X-Win32 2012 Release Notes

Contents

Overview

After more than 20 years of development, X-Win32 has become the most advanced PC X server on the market. An X server allows remote graphical Unix and linux X application to be displayed on your local Windows machine. X-Win32 provides multiple protocols to connect to your remote system thus providing a complete solution for remote networking. For complete mobility, X-Win32 provides the LIVE protocol adding several key support features (suspend/resume multi user support, printing, sound support) not found in traditional X Server.

New in 2012

• Direct 2d support in multiple window mode
• LIVE Server 6 protocol

Features

LIVE Sessions

• Sound Support
• File Transfer Support
• Remote Printing

X11R7 support

Single Window Mode

• Support for Multiple DISPLAY Screens

SSH

• Increased SSH performance (3X faster than previous versions)

OpenGL Version Upgraded

Sessions

LIVE

• Printing Support
  • Remote files can now be printed in LIVE Sessions by running the command rxlpr.
• Console Sessions
• When the LIVE Server is installed as root, users can log in and start the server directly from their unix/linux machine. This feature is referred to as the LIVE Console. Users can suspend their sessions and then reconnect from home using X-Win32. Create a LIVE (Host) session, then Choose Console-{desktop type} to reconnect
• Indirect Sessions
• Users can log into a machine running the LIVE server and connect to second machine using the ssh protocol. Users can find this new LIVE (Indirect) option in the Wizard.
• Server Side LIVE Sessions
• LIVE Sessions can now be stored on the remote Unix/Linux system. System administrators only need to create one session, post it on the remote host and all users can access this session type. It also eases the mobility of moving from one Windows system to another. You no longer need to worry about if you are using the proper name to reconnect. It is right on the session.
• Session Sharing
• Multiple users can now view and manipulate running LIVE sessions. This allows for easy collaboration between colleagues. The initiator of the Shared session creates a LIVE session and checks the "Allow Sharing" box. Others who want to connect create "LIVE (Slave)" sessions to connect to the running session.
• LIVE 6.0 Protocol
• Rootless LIVE Sessions
• LIVE Sessions allow users to suspend and resume running X sessions on their desktop without loss of data. Based on the NX protocol, LIVE sessions make extensive use of caching allowing speed increases on low bandwidth connections eliminating most roundtrip traffic.
• LIVE sessions can be run in "Rootless" mode enabling applications to run natively on your desktop rather than in a LIVE session window. To enable Rootless mode, create a LIVE session, select Desktop type: Custom, add your remote application in the text field to the right, and check the Rootless box.

SSH

• Kerberos GSSAPI support added for both Microsoft Kerberos and MIT Kerberos
• Kerberos authentication is now available in SSH sessions via Microsoft Single Sign On and MIT Kerberos for Windows
• New SSH Module
• SSH sessions now use plink as the ssh module. This adds an increase in flexibility to the ssh subsystem as well as certain bug fixes that were not found in the previous version of SSH
• SSH is now up to 4 times faster than previous versions

XDMCP

• Sound Support in XDMCP
• XDMCP sessions now support sound by means of the ESD sound server enabled in X-Win32. This feature is currently available in GNOME desktops by running the command: esddsp <application>

Windows

Single Window Mode

• Fluxbox Window Manager
• The fluxbox window manager is now shipped with X-Win32. This allows users to contain all their X Clients in one large window and move them around at will. Fluxbox contains many features such as multiple workspace and window stacking
• Support for Large Screen Sizes
• Remote displays can now be larger than the local Windows screen. This option is specified in the Size section of the Window tab in X-Config
• Single Window Mode Dynamic Resizing
• Single Window mode can be dynamically resized by clicking and dragging on the outside of the window.
• Classic resize scrollbars added in single window mode
• Scrollbars can be added to single window mode allowing users to set the makimum size and shrink the window out of the way when not in use.

Multiple Window Mode

• Window Manager Upgrade
• The window manager has been upgraded allowing for increased stability and performance.

Input

Keyboard

• Keyboards maps can be selected
• Default keyboard maps can now be selected in the Input tab of X-Config. By unchecking the Enable Xkeyboard Extension option, the old style keyboard maps will be used instead. Support for multiple languages as well as nonstandard US keyboards (for example DEC goldkey) are supported

Mouse

• Mouse Wheel Configuration
• The mouse wheel can now be configured as the scrollwheel, Up/Down arrows or turned off in the Input tab of X-Config. This feature is useful for legacy applications which only support three button mice rather than the now standard 5 button mouse.

Japanese IME

• IME input support has now been added in both single and multiple window mode. Single Window mode supports IME by default. In multiple window mode, make sure to set the following environment variables before launching an application with IME
  • LC_CYPTE=ja_JP
  • XMODIFIERS=@im=XIME

Sound

• Sound Support
• XDMCP and LIVE sessions now support sound by means of the ESD sound server enabled in X-Win32. This feature is currently available in GNOME desktops by running the command: esddsp <application>

X Server

• Direct 2D rendering
• Direct 2D offers hardware accelerated performance increases speeding up certain drawing events up tp 1000%! Users with Windows Vista and 7 can take advantage of Direct 2D drawing improving the performance of their X Sessions
• RANDR extentsion implemented
• X-Win32 now supports the Resize and Reshape extension allowing desktops to be dynamically resized and scaled to fit different window configurations. This extension also allows users running in single window mode to resize and scale their windows.

• X-Config

  • DPI Settings
  • User's DPI settings can now be specified in XServer.config. Edit the file and place the following lines above the </Configuration> line, where ### represents the dpi settings. Common DPI settings are 75, 96, 120.
    • <XDPI>###</XDPI>
    • <YDPI>###</YDPI>
  • Application Data Folder Redirection supported
  • X-Config now supports Mounted filesystems using Folder Redirection on Windows Servers

• Licensing

  • RLM Licensing
  • X-Win32 now uses the RLM licensing system from Reprise Software
  • License Server
    • Administrators now can use a license server to better monitor license usage and kill licenses fromunauthorized users.

  Known Issues

  • CRITICAL UPDATE: LIVE 6.0.26 or later required to run LIVE Sessions
  • KDE slows down when screen is locked.
  • This is a known KDE bug with several remote X servers
  • http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=105897

  System Requirements

  • Windows XP, Windows 2003, Vista and 7 are supported. Direct 2D acceleration is only available for Vista and above.

  Specific Fixes

  Fixes for 2012

  • 2012 Build 77 -- 2012/02/22
    • Fixed Focus out Event with Override Redirect
    • Fix black menus in emacs and window resize display errors
    • Reparented windows need a synthetic configure notify if their or the parents position changes
  • 2012 Build 68 -- 2012/01/17
    • Fixed Bug where numlock was giving wrong scan code for DEC keyboards
  • 2012 Build 67 -- 2011/10/17
    • Fixed various crashes related to Composite Extension
    • Fixed Crash in Cadence
    • Fixed crash in Calibre
    • Fixed Crash when using slickedit
    • Windows correctly translate the damaged regions from pixmap to screen coordinates and back
    • Fixed crash when pressing Alt+enter with Direct2d on
    • Fixed crash in Xcrysten
  • 2012 Build 58 -- 2011/09/29
    • Fixed Graphics corruption when running live sessions
  • 2012 Build 56 -- 2011/09/20
    • Fluxbox sorts menus in case insensitive fashion
    • Multi Connection editing
    • Fixed crash in Direct2d memory limit
    • Composite Extension added
    • Backing Store Always on added
    • Backing Store enabled in Multiple Window Mode
    • Command line node locked activation added
    • Disable Composite Exension Checkbox added
    • Starlink uses local username for auto username generation
    • Askpass recognizes password expiration warnings
    • Fixed crash with fonts when Composite was enabled
    • Fixed LIVE Slowdown issue causing 100% CPU Usage
  • 2012 Build 17 -- 2011/08/01
    • Fixed crash with very large windows rendering
    • Fixed direct2d rending issue with gvim