In Mac OS X, how do I run the X Window System?

Because Mac OS X is based on Unix, providing the X Window System (X11) for it has been a high priority for many developers, including Apple. All of the X11 implementations currently available include special window managers that let you use X11 applications alongside Aqua. Since the release of Apple's X11 for Mac OS X, however, most of the projects below have lost momentum, though the code for each is still available for download:

X11 implementations

Apple's X11

Apple provides its own version on the installation disc; it is the easiest X11 implementation to install.

For more about the development of X11 for Mac OS X, see Apple's X11 page.

OroborOSX

OroborOSX was released under the GPL.

XTools

Tenon Intersystems released its own implementation called Xtools, which costs $200 but includes technical support. For information about Xtools, see Tenon's XTools web site.

X Window servers

X.org and XFree86 are the two most common X Window servers. They provide the back-end on which X11 applications run.

X.org

Most Unix window managers are migrating their code base to work with X.org, which is a branch of the XFree86 project. You can download the source code from the X.org web site. Apple's X11 implementation has been based off X.org since Mac OS X 10.5.

XFree86

XFree86 is the X server commonly used in GNU/Linux. Although the project has largely been abandoned in favor of X.org, XFree86 is still available as source code, which you may compile on your own, from the XFree86 home page. In Mac OS X 10.4 and earlier, Apple's X11 implementation was based on XFree86.

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