Double-click X11 applications to open via the Finder

Aug 29, '05 08:29:00AM

Contributed by: wgscott

I'm afraid to submit this hint for fear everyone in the world knows this except for me ... in 10.4, without X11.app launched and without any Terminal open, you can navigate in the Finder to, for example, /usr/X11R6/bin and double-click on a binary icon like xclock or xterm or xeye or xcalc etc., and it will simply launch -- cleanly, without starting a Terminal session or anything.

For years, I have either launched everything from the command line, or made application wrappers with Platypus or AppleScript, and I was stunned to see that 10.4 (which I have used since it became available) offers this feature. The only shortcoming is that it doesn't seem to permit drag and drop, but perhaps there is even a trick to getting that to work.

[robg adds: I also wasn't aware that X apps could be launched via a Finder double-click; I've been launching them from X11's Terminal every since I started playing around with X11...]

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