Sebastopol, CA--The X Window System is one of the most flexible and adaptable graphical interfaces in the computer industry. Having been around for more than 20 years, this open source system underlies graphical desktops on Linux and Unix systems and supports advanced features of modern graphics cards. Unfortunately, although more people are using X Window System than ever before, most books are well out-of-date.
Chris Tyler, a programmer and Linux network administrator whose focus is on the X Window System, has stumbled upon this very problem. "There has been a renaissance in X development, and there are far more users of the X Window System now than ever before -- but absolutely no books on the topic! I wrote the book that I needed to read a few years ago." This book -- X Power Tools (O'Reilly Media, $39.99 US) -- easily fills the void with the most current and practical information available.
In the introduction to this new book, Chris writes, "This is a book about the X Window System, a technology that continues to amaze observers in many ways. It was released as open source software before that term was formally defined, it’s more than 20 years old but has an installed base that is growing daily, and it maintains compatibility with decades-old software while still taking full advantage of the very latest hardware."
Written in O'Reilly's popular Power Tools format, X Power Tools offers dozens of standalone articles, which are thoroughly cross-referenced, about useful tools and techniques for using X. This unique inside look gives Unix/Linux system administrators, as well as power users and owners of self-administered systems, a lot of useful ways to harness the power of this system effectively.
This book:
- Offers a thorough grounding in how the system works
- Provides the complete ins and outs of changing a desktop's behavior, such as fonts, keyboard settings, and remote security
- Discusses often ignored but very useful utility programs distributed with X
- Covers software that works with X to provide a full-fledged graphical user interface and desktop environment
- Includes articles on how to take advantage of X's "network transparency" and its ability to display graphical applications on a remote machine
- Explores intriguing areas such as using multiple monitors, building kiosks, and accessibility
- Looks at the flexible Virtual Network Computer cross-platform display technology, which can be used with X in powerful ways
- Features discussions on X Window innovations and the future of the system
While X Power Tools covers the configuration and use of X with Linux, it also includes notes on other operating systems such as Solaris and FreeBSD. Each article gives you insight into X; the entire book provides you with a real grasp on this system and what you can do with it.
Chris Tyler is a programmer and Linux network administrator with a focus on the X Window System and LAMP open source software. He has programmed in 2 dozen different languages over the past 20 years and now teaches at Seneca College, Toronto. He is the author of O'Reilly's Fedora Linux.
More information about X Power Tools, including table of contents, index, author bio, and samples
X Power Tools
Chris Tyler
ISBN: 0-596-10195-3, $39.99 USD
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