In computing, X-Win32 is a proprietary implementation of the X Window System for Microsoft Windows, produced by StarNet Communications. It is based on X11R7.4.

X- Win32 allows remote display of UNIX windows on Windows machines in a normal window alongside the other Windows applications

Version History

X-Win32 was first introduced by StarNet Communications as a product called MicroX in 1991. As the internet became more widely used in the 1990s the name changed to X-Win32. The table below details the origination and transformation of MicroX into X-Win32.

A limited set of versions and their release notes are available from the product's website.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Release date!! Version Name !! Key Features

|-

|February 1991

|MicroX 286

|Original Product Release

|-

|February 1991

|MicroX 386

|Original Product Release

|-

|February 1993

|Micro X-Win 2.1.0

|none available

|-

|February 1993

|Micro X-Win 2.5.1

|none available

|-

|July 1993

|Micro X-Win 2.5.2

|none available

|-

|July 1993

|Micro X-Win 2.5.4

|none available

|-

|August 1993

|Micro X-Win 2.6.1

|none available

|-

|August 1993

|Micro X-Win 2.8.7

|none available

|-

|January 1996

|X-Win32 3.2.7

|First true X-Win32 split from MicroX

|-

|January 1997

|Micro X-Win 2.8.8

|none available

|-

|November 1997

|MIcro X-Win32 4.0

|Last MicroX version

|-

| June 6, 1998 || X-Win98 || Full Compatibility with Windows 98

|-

| September 8, 1998 || 4.1 || Common Sessions, Hide Windows, Last Session Terminates, Auto Restart, Use/Send Xauth

|-

| January 11, 1999 || 4.1.1 || Improved Common Session tools for Admins, Simple Registry Default tool

|-

| May 19, 1999 || 4.1.2 || New Help System, Multiple Monitor Support

|-

| August 10, 1999 || 4.1.3 || Windows 2000 Compatibility, High-Res Display Support

|-

| November 15, 1999 || 4.1.4 || Long Term Maintenance Free licensing Option

|-

| May 5, 2000 || 5.0 || X-Config Tool, Multiple XDMCP Session Support, Thin Client Support, Session Wizard, Multiple Network Card Support

|-

| February 19, 2001 || 5.1.1 || Performance Improvements

|-

| May 8, 2001 || 5.1.2 || Multicast Support

|-

| March 13, 2002 || 5.3 || French, Spanish, Italian Language Support, Desktop Shortcuts, MSI Push Deployment Support

|-

| August 28, 2002 || 5.4 || Error Logging, X-Admin32 tool

|-

| January 15, 2003 || 5.4.1 || Command Line Option, Updated SSH Module

|-

| November 4, 2003 || 5.4.4 || Session Migration Manager

|-

| March 9, 2004 || 6.0 || Session Sorter, PuTTY included in install, Expanded Font Support

|-

| April 20, 2004 || X-Win64 || 64-Bit version of X-Win32

|-

| September 28, 2005 || 7.0 || 6.8.2 X11 code, Instant Desktop, Screen Capture Tool, Support for 13 new X11 extensions

|-

| December 14, 2005 || 7.1 || Crash Report Facility, Improved OpenGL support, Installshield Installer

|-

| December 18, 2005 || 7.5 || Single 32/64 bit installer

|-

| July 24, 2006 || 8.0 || High-Speed Window Manager, StarNet SSH Module, XML Session Configuration, New UI

|-

| October 26, 2006 || 8.1 || Command Line, Telnet and Rlogin Support, Global Password Updating, Private Key Agent

|-

| January 8, 2007 || X-Win32 Flash || USB Drive Support

|-

| August 4, 2008 || 9.2 || Session Sharing

|-

| November 5, 2008 || 9.3 || Sound Support in XDMCP

|-

| March 11, 2009 || 9.4 || Linux Console Display, LIVE Indirect Mode added

|-

| August 15, 2009 || 9.5 || Server-Side Sessions Data Configuration

|-

| December 8, 2009 || 2010 || Sound over Internet, X11 7.1 Upgrade

|-

| March 3, 2010 || 2010.1 || FIPS-140 Support

|-

| August 1, 2010|| 2012 || LIVE Sessions Update, Direct 2D Support, Reprise License Manager

|-

| June 1, 2014 || 2014 || Error Corrections

|-

| July 31, 2017 || 18 || UI Overhaul, Updated SSH Module

|-

| March 26, 2019 || 19 || Added option to run X-Win32 in the system tray

|}

Features

  • Standard connection protocols - X-Win32 offers six standard connection protocols: ssh, telnet, rexec, rlogin, rsh, and XDMCP
  • Window modes - Like other X servers for Microsoft Windows, X-Win32 has two window modes, Single and Multiple. Single window mode contains all X windows with one large visible root window. Multiple window mode allows the Microsoft Window Manager to manage the X client windows
  • Copy and paste - X-Win32 incorporates a clipboard manager which allows for dynamic copying and pasting of text from X clients to Windows applications and vice versa. A screen-shot tool saves to a PNG file.
  • OpenGL support - X-Win32 uses the GLX extension which allows for OpenGL Support
  • X-Win32 Flash is a version of X-Win32 that can be installed and run directly from a USB Flash Drive

Discontinued products

  • X-Win64 was a version for 64-bit Windows, but the extended features in that version can now be found in the current version of X-Win32.
  • X-Win32 LX was a free commercially supported X Server for Microsoft Windows which supported Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX (SFU).
  • Recon-X was an add-on product for all X server products, including X-Win32 competitors such as Exceed and Reflection X, which added suspend and resume capabilities to running X sessions. Features of Recon-X were incorporated into the LIVE product line
  • LinuxLIVE is a LIVE client for Linux systems
  • MacLIVE is a LIVE client for Mac OS X systems
  • LIVE Console is a LIVE client installed with the LIVE server which allows localhost LIVE connections to be made

See also

  • Cygwin/X - A free alternative
  • Exceed - A commercial alternative
  • Reflection X - A commercial alternative
  • Xming - Donations or purchase required

References

  • X-Win32 (product home page)