Re: X Windows

[Stephen Early <sde1000@chiark.chu.cam.ac.uk>]

On Mon, 13 May 1996, Dale Scheetz wrote:

> I am somewhat put off by the hodge podge of packages in the x11 section. I
> know I need:
> xserver_xxxxx	I chose xserver_svga
> xlib
> xbase
> xfntbase
> xmanpages
> fvwm2

Actually you don't need the xmanpages package; it contains the manpages 
to do with X development. Manpages for the standard X clients are 
included in the xbase package.

> Is there anything else I need for a minimal X installation? How do I tell
> (asside from examining dependencies and description fields) which of the
> other packages in this section are desirable, necessary, objectionable,
> etc...
> I'd love some pointers on what's left as well.

The minimum local X installation is xlib, xbase, xfntbase and an X server
package. You're likely to want xcontrib as well; it contains some very
useful clients. The reason that X is split up into so many packages is
that it's so _big_ and there are so many different things it can be used
for. For instance, sometimes people want to set up a large machine as a 
server, and lock it away in a room. This machine will have a minimal 
display card, and will not run an X server locally. It might have all the 
fonts installed, and could run a font server.

Other machines could then be set up with only the X server package; they 
would read fonts from the font server, and the clients would all run on 
the main server.

Steve Early
sde1000@cam.ac.uk