XSETROOT(1)						      General Commands Manual						       XSETROOT(1)

NAME

       xsetroot - root window parameter setting utility for X

SYNOPSIS

       xsetroot  [-help]  [-def]  [-display display] [-cursor cursorfile maskfile] [-cursor_name cursorname] [-bitmap filename] [-mod x y] [-gray]
       [-grey] [-fg color] [-bg color] [-rv] [-solid color] [-name string]

DESCRIPTION

       The setroot program allows you to tailor the appearance of the background ("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.

OPTIONS

       The various options are as follows:

       -help  Print a usage message and exit.

       -def   Reset unspecified attributes to the default values.  (Restores the background to the familiar gray mesh and the cursor to the hollow
	      x shape.)

       -cursor cursorfile maskfile
	      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(1) program.  You probably want the mask file to be all black
	      until you get used to the way masks work.

       -cursor_name cursorname
	      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).

       -bitmap filename
	      Use the bitmap specified in the file to set the window pattern.  You can make your own bitmap files (little pictures) using the bit-
	      map(1) program.  The entire background will be made up of repeated "tiles" of the bitmap.

       -mod x y
	      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.

       -gray  Make the entire background gray.	(Easier on the eyes.)

       -grey  Make the entire background grey.

       -fg color
	      Use  ``color''  as the foreground color.	Foreground and background colors are meaningful only in combination with -cursor, -bitmap,
	      or -mod.

       -bg color
	      Use ``color'' as the background color.

       -rv    This exchanges the foreground and background colors.  Normally the foreground color is black and the background color is white.

       -solid color
	      This sets the background of the root window to the specified color.  This option is only useful on color servers.

       -name string
	      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  win-
	      dow  manager  can  use  a text representation when the window is iconified.  This option is unused since you can't iconify the back-
	      ground.

       -display display
	      Specifies the server to connect to; see X(7x).

SEE ALSO

       X(7x), xset(1), xrdb(1)

AUTHOR

       Mark Lillibridge, MIT Project Athena

X Version 11							    Release 6.6 						       XSETROOT(1)