SharedX is a set of extensions to the

X Window System The X Window System (X11, or simply X) is a windowing system for bitmap displays, common on Unix-like operating systems. X provides the basic framework for a GUI environment: drawing and moving windows on the display device and interacting wit ...

that was developed at HP in the mid to late 1980s. It enables X servers to "share" individual

X window The X Window System (X11, or simply X) is a windowing system for bitmap displays, common on Unix-like operating systems. X provides the basic framework for a GUI environment: drawing and moving windows on the display device and interacting wit ...

s or an entire desktop, thus allowing users at multiple

workstation A workstation is a special computer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by a single user, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems. The term ''workstat ...

s to use standard applications to collaborate in

real-time Real-time or real time describes various operations in computing or other processes that must guarantee response times within a specified time (deadline), usually a relatively short time. A real-time process is generally one that happens in defined ...

in an

network environment, similar to

desktop sharing Desktop sharing is a common name for technologies and products that allow remote access and remote collaboration on a person's computer desktop through a graphical terminal emulator. The most common two scenarios for desktop sharing are: * Remot ...

, but for only a single window.

System

A decade later, this capability would be termed "

", with

VNC Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is a graphical desktop-sharing system that uses the Remote Frame Buffer protocol (RFB) to remotely control another computer. It transmits the keyboard and mouse input from one computer to another, relaying the g ...

being a major player. One difference between

and SharedX is that SharedX allows fine-grained sharing of any

or group of

s among any number of users, while

only allows sharing of the entire desktop. SharedX was conceived by Philip Gust at

HP Labs HP Labs is the exploratory and advanced research group for HP Inc. HP Labs' headquarters is in Palo Alto, California and the group has research and development facilities in Bristol, UK. The development of programmable desktop calculators, ink ...

, where he developed several implementations between 1986 and 1987. It was first presented and demonstrated at the 2nd Annual X Technical Conference. A proxy server version based on

X11 The X Window System (X11, or simply X) is a windowing system for bitmap displays, common on Unix-like operating systems. X provides the basic framework for a GUI environment: drawing and moving windows on the display device and interacting wit ...

protocol extensions was subsequently developed by Philip Gust and his team at

, including Dan Garfinkel, Steve Lowder, and

Mike Lemon Michael Donald Lemon (born February 26, 1951) is a former American football linebacker who played from 1975 to 1977 for the New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He attended Bishop Hee ...

. This version was presented and demonstrated at the 3rd Annual X Technical Conference. In addition to window sharing, this version of SharedX also provided extensible "floor control" policies to mediate multi-user interaction, and meeting tools such as virtual meeting rooms, avatars, "telepointers" and voting. Functions such as calendaring, note taking, and "whiteboarding" were provided by sharing standard desktop applications. An experimental video sharing and teleconferencing system was also developed by Darren Leigh, an MIT intern working with the team. The SharedX technology subsequently transferred to a product division, where it was incorporated into HP's

X Window The X Window System (X11, or simply X) is a windowing system for bitmap displays, common on Unix-like operating systems. X provides the basic framework for a GUI environment: drawing and moving windows on the display device and interacting wit ...

server that is supplied in versions of

HP-UX HP-UX (from "Hewlett Packard Unix") is Hewlett Packard Enterprise's proprietary implementation of the Unix operating system, based on Unix System V (initially System III) and first released in 1984. Current versions support HPE Integrity Ser ...

. An article on SharedX later appeared in the

Hewlett-Packard Journal ''Hewlett-Packard Journal'' was a magazine published by Hewlett-Packard (HP) between 1949–1998. The first issue appeared in September 1949. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California Palo Alto (; Spanish language, Spanish for "tall stick") is a ...

A number of subsequent research projects and publications have built on or cited SharedX.Philip Gust, “Multi-User Interfaces for Extended Group Collaboration”, 1989 IFIP Groupware Technology Workshop, Palo Alto California, August 1989.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharedx X Window programs