GLX

GLX ( OpenGL Extension to the X Window System) is an obsolete programming interface ( API), which allows programs OpenGL commands via the X11 protocol to send. Indirect GLX rendering on is very slow and was replaced by direct rendering.

History

GLX was designed by Silicon Graphics and is currently in version 1.4. Free X server X.Org GLX support (including Mesa and DRI) since version X11R6.7.0 the X server XFree86 version 4.0.

The software was initially released under a proprietary license in 1999. September 19, 2008 SGI introduced a new version of its " SGI Free Software License B". Since this version of the software is consistent with the understanding of open source community of free software. The FSF also welcomed the move.

Properties

GLX consists of three parts:

  • One API, which is used to OpenGL to write programs for the X Window System.
  • One extension of the X protocol, which ( the OpenGL application) allows the client to send 3D render commands to the X server ( the software which is responsible for the display). Client and server can be running on different machines.
  • One extension of the X server, which translates the received rendering commands and sends them to the hardware- accelerated 3D graphics card or by software, using the Mesa library that renders ( which is much slower).

When a client and a server on the same machine and a 3D accelerated graphics with matching driver is available, the latter two components can be bypassed using DRI: The client program can then directly access the graphics hardware, which further speed advantages.

On a running X server can do a lot of diagnostic information about GLX, including the GLX - optics that supports the system can be extracted using the command " glxinfo ". The demonstration tool " glxgears " supports a rough estimate of the speed of the 3D render device.

The Windows version is called WGL.

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