1XSETROOT(1)                 General Commands Manual                XSETROOT(1)
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NAME

6       xsetroot - root window parameter setting utility for X
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SYNOPSIS

9       xsetroot  [-help] [-version] [-def] [-display display] [-cursor cursor‐
10       file maskfile] [-cursor_name cursorfontname] [-xcf  cursorfile  cursor‐
11       size] [-bitmap filename | -mod x y | -gray | -grey | -solid color] [-bg
12       color] [-fg color] [-rv] [-name string] [-d display]
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DESCRIPTION

15       The xsetroot program allows you to tailor the appearance of  the  back‐
16       ground  ("root")  window on a workstation display running X.  Normally,
17       you experiment with xsetroot until you find a  personalized  look  that
18       you  like,  then  put the xsetroot command that produces it into your X
19       startup file.  If no options are specified, or if  -def  is  specified,
20       the window is reset to its default state.  The -def option can be spec‐
21       ified along with other options and only the non-specified  characteris‐
22       tics will be reset to the default state.
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24       Only  one  of  the  background  color/tiling  changing options (-solid,
25       -gray, -grey, -bitmap, and -mod) may be specified at a time.
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OPTIONS

28       The various options are as follows:
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30       -help  Print a usage message and exit.
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32       -version
33              Print a version message and exit.
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35       -def, -default
36              Reset unspecified attributes to the default  values.   (Restores
37              the  background  to the familiar gray mesh and the cursor to the
38              hollow x shape.)
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40       -cursor cursorfile maskfile
41              This lets you change the pointer cursor  to  whatever  you  want
42              when  the  pointer  cursor is outside of any window.  Cursor and
43              mask files are bitmaps (little pictures), and can be  made  with
44              the  bitmap(1)  program.   You probably want the mask file to be
45              all black until you get used to the way masks work.
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47       -cursor_name cursorfontname
48              This lets you change the pointer cursor to one of  the  standard
49              cursors from the cursor font.  Refer to appendix B of the X pro‐
50              tocol for the names (except that the XC_ prefix  is  elided  for
51              this option).
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53       -xcf cursorfile cursorsize
54              This  lets  you  change the pointer cursor to one loaded from an
55              Xcursor file as defined by libXcursor, at the specified size.
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57       -bitmap filename
58              Use the bitmap specified in the file to set the window  pattern.
59              You  can  make your own bitmap files (little pictures) using the
60              bitmap(1) program.  The entire background will  be  made  up  of
61              repeated "tiles" of the bitmap.
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63       -mod x y
64              This  is  used  if  you  want  a plaid-like grid pattern on your
65              screen.  x and y are integers ranging from 1  to  16.   Try  the
66              different  combinations.  Zero and negative numbers are taken as
67              1.
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69       -gray, -grey
70              Make the entire background gray (Easier on the eyes).
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72       -bg, -background color
73              Use ``color'' as the background color.
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75       -fg, -foreground color
76              Use ``color'' as the foreground  color.   Foreground  and  back‐
77              ground  colors  are meaningful only in combination with -cursor,
78              -bitmap, or -mod.
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80       -rv, -reverse
81              This exchanges the foreground and background  colors.   Normally
82              the foreground color is black and the background color is white.
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84       -solid color
85              This  sets  the  background  of the root window to the specified
86              color.  This option is only useful on color servers.
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88       -name string
89              Set the name of the root window  to  ``string''.   There  is  no
90              default  value.   Usually a name is assigned to a window so that
91              the window manager can use a text representation when the window
92              is iconified.  This option is unused since you can't iconify the
93              background.
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95       -d, -display display
96              Specifies the server to connect to; see X(7).
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SEE ALSO

99       X(7), xset(1), xrdb(1), Xcursor(3)
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AUTHOR

102       Mark Lillibridge, MIT Project Athena
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106X Version 11                    xsetroot 1.1.2                     XSETROOT(1)
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