If this is your first time installing XQuartz, you may wish to logout and log back in to update your DISPLAY environment variable. Changes in 2.7.8 All changes in 2.7.7 plus. The XQuartz project is an open-source effort to develop a version of the X.org X Window System that runs on Mac OS X. Together with supporting libraries and applications, it forms the X11.app that Apple has shipped with OS X since version 10.5. Our software library provides a free download of XQuartz 2.7.11 for Mac. The file size of the latest installer available is 75.9 MB. This free Mac app is a product of org.macosforge. XQuartz for Mac belongs to System Tools. Our antivirus scan shows that this Mac download is clean.
| Developer(s) | Jeremy Huddleston Sequoia, X.Org Foundation, Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Stable release | |
| Written in | C |
| Operating system | macOS |
| Type | Display server |
| License | Apple Public Source License MIT License |
| Website | www.xquartz.org |
XQuartz is an open-source version of the X.Org X server, a component of the X Window System (X11, or shortened to simply X, and sometimes informally X-Windows) that runs on macOS.[1] It formally replaced Apple's internal X11 app. The name 'XQuartz' derives from Quartz, part of the macOS Core Graphics framework, to which XQuartz connects these applications. XQuartz allows cross-platform applications using X11 for the GUI to run on macOS, many of which are not specifically designed for macOS. This includes numerous scientific and academic software projects.[2]
History[edit]
X11.app was initially available as a downloadable public beta for Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar and later included as a standard package for Mac OS X 10.3 Panther. In Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger X11.app was an optional install included on the install DVD. Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, and Mac OS X 10.7 Lion installed X11.app by default, but from OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion on Apple dropped dedicated support for X11.app, with users being directed to the open source XQuartz project (to which Apple contributes) instead.[2]
In Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Apple's X11 implemented X11 protocol release 6.6 (X11R6.6). This implementation includes an XFree86 4.4 based X11 window server, Quartz rootless window manager, libraries, and basic utilities such as xterm.[3] 'Rootless' means that X window applications show up on the Quartz desktop, appearing like any other windowed Quartz application (that is, not in a virtual desktop contained within another window). In Mac OS X Leopard, X11 was updated to use X.Org Server (X11R7.2) rather than XFree86.[4] The source code for X11 is available from Apple. Some source code is available under the Apple Public Source License while the bulk is licensed under the MIT License.
Current version[edit]
The current version of XQuartz is a DDX (Device Dependent X[5]) included in the X.Org Server and implements support for hardware-accelerated 2D graphics (in versions prior to 2.1), hardware OpenGL acceleration and integration with Aqua, the macOS graphical user interface (GUI). As of version 2.7.11, XQuartz does not provide support for high-resolution Retina displays to X11 apps, which run in pixel-doubled mode on high-resolution displays.
List of versions (since 2010)[edit]
| Version[6] | macOS Requirement | Most important changes | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| XQuartz 2.7.11 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | 2016-10-29 | |
| XQuartz 2.7.10 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | 2016-10-22 | |
| XQuartz 2.7.9 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | 2016-05-05 | |
| XQuartz 2.7.8 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | First release supported on OS X El Capitan | 2015-10-17 |
| XQuartz 2.7.7 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | First release supported on OS X Yosemite | 2014-08-18 |
| XQuartz 2.7.6 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | 2014-05-17 | |
| XQuartz 2.7.5 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | First release supported on OS X Mavericks | 2013-11-10 |
| XQuartz 2.7.4 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | 2012-09-27 | |
| XQuartz 2.7.3 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | 2012-08-27 | |
| XQuartz 2.7.2 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | First release supported on OS X Mountain Lion | 2012-06-01 |
| XQuartz 2.7.1 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | 2012-06-01 | |
| XQuartz 2.7.0 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | First release supported on Mac OS X 10.7 Lion | 2011-11-04 |
| XQuartz 2.6.3 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | 2011-07-20 | |
| XQuartz 2.6.2 | Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or later | 2011-04-30 | |
| XQuartz 2.6.1 | Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.8, Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3, or later | 2011-03-17 | |
| XQuartz 2.6.0 | Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.8, Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3, or later | 2010-12-19 | |
| XQuartz 2.5.3 | Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.8, Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3, or later | 2010-08-13 | |
| XQuartz 2.5.2 | Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.8, Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3, or later | 2010-07-20 | |
| XQuartz 2.5.1 | Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.8, Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3, or later | 2010-07-10 | |
| XQuartz 2.5.0 | Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.8, Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3, or later | First release supported on Mac OS X Snow Leopard | 2010-03-29 |
See also[edit]
- MacX, X11 support on Classic Mac OS
- XWayland, to support X application under Wayland
- XDarwin, an implementation of X for macOS that preceded XQuartz, and supports versions of macOS before 10.3 unlike XQuartz
References[edit]
- ^'XQuartz'.
- ^ ab'Apple Removes X11 in OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, Shifts Support to Open Source XQuartz'. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
- ^'XQuartz'. September 14, 2016.
- ^'Inside Leopard: Under-the-hood, Page 2'. Macworld. November 2, 2007. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^'Glossary'. www.x.org. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
- ^'XQuartz - Releases Archive'. www.xquartz.org. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
External links[edit]
Xquartz For Mac
The XQuartz project is an open-source effort to develop a version of the X.Org X Window System that runs on OS X. Together with supporting libraries and applications, it forms the X11.app that Apple shipped with OS X versions 10.5 through 10.7.
Quick Download
Xquartz For Mac Download
| Download | Version | Released | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| XQuartz-2.7.11.dmg | 2.7.11 | 2016-10-29 | For OS X 10.6.3 or later |
| X11-2.6.3.dmg | 2.6.3 | 2011-07-20 | For OS X 10.5.x (final Leopard release) |
Important Info for 10.5 Users
OS X Software Updates have included some of the work done by the XQuartz project, but for various reasons, Apple cannot ship the latest and greatest version offered by the XQuartz site. Since the XQuartz X11 package clobbers Apple's X11.app, their software update will clobber the XQuartz X11 package. Because of this, you may experience conflicts after doing a Software Update from Apple. Please re-install the latest XQuartz X11 release for Leopard after installing a system software update to OS X 10.5.x Leopard.
Xquartz For Mac Os
License Info
Xquartz Setup
An XQuartz installation consists of many individual pieces of software which have various licenses. The X.Org software components’ licenses are discussed on theX.Org Foundation Licenses page.The quartz-wm window manager included with the XQuartz distribution uses the Apple Public Source License Version 2.