XQuartz for Mac

Project overview and goals

XQuartz is a community-driven project that ports the X.Org X Window System to macOS, enabling applications built for X11 to run on Apple machines. Bundled with helper libraries and utilities, the project produces the X11.app environment that Apple previously distributed with macOS releases.

What the package contains

• A macOS-compatible X server and integration layers that let X11 programs render windows and handle input.
• Supporting libraries and command-line tools required by many X-based applications.
• A wrapper application (X11.app) that provides a familiar user interface for launching and managing X11 sessions.

Licensing details

The XQuartz distribution is assembled from multiple upstream components, each published under its own open-source license. Information about those licenses and how they apply to the included pieces is maintained by the X.Org project on their licensing information pages.

Staying current and alternate builds

• Community-built and third-party distributions are available and often provide quicker access to bug fixes and feature updates than official releases.
• Official XQuartz releases remain the reference distribution, but many users also rely on package managers and other tools to keep their installs current.
• Popular macOS package managers and project repositories can simplify installation and updates for users who need the latest changes from the open-source ecosystem, which Apple engages with to varying degrees.