View source for Freedesktop.org

{{Redirect|XDG|the game development division External Development Group|THQ#Divisions{{!}}THQ}}
{{short description|Open-source desktop environment software project}}
{{primary sources|date=September 2012}}
{{lowercase}}
{{Infobox website
| name         = freedesktop.org
| logo         = Freedesktop-logo.svg
| url          = {{Official URL}}
| commercial   = No
| type         = Software development management system
| registration = 
| language     = [[English language|English]]
| content_license = 
| author       = [[Havoc Pennington]]
| launch_date  = {{Start date and age|2000|03}}
| current_status = Online
}}
'''freedesktop.org''' ('''fd.o'''), formerly '''X Desktop Group''' ('''XDG'''),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lwn.net/2000/0427/a/freedesktop.html|title=X desktop group}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.freedesktop.org/ |title=Freedesktop.org, home of the X Desktop Group |access-date=2013-08-26 |archive-date=2001-02-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010202173600/http://www.freedesktop.org/ |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> is a project to work on interoperability and shared base technology for [[Free software|free-software]] [[desktop environment]]s for the [[X Window System]] (X11) and [[Wayland (protocol)|Wayland]] on [[Linux]] and other [[Unix-like]] [[Operating system|operating systems]]. Although freedesktop.org produces specifications for interoperability, it is not a formal standards body.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Specifications |url=https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=freedesktop.org}}</ref>

The project was founded by [[Havoc Pennington]], a [[GNOME]] developer working for [[Red Hat]] in March 2000. Widely used [[open-source software|open-source]] X-based desktop projects, such as GNOME, [[KDE Plasma|KDE's Plasma Desktop]], and [[Xfce]], are collaborating with the freedesktop.org project. In 2006, the project released [[Portland Project|Portland 1.0]] (xdg-utils), a set of common interfaces for desktop environments.<ref>[http://desktoplinux.com/news/NS7435528984.html Portland points desktop Linux at $10 billion market] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061012184723/http://desktoplinux.com/news/NS7435528984.html |date=October 12, 2006 }}, ''DesktopLinux.com'', 11 October 2006</ref> freedesktop.org joined the [[X.Org Foundation]] in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Xorg-FreeDesktop-Vote-Approved|title=X.Org To Join Forces With FreeDesktop.org While Foundation Elections Hit A Snag|access-date=9 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Larabel |first=Michael |date=11 April 2019 |title=X.Org To Join Forces With FreeDesktop.org While Foundation Elections Hit A Snag |url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/Xorg-FreeDesktop-Vote-Approved |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=Phoronix |language=en}}</ref> Some of the project's servers are hosted by [[Portland State University]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to freedesktop.org |url=https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/ |access-date=27 October 2023 |website=Freedesktop.org}}</ref>

==Hosted projects==
freedesktop.org provides hosting for a number of relevant projects.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://freedesktop.org/wiki/FreedesktopProjects |title=FreedesktopProjects |website=freedesktop.org |access-date=2013-09-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://freedesktop.org/wiki/Software |title=Software |website=freedesktop.org |access-date=2013-09-22}}</ref> These include:

===Windowing system and graphics===
<!-- PLEASE RESPECT ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->
Software related to [[windowing system]]s and graphics in general
* [[Cairo (graphics)|Cairo]], a vector graphics library with cross-device output support
* [[Direct Rendering Infrastructure]] (DRI), a [[Linux kernel interfaces#Kernel–user space API|Linux API]] to access the graphics hardware, used by [[X Window System|X11]], [[Wayland compositor]]s, [[Mesa 3D]], etc.
* [[Glamor (software)|Glamor]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/Glamor/ |title=Glamor |date=17 May 2013 |website=freedesktop.org |access-date=31 October 2015}}</ref> a 2D graphics common driver for [[display server|X server]] on graphics chipsets which have support for [[OpenGL]]/[[EGL (API)|EGL]]/[[Generic buffer management|GBM]] APIs
* [[Mesa 3D]], an implementation of several graphics APIs such as [[Vulkan]] and [[OpenGL]]
* Pixman,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pixman.org/|title=Pixman|work=pixman.org}}</ref> a low-level software library for pixel manipulation, providing features such as image compositing and trapezoid rasterization; users include the [[cairo (graphics)|cairo graphics library]] and the [[X.Org Server]]
* [[Poppler (software)|Poppler]], a [[PDF]] rendering library
* [[Video Acceleration API]]
* [[Wayland (protocol)|Wayland]], a protocol to replace X11; features: no [[frame tearing|tearing]], lag, redrawing or [[flicker (screen)|flicker]]
* [[X.Org Server]], the official reference implementation of the X11 protocol
* [[XCB]], an [[Xlib]] replacement
* [[Xephyr]], a [[display server]]
* wlroots, a modular [[Wayland compositor]] library

===Other===
<!-- PLEASE RESPECT ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->
* [[D-Bus]], a message bus akin to [[Desktop communication protocol|DCOP]] (KDE 3) and [[Bonobo (GNOME)|Bonobo]] (GNOME 2)
* Elektra, a library for reading and writing configuration
*[[FreeType]], a text rendering library
* [[fontconfig]], a library for font discovery, name substitution, etc.
* fprint, a library for consumer fingerprint reader devices
* {{anchor|geoclue}}Geoclue, a [[geoinformation service]]<ref name="geoclue">{{Cite web |url=https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/diy-it-guy/diy-get-top-quality-open-source-security-tools-in-one-distro/ |title=DIY: Get top-quality open source security tools in one distro |last=Wallen |first=Jack |date=6 December 2011 |website=News, Tips, and Advice for Technology Professionals |access-date=2019-06-21 |archive-date=2021-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418175608/https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/diy-it-guy/diy-get-top-quality-open-source-security-tools-in-one-distro/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[GStreamer]], a [[cross-platform]] [[multimedia framework]]
* GTK-Qt engine, a [[GTK+#GTK+ 2|GTK+ 2]] engine which uses [[Qt (software)|Qt]] to draw the [[graphical control element]]s, providing the [[look and feel]] of KDE applications to GTK+2 applications
* [[HAL (software)|HAL]] (Hardware Abstraction Layer), a consistent cross-[[operating system]] layer; deprecated and replaced by [[udev]]
* [[kmscon]], a userspace virtual console to replace the Linux console; uses the [[KMS driver]] and supports [[Unicode]]
* [[luit]], a tool used by [[terminal emulator]]s
* [[libinput]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/wayland-devel/2014-June/015589.html |title=[ANNOUNCE] libinput 0.4.0 |work=freedesktop.org |date=2014-06-24}}</ref> a library to handle input devices in [[Wayland compositor]]s and to provide a generic X.Org input driver. It provides device detection, device handling, input device event processing and abstraction to minimize the amount of custom input code compositors need to provide the common set of functionality that users expect.
* [[PulseAudio]], a sound server frontend providing software mixing, network audio, and per application volume control
* [[PipeWire]], a low-latency server for handling [[Sandbox (computer security)|sandbox-friendly]] audio and video [[Stream (computing)|streams]] on [[Linux]], which provides an implementation of PulseAudio, [[JACK Audio Connection Kit|JACK]], and [[Advanced Linux Sound Architecture|ALSA]] as well as secure methods for [[Screenshot|screenshotting]] and [[Screencast|screencasting]] on [[Wayland (display server protocol)|Wayland compositors]]
* [[systemd]], a comprehensive [[init]] framework to start and manage services and sessions meant to replace older init models
* [[Xft]], anti-aliased fonts using the [[FreeType]] library, rather than the old X core fonts
* [[pkg-config]], a helper program used to generate flags for compiler and linker to include necessary libraries
Also, [[Avahi (software)|Avahi]] (a free [[Zeroconf]] implementation) started as a fd.o project but has since become a separate project.

=== Base Directory Specification ===
{{see also|Filesystem Hierarchy Standard}}
''XDG Base Directory Specification'' (XDG BDS) introduces a range of variables where user-specific files used by programs should be found.<ref name=":0">[https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html XDG Base Directory Specification], freedesktop.org, accessed: 2021-05-15.</ref> Many tools and applications utilize these variables by default.<ref>{{Cite web|title=XDG Base Directory - ArchWiki|url=https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/XDG_Base_Directory|access-date=2021-10-08|website=wiki.archlinux.org}}</ref> 

==== User directories ====
Besides the variables mentioned below, XDG BDS also specifies that users' local binary files may be installed into {{code| $HOME/.local/bin}}. Systems compliant with the spec are expected to make this directory available in their [[Command-line interface|CLI]]'s {{code|PATH}} environment variable.<ref name=":0" />
;{{Code|XDG_DATA_HOME}}
: For user application's own data files
: Default to {{Code|$HOME/.local/share}}
;{{Code|XDG_CONFIG_HOME}}
: For user's app configuration files
: Default to {{Code|$HOME/.config}}
;{{Code|XDG_STATE_HOME}}
: For user-specific app session data, which should be stored for future reuse
: Default to {{Code|$HOME/.local/state}}
: May include logs, recently used files, application-specific information (e.g. window layout, views, opened files, undo history, etc.), akin to session data that should be stored by app by request of system session manager, like [[X session manager]]
;{{Code|XDG_CACHE_HOME}}
: For user-specific apps cache files
: Default to {{code|$HOME/.cache}}
;{{Code|XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}}
: For user-specific app runtime files like sockets which must not survive reboot and full logout/login cycles

==== System directories ====
;{{Code|XDG_DATA_DIRS}}
: Colon-separated list of preference-ordered paths to search for data files in
: Default to {{Code|/usr/local/share/:/usr/share/}}
;{{Code|XDG_CONFIG_DIRS}}
: The same as above but for config files
: Default to {{Code|/etc/xdg/}}

==Stated aims==
The project aims to catch interoperability issues much earlier in the process. It is not for legislating formal standards. Stated goals include:

* Collect existing specifications, standards, and documents related to X desktop interoperability and make them available in a central location.
* Promote the development of new specifications and standards to be shared among multiple X desktops.
* Integrate desktop-specific standards into broader standards efforts, such as [[Linux Standard Base]] and the [[Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual|ICCCM]].
* Work on the implementation of these standards in specific X desktops.
* Serve as a neutral forum for sharing ideas about X desktop technology.
* Implement technologies that further X desktop interoperability and free X desktops in general.
* Promote X desktops and X desktop standards to application authors, both commercial and volunteer.
* Communicate with the developers of free operating system kernels, the X Window System itself, free OS distributions, and so on to address desktop-related problems.
* Provide source repositories ([[git (software)|git]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gitweb.freedesktop.org/ |title=freedesktop.org git |website=Gitweb.freedesktop.org |access-date=2013-09-22}}</ref> and [[Concurrent Versions System|CVS]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://webcvs.freedesktop.org/ |title=ViewVC Repository Listing |website=WebCVS.freedesktop.org |access-date=2013-09-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131008063349/http://webcvs.freedesktop.org/ |archive-date=2013-10-08 }}</ref>), web hosting, [[Bugzilla]], mailing lists, and other resources to free software projects that work toward the above goals.

==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* [[Comparison of source-code-hosting facilities]]
* [[Linux on the desktop]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* [http://osnews.com/story.php?news_id=5215 The Big freedesktop.org Interview] (Rayiner Hashem & Eugenia Loli-Queru, OSNews, 24 November 2003)

==External links==
* {{Official website}}

{{Freedesktop.org}}
{{FOSS}}
{{Software in the Public Interest}}

[[Category:Freedesktop.org| ]]
[[Category:Free and open-source software organizations]]
[[Category:Free software websites]]
[[Category:Projects established in 2000]]
[[Category:X Window System]]