tinyX - a XFree86 based package for low memory systems

# 6 tinyX - a XFree86 based package for low memory systems

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Note that while you can run X on 4 MB RAM systems using tinyX, it is not useable for more complex applications or several applications at the same time.

If you have not enough memory to run the stock XFree86 distribution, you might try to get this package. It is based on XFree86, so the difficult parts of the configuration (setting up the `Xconfig` file) are identical. To run it you need at least 4 MB RAM and another 12 MB swap space. There are now several tinyX versions, one for each of the different servers supplied by XFree86. Please read the above description of the servers to get the right version of tinyX. These packages are named like

`tinyX-YYY-ver.tar.gz`, where YYY denotes the server name (without leading XF86_)

You can find tinyX on `sunsite` in the `/pub/Linux/X11` hierarchy. Please look in your neighbourhood for a Mirror of it [cf. Where do I get XFree86 ]. You untar it as root from `/`. After this you have to setup a `Xconfig` file [cf. The Xconfig file ]. The documentation and READMEs for tinyX as well as most of the XFree86 documentation files can be found in `/readmes`. Read the XFree86 documentation files before setting up a `Xconfig` file as they are required for this.

The tinyX documentation includes a lot of useful information on memory saving techniques. You should follow at least some of these suggestions, as running X while swapping constantly is no fun at all :-(. If you are running out of memory your system will lock up completely (in many cases the only way out is to turn off power or to make a hard reset - both is very dangerous for your filesystem). So read these files before starting X so that this does not happen. You should read the sections on configuring your X11 system, too [cf. The .xinitrc file , Using xdm , Configuration of the window manager , and Running X ].

As tinyX does not include all documentation available with XFree86, you might notice that you are pointed to a file that is not included. In this case you must get the rest of the documentation files (and perhaps the manpages, too) from any XFree86 site [cf. Where do I get XFree86 ]. If you have enough disk space for that, this is highly recommended anyway.

Note that XFree86 specific manpages (as the Server manpages,...) are not in the `*-man*` but in the `*-doc*` files.

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