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 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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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 -version
33 Print a version message and exit.
34 -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.)
39 -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.
46 -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).
52 -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.
56 -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.
62 -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.
68 -gray, -grey
70 Make the entire background gray (Easier on the eyes).
71 -bg, -background color
73 Use ``color'' as the background color.
74 -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.
79 -rv, -reverse
81 This exchanges the foreground and background colors. Normally
82 the foreground color is black and the background color is white.
83 -solid color
85 This sets the background of the root window to the specified
86 color. This option is only useful on color servers.
87 -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.
94 -d, -display display
96 Specifies the server to connect to; see X(7).
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99 X(7), xset(1), xrdb(1), Xcursor(3)
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102 Mark Lillibridge, MIT Project Athena
103X Version 11 xsetroot 1.1.2 XSETROOT(1)