X.Org Foundation facts for kids
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| Founded | 22 January 2004 |
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| Type | Non-profit |
| Product | X.Org Server |
| Method | Development |
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Parent organization
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Software in the Public Interest |
The X.Org Foundation is a group that helps make computer graphics work well. They are a non-profit organization. This means they don't try to make money. Their main goal is to support and improve free and open-source graphics software. This includes important projects like X.Org Server, Mesa 3D, and Wayland. These projects help your computer show everything on its screen.
Contents
What is the X.Org Foundation?
The X.Org Foundation started on January 22, 2004. It was formed when the group that managed X standards joined with developers from XFree86. This was a big change in how X software was managed. Before, big companies mostly controlled it. Now, software developers lead the Foundation. They use a "bazaar model" for development. This means many people from the community help create the software. Anyone can join the Foundation. Companies can also join by sponsoring them.
In 2012, the X.Org Foundation became a 501(c)(3) non-profit group. This status helps them legally. They briefly lost it in 2013 but quickly got it back. In 2016, they joined Software in the Public Interest (SPI). SPI helps them with paperwork and other official tasks. In 2023, the X.Org Foundation also joined Software Freedom Conservancy.
What Does X.Org Do?
The X.Org Foundation does not tell developers what to build. They do not set deadlines or release schedules. Instead, they help developers in other ways.
Here are some things the X.Org Foundation does:
- They provide tools for developers to talk to each other. This is often done with freedesktop.org.
- They organize an annual meeting for developers. This meeting is called the X.Org Developer's Conference.
- They provide money to help develop free graphics software.
- They take part in the Google Summer of Code (GSoC). This program lets students work on X.Org projects during the summer.
- They run the Endless Vacation of Code (EVoC). This is like GSoC but lets students work on projects any time of the year.
- They help share information. This includes videos, slides, and articles about their projects.
- They have an X.Org developer guide. This guide helps people learn about X.Org.
The X.Org Server is a key part of the X Window System. It is used a lot on computers that run Linux and UNIX. It is the main technology behind desktop environments like GNOME and KDE. This means that apps made for these environments can run at the same time.
The X.Org Foundation also supports many useful programs. These are often called "utilities." Some examples include:
xcalc: An on-screen calculator.xclock: A simple digital and analog clock.xedit: A basic text editor.xload: Shows how busy your computer is.xterm: A program that lets you type commands to your computer.xeyes: Shows a pair of eyes that follow your mouse cursor.
As of April 2013, the Board of Directors included Alan Coopersmith, Alex Deucher, Martin Peres, Matt Dew, Matthias Hopf, Peter Hutterer, Stuart Kreitman, and Keith Packard. These people help guide the Foundation.
X.Org Developer's Conference (XDC)
The X.Org Developer's Conference (XDC) is an important meeting. It happens once a year, usually in September or October. The location changes between North America and Europe. The conference lasts for three days. The Foundation's board can help pay for travel and lodging for developers. This helps more people attend the conference.
Past Conferences
| Event and year | Date | Host city | Venue | Resources | Themes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XDC2004 | 28–30 April | Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA | Cambridge Research Laboratory | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2004/ | |
| XDC2005 | 12–14 February | Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA | Cambridge Research Laboratory | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2005/ | X.Org Server, Cairo, xephyr, ... |
| XDC2006 | 8–10 February | Santa Clara, California, USA | Sun Microsystems campus | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2006/ | Xgl, |
| XDC2007 | 7–9 February | Menlo Park, California, USA | TechShop Menlo Park facility | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2007/ | |
| XDS2007 | 10–12 September | Cambridge, United Kingdom | Clare College | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDS2007/ | |
| XDC2008 | 16–18 April | Mountain View, California, USA | Google campus | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2008/ | |
| XDS2008 | 3–5 September | Edinburgh, United Kingdom | Edinburgh Zoo | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDS2008/ | XKB, MPX, ... |
| XDC2009 | 28–30 September | Portland, Oregon, USA | University Place Hotel, Portland State University | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2009/ | |
| XDS2010 | 16–18 September | Toulouse, France | Toulouse 1 University Capitole | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDS2010/ | |
| XDC2011 | 12–14 September | Chicago, Illinois, USA | McCormick Tribune Campus Center | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2011/ | |
| XDC2012 | 19–21 September | Nuremberg, Germany | SUSE campus | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2012/ | |
| XDC2013 | 23–25 September | Portland, Oregon, USA | University Place Hotel, Portland State University | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2013/ | DRM, DRI3, XCB, nouveau, etc. |
| XDC2014 | 8–10 October | Bordeaux, France | Laboratoire Bordelais de Recherche en Informatique (LaBRI) | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2014/ | Wayland, Tizen, FreeBSD, DragonflyBSD, Mesa 3D, etc. |
| XDC2015 | 16–18 September | Toronto, Canada | Seneca@York campus, Seneca College | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2015/ | GLSL compiler, Nouveau, libinput, Freedreno, Etnaviv, amdgpu, drm, etc. |
| XDC2016 | 20–22 September | Helsinki, Finland | Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2016/ | |
| XDC2017 | 20–22 September | Mountain View, California, USA | Google Bldg 1055 | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2017/ | |
| XDC2018 | 26–28 September | A Coruña, Galicia (Spain) | Computer Science Faculty of University of A Coruña | https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2018/ | |
| XDC2019 | 2–4 October | Montreal, Canada | Concordia University Conference Centre | [1] | |
| XDC2020 | 16-18 September | Virtual | Virtual | https://xdc2020.x.org/ | |
| XDC2021 | 15-17 September | Virtual | Virtual | https://indico.freedesktop.org/event/1/ | |
| XDC2022 | 4-6 October | Minneapolis, Minnesota | University of St. Thomas | https://indico.freedesktop.org/event/2/ | |
| XDC2023 | 17-19 October | Coruña, Spain | PALEXCO | https://indico.freedesktop.org/event/4/ | |
| XDC2024 | 9-11 October | Montréal, Canada | Concordia University Conference Center | https://indico.freedesktop.org/event/6/ |
X.Org Endless Vacation of Code (EVoC)
The X.Org Endless Vacation of Code (EVoC) is a program that started in 2008. It is like Google Summer of Code (GSoC). The X.Org Foundation funds it. EVoC lets students work on X.Org projects. They can do this during their school breaks. This means they can work on projects at any time of the year. For example, in 2014, a student worked on nouveau. This is a free software driver for GeForce graphics cards.
See also
In Spanish: Fundación X.Org para niños
- Free and open-source graphics device driver
- List of free-software events
External links
fr:X.Org#Fondation X.Org
