xsetroot - root window parameter setting utility for X
xsetroot [-help] [-version] [-def] [-display
display] [-cursor
cursorfile maskfile] [-cursor_name
cursorfontname] [-xcf
cursorfile cursorsize] [-bitmap
filename | -mod
x
y | -gray | -grey | -solid
color] [-bg
color] [-fg
color] [-rv] [-name
string] [-d
display]
The
xsetroot 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.
- -version
- Print a version message and exit.
- -def, -default
- 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 cursorfontname
- 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).
-
-xcf cursorfile cursorsize
- This lets you change the pointer cursor to one loaded from
an Xcursor file as defined by libXcursor, at the specified size.
-
-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, -grey
- Make the entire background gray (Easier on the eyes).
-
-bg, -background color
- Use ``color'' as the background color.
-
-fg, -foreground color
- Use ``color'' as the foreground color. Foreground and
background colors are meaningful only in combination with -cursor,
-bitmap, or -mod.
- -rv, -reverse
- 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.
-
-d, -display display
- Specifies the server to connect to; see X(7).
X(7),
xset(1),
xrdb(1),
Xcursor(3)
Mark Lillibridge, MIT Project Athena