X11 for Mac OS X is an implementation of the X Window System that makes it possible to run X11-based applications in Mac OS X. Based on the X.org Foundation releases -- the leading reference implementation of X11 -- X11 for Mac OS X is compatible, fast, and fully integrated with Mac OS X. It features includes full X11R7 compatibility including an X window server, Quartz window manager, libraries, and basic utilities such as xterm. It is optional but installed by default on Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard. The X11 SDK headers are available as part of the Xcode Developer Tools.

Articles

Configuring and Running X11 Applications on Mac OS X

There are some things to know about X11 on Mac OS X before you start, and this article outlines the key issues you should be aware of.

Related Links

XQuartz on Mac OS Forge

With Leopard, Apple is actively working with the Open Source community to improve our X11 implementation via the XQuartz project on Mac OS Forge. The goal is for all such changes to be part of future X.org releases, as well as future Mac OS X updates.

UNIX GUI Toolkits

The UNIX community has developed a wide range of GUI toolkits over the years, primarily built on top of the X11 Windowing system. Virtually all of these have been ported to Mac OS X, and many can even run directly on Quartz without the need for an X11 server.

QA1232 - X11 FAQ

This document offers a list of known issues and recent changes to X11.

X11 Application Sample Code

This sample demonstrates how to make a bundled X11 application on Mac OS X which calls into both Carbon and Cocoa to perform various "native" Mac OS X operations. This includes using native APIs and using native UI elements.

Bug Reporting

Report bugs or make enhancement requests for the components listed above.

Darwin Source Code

Sources for the components listed above are available here.

Open Source Topics
Databases Directory Services Internet & Web Performance Printing Scripting Security Server Tools

X11-Users Mailing List Discussion about X11 for Mac OS X.