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] [-def] [-display display] [-cursor cursorfile mask‐
10 file] [-cursor_name cursorname] [-bitmap filename] [-mod x y] [-gray]
11 [-grey] [-fg color] [-bg color] [-rv] [-solid color] [-name string]
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14 The setroot program allows you to tailor the appearance of the back‐
15 ground ("root") window on a workstation display running X. Normally,
16 you experiment with xsetroot until you find a personalized look that
17 you like, then put the xsetroot command that produces it into your X
18 startup file. If no options are specified, or if -def is specified,
19 the window is reset to its default state. The -def option can be spec‐
20 ified along with other options and only the non-specified characteris‐
21 tics will be reset to the default state.
22 Only one of the background color/tiling changing options (-solid,
24 -gray, -grey, -bitmap, and -mod) may be specified at a time.
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27 The various options are as follows:
28 -help Print a usage message and exit.
30 -def Reset unspecified attributes to the default values. (Restores
32 the background to the familiar gray mesh and the cursor to the
33 hollow x shape.)
34 -cursor cursorfile maskfile
36 This lets you change the pointer cursor to whatever you want
37 when the pointer cursor is outside of any window. Cursor and
38 mask files are bitmaps (little pictures), and can be made with
39 the bitmap(1) program. You probably want the mask file to be
40 all black until you get used to the way masks work.
41 -cursor_name cursorname
43 This lets you change the pointer cursor to one of the standard
44 cursors from the cursor font. Refer to appendix B of the X pro‐
45 tocol for the names (except that the XC_ prefix is elided for
46 this option).
47 -bitmap filename
49 Use the bitmap specified in the file to set the window pattern.
50 You can make your own bitmap files (little pictures) using the
51 bitmap(1) program. The entire background will be made up of
52 repeated "tiles" of the bitmap.
53 -mod x y
55 This is used if you want a plaid-like grid pattern on your
56 screen. x and y are integers ranging from 1 to 16. Try the
57 different combinations. Zero and negative numbers are taken as
58 1.
59 -gray Make the entire background gray. (Easier on the eyes.)
61 -grey Make the entire background grey.
63 -fg color
65 Use ``color'' as the foreground color. Foreground and back‐
66 ground colors are meaningful only in combination with -cursor,
67 -bitmap, or -mod.
68 -bg color
70 Use ``color'' as the background color.
71 -rv This exchanges the foreground and background colors. Normally
73 the foreground color is black and the background color is white.
74 -solid color
76 This sets the background of the root window to the specified
77 color. This option is only useful on color servers.
78 -name string
80 Set the name of the root window to ``string''. There is no
81 default value. Usually a name is assigned to a window so that
82 the window manager can use a text representation when the window
83 is iconified. This option is unused since you can't iconify the
84 background.
85 -display display
87 Specifies the server to connect to; see X(7).
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90 X(7), xset(1), xrdb(1)
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93 Mark Lillibridge, MIT Project Athena
94X Version 11 xsetroot 1.0.1 XSETROOT(1)