Apple has released X11 for Mac OS X v1.0, a version of the X Window system that’s compatible with Mac OS X 10.3 (“Panther”). Besides being offered as a downloadable file, it’s available as an optional install from the Panther CD.
The software has long been available as a downloadable public preview version for Mac OS X v10.2.x “Jaguar,” but this signifies its final v1.0 release. And according to Apple’s specs, X11 for Mac OS X v1.0 requires Panther instead.
X11 for Mac OS X enables applications based on the X11 windowing environment to run side-by-side with native Mac OS X applications on the same desktop. X11 is commonly used on UNIX platforms.
X11 for Mac OS X uses Mac OS X’s own Quartz graphics system, which provides hardware-accelerated 2D and 3D graphics. That means you’ll get faster text scrolling, dynamic dragging and resizing of windows, and 3D animation thanks to OpenGL. X11 for Mac OS X also includes the standard X11 display server software, client libraries and developer toolkits, which makes X11 for Mac OS X a step in the right direction for developers to port Linux and UNIX applications to the Mac, according to Apple.