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 non-profit group. This means it's an organization that doesn't aim to make money. Its main goal is to help create and improve software that makes computer graphics work smoothly. This includes important projects like DRM, Mesa 3D, Wayland, and the X Window System with its main part, the X.Org Server.
Contents
About the X.Org Foundation
The X.Org Foundation started on January 22, 2004. It was formed when different groups working on computer graphics software joined together. Before this, big companies often controlled how X software was developed. But the Foundation changed this. Now, software developers lead the way, and many people from the community can help out. Anyone can become a member, and companies can support the Foundation by sponsoring it.
In 2005, the X.Org Foundation applied to become a special kind of non-profit group in the US (called 501(c)(3)). They officially got this status in 2012. Later, in 2016, the X.Org Foundation teamed up with Software in the Public Interest (SPI). SPI helps manage the paperwork and legal stuff for the Foundation. In 2023, the X.Org Foundation also decided to join Software Freedom Conservancy, another group that helps open-source projects.
What the X.Org Foundation Does
The X.Org Foundation doesn't tell developers exactly what to build or when to finish projects. Instead, it helps them in other ways.
Here's how they help:
- Meetings: They organize an annual meeting called the X.Org Developer's Conference (XDC). This is where developers can meet in person.
- Travel Help: They can help pay for developers to travel to these important meetings.
- Student Programs: They take part in programs like Google Summer of Code (GSoC). This lets students work on X.Org projects during their summer break.
- Endless Vacation of Code (EVoC): This is a program similar to GSoC, funded by the X.Org Foundation. It allows students to work on X.Org projects any time of the year during their vacations.
- Communication Tools: They provide tools for developers to talk to each other, often with freedesktop.org.
- Guides: They host a developer guide online that helps people learn about X.Org projects.
The X.Org Server is a key piece of software. It's the main way the X Window System works. It's used a lot on computers running Linux and UNIX. It's the basic technology behind popular desktop environments like GNOME and KDE. This means that apps made for these environments can all run at the same time.
The X.Org Foundation also supports the creation of many useful small programs. These 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 terminal that lets you type commands.xeyes: A fun program that shows eyes that follow your mouse cursor.
X.Org Developer's Conference (XDC)
The X.Org Developer's Conference (XDC) is the main in-person meeting for the X.Org Foundation. It happens once a year, usually in September or October. The location changes between North America and Europe each year, and it lasts for three days. The Foundation's board can help cover travel and hotel costs for developers who might not be able to attend otherwise.
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/ |
X.Org Endless Vacation of Code (EVoC)
The X.Org Endless Vacation of Code (EVoC) is a program that started in 2008. It's like the Google Summer of Code (GSoC) but funded by the X.Org Foundation. EVoC lets students work on X.Org-related projects during their school breaks, at any time of the year. For example, in 2014, one accepted EVoC project was to work on nouveau. This is a free and open-source graphics device 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
