The X Server The server runs on a given display, and is the only piece of software that has access to the display, and the input methods (keyboard, mice, joysticks...). Thus, only the server needs to contain hardware drivers, making it tightly connected to the hardware it is running on. The X Server supports the X protocol - defining how clients interact with it, as well as various extensions, allowing for inter-client communications and other features. Linux's X server, XFree86, contains now support for hardware acceleration for the most advanced cards. This was done without changing any of the client programs, or even recompiling them.