xsetroot(1) manual page
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xsetroot - root window parameter setting utility for X
xsetroot
[-help] [-def] [-display display] [-cursor cursorfile maskfile] [-cursor_name
cursorname] [-bitmap filename] [-mod x y] [-gray] [-grey] [-fg color] [-bg color]
[-rv] [-solid color] [-name string]
The setroot program allows
you to tailor the appearance of the background ("root") window on a workstation
display running X. Normally, you experiment with xsetroot until you find
a personalized look that you like, then put the xsetroot command that produces
it into your X startup file. If no options are specified, or if -def is specified,
the window is reset to its default state. The -def option can be specified
along with other options and only the non-specified characteristics will
be reset to the default state.
Only one of the background color/tiling changing
options (-solid, -gray, -grey, -bitmap, and -mod) may be specified at a time.
The various options are as follows:
- -help
- Print a usage message and
exit.
- -def
- Reset unspecified attributes to the default values. (Restores the
background to the familiar gray mesh and the cursor to the hollow x shape.)
- -cursor cursorfile maskfile
- This lets you change the pointer cursor to
whatever you want when the pointer cursor is outside of any window. Cursor
and mask files are bitmaps (little pictures), and can be made with the
bitmap(1)
program. You probably want the mask file to be all black until
you get used to the way masks work.
- -cursor_name cursorname
- This lets you
change the pointer cursor to one of the standard cursors from the cursor
font. Refer to appendix B of the X protocol for the names (except that
the XC_ prefix is elided for this option).
- -bitmap filename
- Use the bitmap
specified in the file to set the window pattern. You can make your own
bitmap files (little pictures) using the bitmap(1)
program. The entire
background will be made up of repeated "tiles" of the bitmap.
- -mod x y
- This
is used if you want a plaid-like grid pattern on your screen. x and y are
integers ranging from 1 to 16. Try the different combinations. Zero and
negative numbers are taken as 1.
- -gray
- Make the entire background gray. (Easier
on the eyes.)
- -grey
- Make the entire background grey.
- -fg color
- Use ‘‘color’’ as
the foreground color. Foreground and background colors are meaningful only
in combination with -cursor, -bitmap, or -mod.
- -bg color
- Use ‘‘color’’ as the background
color.
- -rv
- This exchanges the foreground and background colors. Normally
the foreground color is black and the background color is white.
- -solid
color
- This sets the background of the root window to the specified color.
This option is only useful on color servers.
- -name string
- Set the name of
the root window to ‘‘string’’. There is no default value. Usually a name is
assigned to a window so that the window manager can use a text representation
when the window is iconified. This option is unused since you can’t iconify
the background.
- -display display
- Specifies the server to connect to; see X(1)
.
X11(7)
, xset(1)
, xrdb(1)
Copyright 1988, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology.
See X11(7)
for a full statement of rights and permissions.
Mark Lillibridge,
MIT Project Athena
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