Red Hat announces the start of the XBF X-Server Program

Research Triangle Park - —

Red Hat, Inc. publisher of the award-winning, multi-tasking Red Hat Linux Operating System, today announced the start of the XBF X-Server Program. The XBF X-Server Program, standing for X Binary Free X-Servers, will expand the range of PC graphics cards on which the Linux OS runs.

This program represents an interim solution to those Linux users who have chosen graphics cards from manufacturers who do not currently recognize the benefit of supplying their customers with the source code to their video card drivers. Access to the source code gives the customer, their technical staff, and their technology partners the power and control to improve the tools that they are using.

Giving users control results in higher performance from graphically intensive applications and leads to more stable and reliable systems in general. For these reasons, Red Hat will continue to promote and recommend graphics cards for which source-code included graphics drivers are available.

Red Hat is committed to the Linux Development Model and will release the binary version of the XBF drivers under a freely distributable license agreement.

"The Red Hat model is the open development model," said Erik Troan, Chief Developer at Red Hat Software. "We are committed to developing freely distributable XBF servers for Linux because it benefits all those Linux users who otherwise would not be able to run Linux's graphical X Window system on their computer."

The XBF Program is the result of Red Hat's development partnership with Precision Insight, creators of graphics and video device drivers. For more information about Precision Insight, please contact Frank LaMonica at frankl@precisioninsight.com

Common with UNIX footnote

LINUX is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. Red Hat is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group. All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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