xinit
X Window System initializer
see also :
X - startx - Xorg - xterm
Synopsis
xinit [
[ client ] options ... ] [
-- [ server ] [ display ]
options ... ]
add an example, a script, a trick and tips
examples
Below are several examples of how command line arguments in
xinit are used.
xinit
This will start up a server named X and run the user’s
.xinitrc, if it exists, or else start an xterm.
xinit -- /usr/local/bin/Xvnc :1
This is how one could start a specific type of server on an
alternate display.
xinit -geometry =80x65+10+10 -fn 8x13 -j -fg white -bg
navy
This will start up a server named X, and will append the
given arguments to the default xterm command. It will
ignore .xinitrc.
xinit -e widgets -- ./Xorg -l -c
This will use the command .Xorg -l -c to start the server
and will append the arguments -e widgets to the default
xterm command.
xinit /usr/ucb/rsh fasthost cpupig -display ws:1 -- :1 -a 2 -t
5
This will start a server named X on display 1 with the
arguments -a 2 -t 5. It will then start a remote shell on
the machine fasthost in which it will run the command
cpupig, telling it to display back on the local
workstation.
Below is a sample .xinitrc that starts a clock, several
terminals, and leaves the window manager running as the ’’last’’
application. Assuming that the window manager has been configured
properly, the user then chooses the ’’Exit’’ menu item to shut
down X.
xrdb -load $HOME/.Xresources
xsetroot -solid gray &
xclock -g 50x50-0+0 -bw 0 &
xload -g 50x50-50+0 -bw 0 &
xterm -g 80x24+0+0 &
xterm -g 80x24+0-0 &
twm
Sites that want to create a common startup environment could
simply create a default .xinitrc that references a
site-wide startup file:
#!/bin/sh
. /usr/local/lib/site.xinitrc
Another approach is to write a script that starts xinit
with a specific shell script. Such scripts are usually named
x11, xstart, or startx and are a convenient
way to provide a simple interface for novice users:
#!/bin/sh
xinit /usr/local/lib/site.xinitrc -- /usr/bin/X -br
source
DISPLAY=:1
xinit ~/.xinitrc.1 -- :1
source
DISPLAY=:1
xinit .xinitrc.gnome -- :1
description
The
xinit program is used to start the X Window System
server and a first client program on systems that are not
using a display manager such as xdm(1) or in
environments that use multiple window systems. When this
first client exits, xinit will kill the X server and
then terminate.
If no specific
client program is given on the command line, xinit
will look for a file in the user’s home directory
called .xinitrc to run as a shell script to start up
client programs. If no such file exists, xinit will
use the following as a default:
xterm -geometry +1+1 -n login -display
:0
If no specific
server program is given on the command line, xinit
will look for a file in the user’s home directory
called .xserverrc to run as a shell script to start
up the server. If no such file exists, xinit will use
the following as a default:
Note that this
assumes that there is a program named X in the
current search path. The site administrator should,
therefore, make a link to the appropriate type of server on
the machine, or create a shell script that runs xinit
with the appropriate server.
Note, when
using a .xserverrc script be sure to
’’exec’’ the real X server. Failing
to do this can make the X server slow to start and exit. For
example:
An important
point is that programs which are run by .xinitrc
should be run in the background if they do not exit right
away, so that they don’t prevent other programs from
starting up. However, the last long-lived program started
(usually a window manager or terminal emulator) should be
left in the foreground so that the script won’t exit
(which indicates that the user is done and that xinit
should exit).
An alternate
client and/or server may be specified on the command line.
The desired client program and its arguments should be given
as the first command line arguments to xinit. To
specify a particular server command line, append a double
dash (--) to the xinit command line
(after any client and arguments) followed by the desired
server command.
Both the client
program name and the server program name must begin with a
slash (/) or a period (.). Otherwise, they are treated as an
arguments to be appended to their respective startup lines.
This makes it possible to add arguments (for example,
foreground and background colors) without having to retype
the whole command line.
If an explicit
server name is not given and the first argument following
the double dash (--) is a colon followed by a
digit, xinit will use that number as the display
number instead of zero. All remaining arguments are appended
to the server command line.
display
This variable gets set to the name of the display to which
clients should connect.
|
environment variables
files
.xinitrc
default client script
xterm
client to run if .xinitrc does not exist
.xserverrc
default server script
X
server to run if .xserverrc does not exist
see also
X ,
startx , Xserver, Xorg ,
xorg.conf, xterm
author
Bob Scheifler,
MIT Laboratory for Computer Science