| PackageDescription | files and utilities common to all X servers
The X server is the hardware interface of the X Window System. Its job is to
communicate with video display and input devices, and present them in a
standardized, abstract fashion via the X protocol to X clients (X-based
programs). The X server largely relieves programs of having to know or care
about the details of the hardware with which they are interacting (such
things as 32-bit versus 8-bit color, the layout of the keyboard, how many
buttons the mouse has, etc.). The catch is that the X server must itself
know the technical specifications of the graphics hardware and monitor, the
keyboard layout, the protocol used by the mouse, and so forth.
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X servers either need fonts installed on the local host, or need to know of a
remote host that provides font services (with xfs, for instance). The former
means that font packages are mandatory. The latter means that font packages
may be gratuitous. To err on the side of caution, install at least the
xfonts-base, xfonts-100dpi or xfonts-75dpi, and xfonts-scalable packages. |