X server

X server

   <graphics, operating system> A process, in an {X Window
   System} which controls a {bitmap display} device and usually
   also a {keyboard} and {mouse} or other {pointing device}.  The
   X server performs operations on request from {client}
   {applications}, which may be on the same computer or a
   different computer connected via a {network}.

   Note that typical {client-server} architectures do
   {input-output} on the client and processing on the server
   whereas in X the terms are reversed as the X server is serving
   IO rather than processing resources to the application.

   If the two computers are not both {Unix} machines (e.g. one is
   a {Windows} machine running {VNC}) or if a more secure
   connection is required (e.g. tunneling with {ssh}), the
   clients may talk to a {proxy} X server that forwards the
   requests to another machine where the real IO takes place.

   (2006-08-29)