Scientific and technical documents, especially old and time-tested, often turn out to be incredibly useful resources for researchers and students. In the era of digital archives and Wikipedia, sometimes unexpected sources on university sites provide information that can overshadow the most famous resources. Usually, these documents are found in the form of PDF files or simple text files in subcategories on .edu domains, created by professors who make manuals to save time and focus on their work.
Recently, a document from the astrophysical department of Princeton University was discovered. This document is the leadership of “Introduction to X Window System” written by Robert Lapton. Celebrating its 40th anniversary the other day, the X Window System was essential for working with space tools in the early 1980s. Computer labs at that time were equipped with devices like VT100, VAX-11/750, and Sun Microsystems.
History of the Creation X Window System
The X Window System was developed in 1984 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by Robert V. Shaifler and Jim Gettis. It was part of the Athena project, aiming to create a distributed computing environment on a campus using various hardware platforms. X’s main feature was its platform and supplier independence, as well as the ability to utilize remote resources.
Shafler borrowed code from W, made the interface asynchronous, and renamed the system “X”. This cross-platform compatibility made X ideal for use at Princeton, where Lapton was a leading computer specialist in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences.
Robert Lapton’s Contribution
Robert Lapton, with deep knowledge in computers, was in charge of setting up and supporting the X system at Princeton. In his leadership, Lapton highlights that X provides “tools, not rules,” allowing for the creation of various interfaces. He explains X’s three-part nature: server, clients, and window manager. Lapton also emphasizes the importance of keyboard and mouse button sensitivity, enhancing flexibility and functionality in working with the system.
Useful Tips from Lapton
- Key modifiers: Key modifiers play a crucial role in X, including sensitivity to mouse buttons.
- Launching X: To launch X, use the Xinit command instead of X to avoid an empty screen. Xinit runs only the