:: Re: [DNG] Why X does keyboard and m…
Top Page
Delete this message
Reply to this message
Author: Hendrik Boom
Date:  
To: dng
Subject: Re: [DNG] Why X does keyboard and mouse.
On Fri, Jan 01, 2021 at 10:52:52AM -0800, Ian Zimmerman wrote:
> On 2020-12-31 12:21, Hendrik Boom wrote:
>
> > On Thu, Dec 31, 2020 at 11:53:51AM -0500, Steve Litt wrote:
>
> > > <rant>
> > > It didn't have to be this way. In 2020, better alternatives could have
> > > been made. If I were the project manager, the first thing I'd do is
> > > uncouple keyboard, mouse and video from each other. Why X has anything
> > > to do with keyboard or mouse is beyond me.
>
> > Perhaps because X was originally a means of having a graphical user
> > interface to multiple machines over a network. Which usualy involves
> > a screen, keyboard, and mouse.
>
> Also, many people prefer to use the keyboard to generate many, most, or
> even all the pointer events. While this remapping or emulation (whatever
> you want to call it) can in theory be done on the application or toolkit
> level [1] that means duplication and some applications will inevitably
> left behind.


This kind of remapping, and others, such as managing window borders, is
done by the window manager in X. The window manager is a separate
process, doesn't need to be present, and can even run on a separate
machine from the client and/or server.

-- hendrik