Name

xrdb - X Window System server resource database utility

Syntax

xrdb [ options ] [ file ]

Arguments

fileSpecifies the defaults file to be loaded into the specified server.  The filename, or the standard input if no filename is specified, is optionally passed through the C preprocessor.  The following symbols, which depend on the server being used, are defined:

HOST=hostname
Specifies the hostname portion of the display to which you are connected.

WIDTH=pixels
Specifies the width of the screen in pixels.

HEIGHT=pixels
Specifies the height of the screen in pixels.

X_RESOLUTION=pixels
Specifies the x resolution of the screen in pixels per meter.

Y_RESOLUTION=pixels
Specifies the y resolution of the screen in pixels per meter.

PLANES=bit planes
Specifies the number of bit planes for the default visual.

BITS_PER_RGB=num
Specifies the number of significant bits in an RGB color specification. This is the log, base two, of the number of distinct shades of each primary color that the hardware can generate.

CLASS=visualclass
Specifies StaticGray, GrayScale, StaticColor, PseudoColor, TrueColor, or DirectColor.

COLORThis is defined only if the default visual’s type is one of the color options. 

Lines that begin with an exclamation mark (!) are treated as comments. 

Description

The xrdb command is used to set or dump the contents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property on the root window of screen 0.  Normally this program is run from a script in the .login file.  The root property normally contains the contents of your .Xdefaults file. 

The X library XGetDefault routine and toolkit resource managers use this property to get user preferences about color, fonts, and so on for your applications.  Any local .Xdefaults file is merged into this property from the server, so customization can be performed on a per-machine basis. 

Options

−backup stringSpecifies a suffix to be appended to the file name used with −edit to generate a backup file. 

−cpp fileSpecifies a pathname of the C preprocessor program to be used.  Although xrdb was designed to use the C preprocessor, any program that acts as a filter and accepts the −D, −I, and −U options can be used. 

−Dname[=value]
Allows you to define symbols for use with conditionals such as #ifdef.

−d dispnameSpecifies the display screen on which xrdb displays its window.  If the display option is not specified, xrdb uses the display screen specified by your DISPLAY environment variable.  The display option has the format hostname:number.  Using two colons (::) instead of one (:) indicates that DECnet is to be used for transport.  The default is :0.  For more information, see X(.).

−display dispname
This option is the same as the −d option. 

−edit fileIndicates that the contents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property should be edited into the given file, replacing any values already there.  This allows you to put changes that you have made to your defaults back into your resource file, preserving any comments or preprocessor lines. 

−helpDisplays a brief discription of the allowable options and parameters to be printed. 

−I directorySpecifies a directory to search for include files. 

−loadLoads input as the new value of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property, replacing the old contents.  This is the default action. 

−mergeIndicates that input should be merged with, instead of replacing, the current contents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property.  Because xrdb can read the standard input, this option can be used to change the contents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property directly from a terminal or from a shell script. 

−nocppIndicates that no preprocessors should be used before loading the file into the RESOURCE_MANAGER property. 

−qAllows you to query the current contents of the property and prints the contents on the standard output. 

−queryPrints the current contents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property onto standard output.  Because preprocessor commands in the input resource file are a part of the input file, not a part of the property, they will not appear in the output from this option.  The −edit option can be used to merge the contents of the property back into the input resource file without damaging preprocessor commands. 

−removeIndicates that the RESOURCE_MANAGER property should be removed from its window. 

−symbolsIndicates that the symbols defined for the preprocessor should be printed onto standard output.  This option can be used in conjunction with −query, but not with the options that change the RESOURCE_MANAGER property. 

−U nameUsed to remove any definitions of the symbol. 

Files

~/.Xdefaults

See Also

X(1X), XGetDefault(3X11), Guide to the Xlib Library: C Language Binding