xsetroot(1X)xsetroot(1X)NAMExsetroot - root window parameter setting utility for X
SYNOPSISxsetroot [-help] [def] [-display display] [cursor cursor-file maskfile]
[-cursor_name cursorname] [-bitmap filename] [-mod x y] [-gray] [-grey]
[-fg color] [-bg color] [-rv] [solid color] [-name string]
OPTIONS
The various options are as follows: Print a usage message and exit.
Reset unspecified attributes to the default values. (Restores the
background to the familiar gray mesh and the cursor to the hollow x
shape.) 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(1X) pro‐
gram. You probably want the mask file to be all black until you get
used to the way masks work. This lets you change the pointer cursor to
one of the standard cursors from the cursor font. Refer to appendix B
of the X protocol for the names (except that the XC_ prefix is elided
for this option). Use the bitmap specified in the file to set the win‐
dow pattern. You can make your own bitmap files (little pictures)
using the bitmap(1X) program. The entire background will be made up of
repeated "tiles" of the bitmap. 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. Make the entire background gray. (Easier on the eyes.)
Make the entire background grey. Use color as the foreground color.
Foreground and background colors are meaningful only in combination
with -cursor, -bitmap, or -mod. Use color as the background color.
This exchanges the foreground and background colors. Normally the
foreground color is black and the background color is white. This sets
the background of the root window to the specified color. This option
is only useful on color servers. 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 cannot
iconify the background. Specifies the server to connect to; see X(1X).
DESCRIPTION
The setroot 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 specified
along with other options and only the non-specified characteristics
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.
SEE ALSOX(1X), xset(1X), xrdb(1X)AUTHOR
Mark Lillibridge, MIT Project Athena
xsetroot(1X)
