2. Summary of new features in X11R6.8.1

This is a sampling of the new features in X11R6.8.1. A more complete list of changes can be found in the ChangeLog file that is part of the X source tree.

• Freetype was updated to version 2.1.8. But installing freetype from X distributions would often or usually result in the replacement or use of "stale" versions of freetype. On Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris 10, and SCO5, therefore, X11R6.8.1 will by default use the version of freetype2 that is installed on the system. If your system doesn't come with an installed freetype2 and you wish to use the version supplied with this distribution, please add: #define HasFreetype2 NO to config/cf/host.def.
• The XTT font module and FreeType1 have been retired because FreeType2 subsumes their functionality
• Retire old PS Type1 font rasterizer (except for CID font usage) since the FreeType2 rasterizer now handles PS Type1 (*.pfa, *.pfb)
• Render implementation fixes
• Updated x86emu and resynced with upstream at Scitech
• Updated SiS driver
• Render acceleration for ATI's R100 and R200-series cards
• Substantial speedups in the software implementation of the render extensions when compiled with gcc 3.4 on the i386 architecture.
• Infrastructure for rotation support in drivers
• New Trapezoid specification for the Render extension
  • Respecify Render to include only 'normal' traps
  • Allow backward compatibility but internally covert to new format
• Software mouse cursor is now based on the Damage extension
• A new keyboard driver is enabled by default. The old driver is disabled unless explicitly compiled in by defining the macro USE_DEPRECATED_KEYBOARD_DRIVER
• Extensions can be enabled/disabled from the configuration file and from the command line
• Mac OS X updates:
  • Support dynamic screen configuration changes in rootless mode
  • Added option to always use Mac command key equivalents
  • Interpret scroll wheel mouse events correctly when shift is held down
  • Added trivial Xinput support
  • Fixed launch of X clients from Finder with a space in their path
  • Fixed some GLX rendering problems on Mac OS X 10.2 and earlier

2.1. New X extensions

X11R6.8.1 includes four new extensions:

XFixes

The XFixes extension is a collection of improvements for deficiencies in the core protocol, including

• Notification when a selection changes
• Server-side region objects
• Allow clients to track the cursor image

Damage

The Damage extension allows a client to be notified whenever something is drawn to a window. This feature is useful for VNC servers, for screen magnifiers, and for clients using the Composite extension to update the screen.

Composite (experimental)

The Composite extension allows a client to request that all drawing to window is redirected to off-screen buffer. Though the Damage extension the client, called a 'compositing manager', can know which areas of a window is modified and render the windows on screen. By making use of the drawing requests from both the core protocol and the RENDER extension, the compositing manager can create special effects, such as translucennt windows.

The Composite extension is considered experimental in X11R6.8.1 and is turned off by default.

XEvIE (X Event Interception Extension) (experimental)

XEvIE is an extension to intercept core keyboard and pointing device input It allows consumation, modification or synthesis of input events before these are sent to their final destination (i.e., interested clients). This feature is required by the GNOME accessibility project.

The XEvIE extension is considered experimental in X11R6.8.1 and is turned off by default.

As noted above, some extensions are disabled by default. They can be enabled either in the xorg.conf configuration file or on the Xorg command-line. For example, to enable the Composite extension, you could include a section like the following in the xorg.conf file:

Section "Extensions"
        Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection

or you could put +extension Composite on your command line.

2.2. Distributed Multihead X (DMX)

X11R6.8.1 includes a new X server, called Xdmx, that allows users to create a single unified desktop from multiple running X servers. It works by creating a local screen on each of these running X servers, which can be distributed across a network, and then presents that set of screens to the user. When combined with Xinerama, a unified workspace, ranging from large display walls to small two display enviroments, can be created.

More information about DMX can be found on the DMX Project's web site, including how to configure and use Xdmx.

2.3. Xprint updates

• Integrated various fixes from xprint.mozdev.org (more or less the whole codebase has been merged)
• Integrated various fixes from Sun Microsystems
• OpenGL is now supported for printing
• New set of maintenance tools for the Xprint server (xplsprinters, xprehashprinterlist, etc.)
• Added new XprintUtils client library to make the usage off Xprint easier
• Various other features and fixes integrated
• Athena toolkit now has print support (XawPrintShell) which is included in a separate version of that library (Xaw8)
• Various applications/tools like xman, xedit, xlogo, etc. now have print support

2.4. Updated Mesa and DRI from upstream sources

• More OpenGL extensions
• MergedFB for Radeon (Dualhead DRI support on these cards)
• Many GLX fixes
• Working SiS DRI driver
• Major Radeon and R200 DRI driver updates
• fbconfigs support
• Beginnings of pbuffer support (indirect only, and only in specific circumstances).
• Merge Mach64 DRI support (Eric Anholt, July 23)

2.5. Video driver enhancements

• SiS driver updates include
  • output device hotplugging
  • lots of fixes for 661, 741, 760
  • extended interface for SiSCtrl?
  • extended LCD handling (allow more modes)
  • HDTV support (480p, 480i, 720p. 1080i; 315/330 series)
  • Added video blitter Xv adapter (315/330 series)
  • extended RENDER acceleration
• Radeon driver updates:
  • Merged Framebuffer support (dualhead with DRI)
  • DynamicClocks option (reduced power usage)
  • Render acceleration (r100, r200 chips only)
  • Support for new ATI chips (R420/M18, R423, RV370/M22, RV380/M24, RS300)
  • DRI support for IGP chips
  • Xv gamma correction
  • Updated 3D drivers
  • Many other small fixes
• Neomagic driver updates
  • Support for Xv on pre-nm2160 chips
  • Pseudocolor overlay mode
  • Improved support for lowres double scan modes
• MGA driver updates
  • Support for DDC and DPMS on second head on G400
  • Updated 3D driver
• i810 driver updates
  • Dualhead support (i830+)
  • i915 support
  • New 3D driver (i830+)
• Savage driver updates
  • Pseudocolor overlay mode
• S3 driver updates
  • Support for additional IBM RAMDACS
• Chips driver update
  • Improved BE support
• New Voodoo driver (Alan Cox)
  • Provides native (glide-less) acceleration and mode setup for voodoo/voodoo2 boards