you can. Add a ~/.xinitrc which runs your favorite window manager instead of quartz-wm.


Q: How do I make copy and paste work with other window managers?

A: Running "quartz-wm --only-proxy" will activate the selection proxying features, but none of the window management code.


Q: Is there an option for no-click-to-focus for X11 applications?

A: Yes there is a hidden option. From an xterm or terminal execute : defaults write com.apple.x11 wm_ffm true


Q: How do I run X applications from a Terminal window?

A: You can use the /usr/bin/open-x11 script to launch X applications from Terminal.


Q: How do I forward remote X displays to my Mac?

A: The best (and safest) way is to simply "ssh -X user@remotehost" from the initial xterm. X forwarding and your DISPLAY environment variable on the remote host will automatically be set. Remote host must have X Forwarding enabled in ssh_config file. MacOSX does not enable this by default.


Q: How do I set environment for all processes launched by a specific user?


A: See Technical Q&A QA1067 (http://developer.apple.com/qa/qa2001/qa1067.html).


Q: Why do I need to add full paths to the "X11 Application Menu"?

A: When you use the Applications menu, the environment variables are the ones that X11.app has inherited from where it was started. So if you launch X11 from the Finder or Dock, very likely your environment will be limited. See previous question to set the PATH environment for all applications include X11.app.


Q: I'm having problem with my international keyboard and with key mappings?


A: The initial public beta (v0.1) did not support international keyboards. The second Beta release (v0.2) picks up the keyboard layout from Mac OS X's Input Menu (enabled from the International preference pane). This setting is dynamic.
If you wish use the keyboard mappings in /System/Library/Keyboards you can do so by enabling the following default : " defaults write com.apple.x11 keymap_file Francais.keymapping " . X11 will pickup the keyboard mapping when it is restarted.



Q: Why can I not connect to the X Server after a network config change? It requires a restart of the X server.


A: This is expected behavior in the Xauthority authentication mechanism which X11 for Mac OS X uses by default. The problem is that Xauth uses two keys, the ip address and hostname of the system running the X server. But these keys don't get update if you change the network configuration. You can disable authentication from the "Security" tab of X11.app's preferences. Be aware that doing so may create a security hole.


Q: Do I need a multi-button mouse to use X11 for Mac OS X?

A: No, you can emulate three button mouse by using single button mouse in combination with keyboard. Multi button mice are supported by default. See the X11.app Preferences (Input tab) to enable three button mouse emulation.


Q: What is X11LibApple.pkg and where can I get it?

A: X11LibApple.pkg (also called X11 Lib in the installer) is installed as part of X11UserForMacOSX.mkpg. The package contains the /usr/X11R6/include/x-plugin.h header and /usr/X11R6/lib/libapplexp.dylib. The header and dylib are needed to build and run the source code for X11 for Mac OS X. The libapplexp dylib implements the interface, defined in x-plugin.h, between the X11 server and the Quartz window server.
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