# clarification regarding how X11 works

## D-LINC

I've been trying to understand X11 better, and I was hoping someone clarify a few concepts for me:

First of all, from what I understand, X11 is a client-server design, where the application is the client (on any computer) and the X11 server provides i/o to a monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse combination. However, on my Gentoo system there are separate packages x11-base/xorg-server and x11-base/xorg-x11. What is the xorg-x11 package there for?

Second: Do you have to have an X11 server installed on both machines in order to access an X11 application remotely? Do you have to have any other X11 or Xorg packages installed on the remote machine? For example, say I had a headless supercomputer in my closet: I should be able to run X11 applications on it from my desktop PC without actually installing X11-server on the supercomputer, correct?

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## Hu

x11-base/xorg-x11 is a meta-package that depends on all the usual X11 packages.

You only need an X11 server on a machine where you want to use the monitor/keyboard/mouse of that machine.

You need some supporting X packages for headless machines, but the package manager will take care of it.

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## D-LINC

 *Hu wrote:*   

> x11-base/xorg-x11 is a meta-package that depends on all the usual X11 packages.
> 
> You only need an X11 server on a machine where you want to use the monitor/keyboard/mouse of that machine.
> 
> You need some supporting X packages for headless machines, but the package manager will take care of it.

 

By "supporting X packages" do you just mean libraries, like Xlib?

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## Hu

Mostly, yes.  In some cases, you may need some small programs, such as xauth.  Again, the package manager will handle it.  Just install the GUI programs you want and let Portage sort out the details.

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