Sorry if this has been answered before, but I couldn't find anything on search and it's always bugged me.

How is it that x-linux managed to have their fonts avoid the clock loop? I mean, isn't it essentially the same process of booting specially signed, non ms code? They do after all run a modified msdash to link to linux.

Or is there something I've missed? Can anyone help explain?

the original x-linux fonts or the later hacked mechinstaller fonts TRY to fix the clock loop by booting into the original dashboard really fast after the kernel is patched. They also patch the dashboard in memory to replace the live tab with a link to something else. So it goes like this. xbox turned on->xboxdash.xbe searches for font files->bert and ernie patch the key and patch the dashboard to use the original font files with the .bak extension.
Now the idea is that when the clock is dead the xbox is still able to reach it's dashboard and therefore will boot to the clock settings screen. This is not a 100 % clock loop proof fix although I never experienced any dangerous looping with the mechfonts and I used them on lots of xboxes.

Everybody I used to use the mechinstaller fonts for (xboxs ranging from 1.0-1.4) Looped no matter what after the clock was unset and no network cord was plugged in. UDE has been the only full proof font exploit.

Ah, ok. Just thought they posted once on their site that their fonts do not suffer the clock loop.