[newbie] Documentation?

[Russell Shaw]

Gregg Reynolds wrote:
> Hi list,
> 
> I've only recently begun digging into the details of the X server.  The
> best doco I've found amounts to:
> 
> 	"Definition of the Porting Layer for the X v11 Sample Server"
> 	(http://www.xfree86.org/current/ddx.pdf)
> 
> and
> 
> 	"Strategies for Porting the X v11 Sample Server
> 	(http://www.msu.edu/~huntharo/xwin/docs/xwindows/strat.pdf)
> 
> I notice that neither of these is available (or at least not easily so)
> on the x.org site.  They're also quite old.
> 
> Can anyone here fill me in on just how trustworthy these docs are today?
>  Or, are there better docs available that cover the internals of the X
> Sample Server?

The latest versions are within the source xc download.

> I've begun taking notes on the internal architecture of the server,
> based mostly on those 2 docs and the source code.  I wonder if there is
> a perceived need for a kind of "X Server Internal Architecture"
> document.  Personally, I would like to see something like that, somewhat
> similar to the 2 docs mentioned above, but a little more high-level.  By
> that I mean discussing the server architecture both in terms of the
> problems various features are designed to solve, and doing so in terms
> of e.g. Service Categories rather than "layers" or particular functions.
>  The audience would be experienced programmers, both those who just
> want some idea of how an X server works, and those who need to extend it
> or write a driver for it.
> 
> What say ye, list?  Would it be useful to anybody other than me?  Are
> there people who would be willing to contribute?   (Everything under a
> free license, natch.)

I would use it if i had it. As it is now, i've figured out what X does
just from looking at the various api headers. How it actually does all
this (as opposed to what i think it does), i'll find out when look at
the source closer.

> (FYI:  Yes, I do have wild and crazy ideas about a few server
> enhancements/extentions, which is why I'm digging into this.  But I find
> also that the code is pretty clean and the docs - if you can find them -
> are pretty informative, so it's kinda interesting just to see how it all
> works.)

Xlib and X are quite well done. A few fixes would make it much better.
Xt and all things based on it are a complete abortion imho. That stuff
definitely needs replacing;)