WTF is GLX ?

Since the 16th of February 1999, Silicon Graphics made available the sources of GLX to extend the proliferation of OpenGL on all platforms. GLX is a software layer used for integrating completely the OpenGL technology in every X window system. To sum it all up, the fast 3D rendering offered by OpenGL will be completely part of X.

OpenGL is already implemented under Linux. In particular, the Mesa libraries are a free implementation of OpenGL widely used by 3D graphics tools and some games running under Linux. OpenGL act as an interface between the hardware and the software. It allows to address a 3D accelerator without the programmer being required to access the hardware directly. For example if you have a 3Dfx based 3D accelerator you can then compile Mesa 3.0 by including Glide support directly. That way you don't have to program  Glide directly, you only need to program Mesa 3.0.

The decision of Silicon Graphics to work tightly with Red Hat Software and Precision Insight will most certainly lead quickly to a new version of XFree86 ( a freely re-distributable implementation of the X Window System ). In other terms, Linux users will benefit directly from the technological advances in 3D graphics. You can view the Precision Insight project document here. As Silicon Graphics states: " This announcement marks the latest advancement in Silicon Graphics' long standing mission of expanding the marketplace for 3D graphics and visualization and ensuring OpenGL as its foundation. "

You can download GLX free of charge by following this link.

Let me just dream for a few minutes about a user interface completely in 3D...

Note: if you have Windows95/98, you can  try Dimension. Dimension is the very first, true 3D shell replacement ever made. It is currently in heavy development by Brandon Sneed (nivenh), who also coded the first true shell replacement for Windows, OpenView. More info about Dimension can be found on floach.pimpin.net