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XSETROOT(1)                 General Commands Manual                XSETROOT(1)

NAME
       xsetroot - root window parameter setting utility for X
SYNOPSIS
       xsetroot  [-help] [-version] [-def] [-display display] [-cursor cursor-
       file maskfile] [-cursor_name cursorname] [-xcf  cursorfile  cursorsize]
       [-bitmap  filename]  [-mod x y] [-gray] [-grey] [-fg color] [-bg color]
       [-rv] [-solid color] [-name string]
DESCRIPTION
       The xsetroot program allows you to tailor the appearance of  the  back-
       ground  ("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 spec-
       ified along with other options and only the non-specified  characteris-
       tics 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.
OPTIONS
       The various options are as follows:
       -help  Print a usage message and exit.
       -verson
              Print a version 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 pro-
              tocol 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  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  back-
              ground  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(7).
SEE ALSO
       X(7), xset(1), xrdb(1), Xcursor(3)
AUTHOR
       Mark Lillibridge, MIT Project Athena

X Version 11                    xsetroot 1.1.1                     XSETROOT(1)