A big word up to X11R7 being released. The benefits of modularisation are pretty well-documented: distributors can do security updates much more easily, as well as keep better track of upstream sources, users can build drivers easily if need be (and the drivers can get released promptly upon releases of new cards), etc, etc. But for me, the biggest win is that it's finally over: I've been working on it since Jan 2004, and the xlibs and xserver projects basically began in October 2003. I'm really glad that the release didn't, as suggested, get dragged into 2006.

People who deserve a great deal of thanks for this release include, but are absolutely not limited to, Kevin E. Martin, Adam Jackson and Alan Coopersmith as the release cabal, Søren Sandmann Pedersen as a modular partner in crime, Keith Packard and Jim Gettys who basically got modularisation moving, LinuxFund for funding Xizzle and Debrix (the genesis of the modularised X server), Jakub Stachowski and Kristian Høgsberg for work on Debrix when I got busy with other commitments (and krh for ongoing modularisation work). I'm sure there are others who I've forgotten here; if you feel you should be on this list, then sorry. The code contributions are too many to mention: Eric Anholt, Ben Herrenschmidt, Billy Biggs, Alan Hourihane, Zack Rusin, Dave Airlie, Aaron Platner, and a cast of thousands.

I've heard the other release parties are rocking along nicely; I plan to make Melbourne's pretty damn good. Cheers!