1XSETROOT(1) General Commands Manual XSETROOT(1)
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6 xsetroot - root window parameter setting utility for X
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9 xsetroot [-help] [-version] [-def] [-display display] [-cursor cursor‐
10 file maskfile] [-cursor_name cursorname] [-xcf cursorfile cursorsize]
11 [-bitmap filename] [-mod x y] [-gray] [-grey] [-fg color] [-bg color]
12 [-rv] [-solid color] [-name string]
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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.
23 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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28 The various options are as follows:
29 -help Print a usage message and exit.
31 -verson
33 Print a version message and exit.
34 -def Reset unspecified attributes to the default values. (Restores
36 the background to the familiar gray mesh and the cursor to the
37 hollow x shape.)
38 -cursor cursorfile maskfile
40 This lets you change the pointer cursor to whatever you want
41 when the pointer cursor is outside of any window. Cursor and
42 mask files are bitmaps (little pictures), and can be made with
43 the bitmap(1) program. You probably want the mask file to be
44 all black until you get used to the way masks work.
45 -cursor_name cursorname
47 This lets you change the pointer cursor to one of the standard
48 cursors from the cursor font. Refer to appendix B of the X pro‐
49 tocol for the names (except that the XC_ prefix is elided for
50 this option).
51 -xcf cursorfile cursorsize
53 This lets you change the pointer cursor to one loaded from an
54 Xcursor file as defined by libXcursor, at the specified size.
55 -bitmap filename
57 Use the bitmap specified in the file to set the window pattern.
58 You can make your own bitmap files (little pictures) using the
59 bitmap(1) program. The entire background will be made up of
60 repeated "tiles" of the bitmap.
61 -mod x y
63 This is used if you want a plaid-like grid pattern on your
64 screen. x and y are integers ranging from 1 to 16. Try the
65 different combinations. Zero and negative numbers are taken as
66 1.
67 -gray Make the entire background gray. (Easier on the eyes.)
69 -grey Make the entire background grey.
71 -fg color
73 Use ``color'' as the foreground color. Foreground and back‐
74 ground colors are meaningful only in combination with -cursor,
75 -bitmap, or -mod.
76 -bg color
78 Use ``color'' as the background color.
79 -rv This exchanges the foreground and background colors. Normally
81 the foreground color is black and the background color is white.
82 -solid color
84 This sets the background of the root window to the specified
85 color. This option is only useful on color servers.
86 -name string
88 Set the name of the root window to ``string''. There is no
89 default value. Usually a name is assigned to a window so that
90 the window manager can use a text representation when the window
91 is iconified. This option is unused since you can't iconify the
92 background.
93 -display display
95 Specifies the server to connect to; see X(7).
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98 X(7), xset(1), xrdb(1), Xcursor(3)
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101 Mark Lillibridge, MIT Project Athena
102X Version 11 xsetroot 1.1.1 XSETROOT(1)