If you've been running into trouble with the X11 infrastructure in Leopard, you aren't alone; issues including multi-monitor support problems and crashes in bunches have been frustrating those who depend on the MIT-originated tools (apps such as The GIMP, OpenOffice and Sun's Tarantella/Global Desktop are X11-based). The X11 code in Tiger was forked from the older XFree86 project, while Leopard's X11 is based on the x.org 'reboot' of the windowing system -- while newer and potentially better in the long run, the x.org code apparently still has some rough edges.Thanks to the efforts of Apple's point guy for XDarwin, Ben Byer, many of these bugs have now been squashed in an unofficial, unsupported new build of the Xquartz library. Installing the revised components is not for the casual user (you will have to compile it from source for now) but if you spend a lot of time in X11, you might well appreciate the changes. There's plenty more on the X11/Leopard saga at MacOSXHints' forums and on the Apple X11 mailing list.
By the way, the dashing fellow on the right there in the red cap? That's Hexley, Jon Hooper's platypus mascot for Darwin. Perhaps that's the new X11 build he's unpacking.
Update: Thanks to our commenters for the links to the precompiled binaries and the 3-step Macports installation process.
Thanks, Vincent.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-13-2007 @ 7:37AM
mongrol said...
Binaries are available as well as simple 3 line commands to install them.
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11-13-2007 @ 8:25AM
Michel said...
simply great !
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11-13-2007 @ 11:55AM
Nathan said...
What lousy reporting. I'm on the x11-users@lists.apple.com mailing list, and Ben's repeatedly linked to his page that contains instructions for binary installs, source installs, downloads, how to help, etc.
http://www.x.org/wiki/XDarwin
^-- That's always updated FIRST and is the real place you ought to be looking for instructions, downloads, and status on updates. If you want more than that page, you ought to join Apple's x11-users@lists.apple.com mailing list here:
http://lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/x11-users
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11-13-2007 @ 12:02PM
garion said...
I've been following these binary releases for a week or 2.. I've had issues with crashes.. My most stable version is a6.. Haven't had a chance to play with today's a9 version.. a7 and a8 both crashed frequently on me.
Just a warning to those that try these.
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11-13-2007 @ 12:09PM
Michael Rose said...
FWIW I had the wrong link for the x.org wiki in the body of the post, but the Read link was correct. Apologies.
http://www.x.org/wiki/XDarwin
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11-13-2007 @ 12:13PM
Michael Rose said...
As noted, Nathan -- the link to x.org was there in the "Read" link for the post, the one in the body was pointed at MacosXhints by mistake.
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11-13-2007 @ 12:35PM
Nathan said...
Thanks for fixing the link in the body. I have to admit that I've never even noticed the "read" link. To me, a blog post has links in the body and a link to the comments. Everything else varies from blog to blog.
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11-13-2007 @ 4:40PM
ex2bot said...
What horrendous reporting!!!!!!!!!!! You passed on some helpful information rather lucidly but then had the audacity to make a mistake.
Shame!
;)
Bot
Moral: Good manners are always, um, good. You can quote me.
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