STARTX(1)           UNIX Programmer's Manual            STARTX(1)



NAME
     startx - initialize an X session

SYNOPSIS
     startx [ [ client ] options ... ] [ -- [ server ] options
     ... ]

DESCRIPTION
     NOTE: The startx script supplied with the X11 distribution
     is a sample designed more as a base for customization than
     as a finished product.  Site administrators are urged to
     customize it for their site.  And to update this manual page
     when they do!

     The startx script is a front end to xinit that provides a
     somewhat nicer user interface for running a single session
     of the X Window System.  It is typically run with no argu-
     ments.

     To determine the client to run, startx first looks for a
     file called .xinitrc in the user's home directory.  If that
     is not found, it uses the file xinitrc in the xinit library
     directory.  If command line client options are given, they
     override this behavior.  To determine the server to run,
     startx first looks for a file called .xserverrc in the
     user's home directory.  If that is not found, it uses the
     file xserverrc in the xinit library directory.  If command
     line server options are given, they override this behavior.
     Users rarely need to provide a .xserverrc file.  See the
     xinit(1) manual page for more details on the arguments.

     The .xinitrc is typically a shell script which starts many
     clients according to the user's preference.  When this shell
     script exits, startx kills the server and performs any other
     session shutdown needed.  Most of the clients started by
     .xinitrc should be run in the background.  The last client
     should run in the foreground; when it exits, the session
     will exit.  People often choose a session manager, window
     manager, or xterm as the ``magic'' client.

EXAMPLE
     Below is a sample .xinitrc that starts several applications
     and leaves the window manager running as the ``last'' appli-
     cation.  Assuming that the window manager has been config-
     ured properly, the user then chooses the ``Exit'' menu item
     to shut down X.

         xrdb  -load  $HOME/.Xresources
         xsetroot  -solid  gray  &
         xbiff  -geometry  -430+5  &
         oclock  -geometry  75x75-0-0  &
         xload  -geometry  -80-0  &



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STARTX(1)           UNIX Programmer's Manual            STARTX(1)



         xterm  -geometry  +0+60  -ls  &
         xterm  -geometry  +0-100  &
         xconsole  -geometry  -0+0  -fn  5x7  &
         exec  twm

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
     DISPLAY                  This variable gets set to the name
                              of the display to which clients
                              should connect.  Note that this
                              gets set, not read.

FILES
     $(HOME)/.xinitrc         Client to run.  Typically a shell
                              script which runs many programs in
                              the background.

     $(HOME)/.xserverrc       Server to run.  The default is X.

     /usr/lib/X11/xinit/xinitrc
                              Client to run if the user has no
                              .xinitrc file

     /usr/lib/X11/xinit/xserverrc
                              Client to run if the user has no
                              .xserverrc file.  This is only
                              needed if the server needs special
                              arguments or is not named X.

SEE ALSO
     xinit(1)

























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