NAME

xterm − X Window System terminal emulator

SYNTAX

xterm [ display ] [ geometry ] [ options ]

ARGUMENTS

displaySpecifies the display screen on which xterm displays its window.  If the display argument is not specified, xterm uses the display screen specified by your DISPLAY environment variable.  The display argument has the format hostname:number. 

hostnameSpecifies the name of the host machine on which the display is connected.  You can specify the name local to use shared memory, the name unix to use UNIX IPC, or the name of your host machine to use TCP. 

numberSpecifies the number of the display on that host machine. 

geometrySpecifies the width, length, and location of the xterm window.  If the geometry argument is not specified, xterm uses mouse input.  For further information, see the Guide to the xterm Terminal Emulator. 
 
The geometry argument has the format =[width][xlength][x][y]. 

widthSpecifies the number of columns of the window’s horizontal dimension. 

lengthSpecifies the number of rows of the window’s vertical dimension. 

xSpecifies the x screen coordinate (pixel value) for the starting corner of the window. 

ySpecifies the y screen coordinate (pixel value) for the starting corner of the window. 

Depending on which corner of the screen each is relative to, both the x and y coordinates must be preceded by a plus (+) or a minus (−).  For more information about the screen coordinate system, see X(.).

DESCRIPTION

The xterm command provides DEC VT102 terminal emulation and a standard terminal type for programs not aware of the X Window System directly.  The terminal resizing facilities built into the system are supported by xterm. 

OPTIONS

Options specified on the xterm command line override any other corresponding specifications.  To specify that an option be returned to its default state (on or off), precede the option with a plus (+). 

−132Specifies that the DECCOLM escape sequence is to be recognized.  This sequence switches between 80-column and 132-column mode. 

−LSpecifies that xterm is being called by the init command and should presume both that its file descriptors are already open on a slave pseudo-tty and that a getty command should be run, rather than the user’s shell.  This option should only be used by init.  For further information, see init(.).

−T titleSpecifies the text displayed in the title bar.  The default is the name of the window. 

−b pixelsSpecifies the number of pixels that are to be between text and the window border.  The default is 2. 

−bd colorSpecifies the color of the highlighted border (color displays only).  The default is black. 

−bg colorSpecifies the color of the window background (color displays only).  The default is white. 

−bw pixelsSpecifies the width of the window border in pixels.  The default is 1. 

−cr colorSpecifies the highlighted color of the text cursor (color displays only).  The default is the window foreground color. 

−cuSeveral programs that use the curses cursor motion package have some difficulties with VT102-compatible terminals.  The problem fixed with this option occurs when the more command is run on a file containing a line that is exactly the width of the window and that is followed by a line beginning with a tab.  Normally, all leading tabs disappear, but this option causes leading tabs to be displayed properly. 

−dwSpecifies that the mouse is to be positioned at the center of a window deiconified with xterm. 

−e command [ options ]Specifies that the named command, and any of its specified options, be executed in the xterm window when it is first created.  This option must appear last on the xterm command line. 

−fb fontSpecifies that the named font is to be used in place of the font that is currently used as the bold font.  This font must be the same width and length as the normal font.  This font also is used as the normal font if the normal font is not specified.  The default is vtbold. 

−fg colorSpecifies the foreground color of the window (color displays only).  The default is black. 

−fn fontSpecifies that the named font be used in the window.  Any fixed width font can be used.  The default is vtsingle. 

−ft fontSpecifies that the named font be used in the title bar of the window.  The default is vtsingle. 

−iSpecifies that xterm display the icon rather than the normal window at window start-up. 

−ib fileSpecifies the bitmap file that xterm is to read when displaying a bitmap icon (VT102 mode).  The default is a small box containing the window name. 

−it fileSpecifies the bitmap file that xterm is to read when displaying a bitmap icon (Tektronix mode).  The default is a small box containing the window name.  This option is not supported. 

−jSpecifies that xterm is to use jump scrolling mode (multiple lines are moved up at once).  The VT100 escape sequences for smooth scroll can be used to enable/disable this feature from a program. 

−lSpecifies that logging is turned on and all input from the pseudo tty is appended to the logfile. 

−lf fileSpecifies the file the log is written to.  By default, this file has the name XtermLog.pid.  The pid is the process ID of xterm.  The file is created in the directory that xterm was started in or, for a login xterm, in the home directory.  If the file begins with a bar (|), then the rest of the string is assumed to be a command to be executed by the shell, and a pipe is opened to the process. 

−lsSpecifies that the shell that is to run under xterm be a login shell.  Then, the user’s .login file is read and the initial directory is the home directory. 

−mbSpecifies that the right margin bell be turned on. 

−ms colorSpecifies the color of the mouse pointer (color displays only).  The default is the color of the text cursor. 

−n windowSpecifies the name of the window that is to be used by a window manager.  If no name is specified, the name xterm is used.  If no title string is specified, the window name is displayed in the title bar. 

−nb numSpecifies the right margin distance before the margin bell rings.  The default is 10. 

−rSpecifies that the foreground and background colors be reversed (on color displays only).  This becomes the normal video mode and can be reversed by turning on the reverse video mode.  This option performs the same function as the −rv option. 

−rvSpecifies that the foreground and background colors be reversed (on color displays only).  This becomes the normal video mode and can be reversed by turning on the reverse video mode.  This option performs the same function as the −r option. 

−rwSpecifies that reverse-wraparound mode be set.  This mode allows the cursor to wrap around from the leftmost column to the rightmost column of the previous line. 

−sSpecifies smooth (asynchronous) scroll mode. 

−sbSpecifies that the scroll bar be displayed at xterm start-up, with the saving of lines scrolled off the top of the window turned on. 

−siSpecifies that the scroll bar not be repositioned to the bottom of text when input has arrived. 

−skSpecifies that the scroll bar be repositioned to the bottom of text when any key is pressed. 

−sl numSpecifies the maximum number of lines to save that are scrolled off the top of the window.  The default is 64 lines. 

−tbSpecifies that the title bar not be displayed on xterm start-up. 

−tiSpecifies that the window name be displayed under the bitmap icon.  The default is to display the window name to the right of the bitmap icon. 

−vbSpecifies that the visual bell mode be set.  In this mode, xterm flashes the window when it receives a CTRL-G. 

−wSpecifies the width of the window border.  The default is 1. 

MENUS

An xterm window provides the following menus:

xtermDisplays commands that allow you to manipulate processes running in the xterm window. 

ModesDisplays commands that allow you to specify various modes in the VT102 emulation. 

Each menu has two areas.  The first area lists modes that can be altered.  All modes preceded by a check mark are on.  The second area lists command entries that, when selected, perform the indicated function.  When a mode or command is faintly displayed within a menu, that mode or command is not available for selection. 

Xterm Menu

The xterm menu is displayed by one of two procedures.  The first procedure is as follows:

1.Position the mouse pointer on the striped area of the title bar. 

2.Press and hold the left mouse button. 

The second procedure is as follows:

1.Position the mouse pointer at any location within the window. 

2.Press and hold both the CTRL key and left mouse button. 

The modes and commands listed in the xterm menu are:

Title Bar(s)Specifies that the window’s title bar be displayed.  The default is on. 

Visual BellSpecifies that the visual bell be displayed.  The default is off. 

Deiconify WarpSpecifies that the mouse pointer is positioned at the center of the window at deiconification.  The default is off. 

LoggingSpecifies that all input from the pseudo-tty is appended to the logfile.  The default is off. 

RedrawRepaints the window. 

ContinueSends a continue signal to xterm and the processes running under it. 

SuspendSends a suspend signal to xterm and the processes running under it. 

InterruptSends an interrupt signal to xterm and the processes running under it. 

HangupSends a hangup signal to xterm and the processes running under it. 

TerminateSends a terminate signal to xterm and the processes running under it. 

KillSends a kill signal to xterm and the processes running under it. 

Modes Menu

The Modes menu is displayed by one of two procedures: The first procedure is as follows:

1.Position the mouse pointer on the striped area of the title bar. 

2.Press and hold the middle mouse button. 

The second procedure is as follows:

1.Position the mouse pointer at any location within the window. 

2.Press and hold both the CTRL key and middle mouse button. 

The modes and commands are listed in the Modes menu are:

Jump ScrollSpecifies that new lines appear on the screen as fast as the computer sends them to the terminal.  If not specified, smooth-scroll mode is set (default).  In smooth-scroll mode, a limit is placed on the speed at which new lines of data may be sent to the terminal. 

Reverse VideoSpecifies that the foreground and background color be reversed.  The default is off. 

Auto WraparoundSpecifies that, depending on the line size selected, character after the last character displayed on the line be placed in the first character position of the next line.  The default is off. 

Reverse WraparoundSpecifies that the cursor is to wrap around from the leftmost column to the rightmost column of the previous line.  The default is off. 

Auto LinefeedSpecifies that an automatic line feed be inserted at a carriage return.  The default is off. 

Application CursorsSpecifies that the behavior of the arrow keys is to change.  That is, instead of putting out <esc>[A through <esc>[D, they put out <esc>OA through <esc>OD.  The default is off and the behavior is not to change. 

Application PadSpecifies that the behavior of the number keys on the numeric pad is to change.  The default is off. 

Auto RepeatSpecifies that a key be automatically repeated when the key is held down.  The default is on. 

ScrollbarSpecifies that the scroll bar be displayed.  The default is off. 

Scroll to bottom on keySpecifies that xterm reposition the scroll region at the end of the text when any key is pressed.  The default is off. 

Scroll to bottom on inputSpecifies that xterm automatically reposition the scroll region at the bottom of new, incoming text.  The default is on. 

80 <-> 132 ColumnsSpecifies either 80-column or 132-column mode.  The default is 80. 

Curses EmulationSpecifies that xterm use the curses cursor emulation package.  The default is off. 

Margin BellSpecifies that the right margin bell is set.  The default is off. 

Tek Window ShowingSpecifies that the Tektronix window be popped up.  This option is unsupported. 

Alternate ScreenSpecifies that xterm place the current screen in the alternate screen buffer and display the previously saved screen.  To redisplay your normal screen, select this command again. 

Soft resetResets scroll regions. 

Full resetClears the screen, resets tabs to every eight columns, and resets the terminal modes to their initial states. 

Select Tek ModeAllows the Tektronix window to accept input.  This option is unsupported. 

Hide VT WindowHides the VT window while xterm is in Tektronix mode.  This option is unsupported. 

RESTRICTIONS

The VT102 emulation does not support the blinking character attribute or the double-wide, double-height character sets. 

If you attempt to copy (paste) more than 255 characters in an xterm window, you receive an error message similar to the following:

X: could not write data for 10 seconds

This message indicates that xterm has had a fatal error.  To avoid this error, reduce the amount of data that you are trying to paste to the xterm window. 

X DEFAULTS

Like most X-based applications, xterm reads the .Xdefaults file during start-up and uses the appropriate resource specification to customize the appearance or characteristics of its displayed xterm window.  The format for a resource specification in the .Xdefaults file is: [name.]resource:value

nameSpecifies the application name or, in the case of X Toolkit-based applications, the name string that restricts the resource assignment to that application or to a component of an application.  If this argument is not specified, the resource assignment is globally available to all X applications. 

resourceSpecifies the X resource. 

valueSpecifies the value that is to be assigned to the resource. 

For xterm, the available name is xterm. 

For xterm, the available resources are:

scrollBar.backgroundSpecifies the background color of the scroll bar.  If scrollBar.background is not specified, its value defaults to that set by the Background resource. 

scrollBar.foregroundSpecifies the foreground color of the scroll bar.  If scrollBar.foreground is not specified, its value defaults to that set by the Foreground resource. 

backgroundSpecifies the background color. 

boldFontSpecifies a default fixed-width bold font. 

borderSpecifies the border color. 

borderWidthSpecifies the border width in pixels. 

c132Specifies whether the DECCOLM escape sequence is to switch between 80-column and 132-column mode.  The default is 80. 

cursesSpecifies whether the fix to the curses cursor emulation package is to be enabled.  The default is off. 

cursorSpecifies the text cursor color. 

cursorShapeSpecifies the shape of the mouse pointer.  If this resource is set to arrow, the mouse pointer is the shape of an arrow.  The default is a mouse pointer shaped like an I-beam. 

deiconifyWarpSpecifies whether the mouse pointer is to be positioned at the center of a window at deiconification.  The default is off. 

fontSpecifies the fixed-width font displayed in the xterm window. 

foregroundSpecifies the text color. 

geometrySpecifies the geometry (window size and screen location) of the xterm window.  For more information about the format of the geometry argument, see ARGUMENTS. 

iconBitmapSpecifies the bitmap file to be used as the bitmap for VT102-mode icon. 

iconStartupSpecifies whether an icon is be displayed rather than the normal window at xterm start-up.  The default is off. 

internalBorderSpecifies the space (number of pixels) between the text and window border. 

jumpScrollSpecifies whether jump scroll is to be enabled.  The default is off. 

logFileSpecifies the log file or command to pipe to when logging is activated. 

loggingSpecifies whether logging is to be turned on at xterm start-up.  The default is off. 

logInhibitSpecifies whether logging can or cannot be turned on.  The default is off. 

loginShellSpecifies whether the shell executed in the xterm window at start-up is to be a login shell.  The default is off. 

marginBellSpecifies whether the margin bell is to be enabled.  The default is off. 

mouseSpecifies the mouse cursor color. 

multiScrollSpecifies smooth (asynchronous) scroll mode. 

nMarginBellSpecifies the margin bell right margin distance (number of pixels). 

reverseVideoSpecifies whether the foreground and background colors are to be reversed (on monochrome displays only).  The default is off. 

reverseWrapSpecifies whether reverse wraparound mode is to be enabled.  The default is off. 

saveLinesSpecifies the number of lines saved when scrolled off the top of the window.  The default is 64. 

scrollBarSpecifies whether the scroll bar is to be displayed at xterm window start-up.  The default is off. 

scrollInputSpecifies whether xterm is automatically to reposition the scroll region at the bottom of new, incoming text.  The default is on. 

scrollKeySpecifies whether xterm is to reposition the scroll region at the end of the window’s text when any key is pressed.  The default is off. 

signalInhibitSpecifies whether the sending of signals from the xterm menu is to be totally inhibited.  The default is off. 

tekIconBitmapSpecifies the bitmap file to be used as the bitmap for a Tektronix-mode icon.  This resource is not supported. 

tekInhibitSpecifies whether Tektronix mode is to be totally inhibited.  This resource is not supported. 

tekStartupSpecifies that a Tek window is displayed rather than a VT102 window.  This resource is not supported. 

textUnderIconSpecifies whether the icon text is to be placed under the bitmap icon.  The default is off. 

titleSpecifies the text displayed in the title bar.  The default is the window name. 

titleBarSpecifies whether the title bar is to be displayed at xterm window start-up.  The default is on. 

titleFontSpecifies the font of the text in the title bar.  The default is vtsingle. 

visualBellSpecifies whether the visual bell mode is set at xterm window start-up.  The default is off. 

windowNameSpecifies the name of the window that is to be used by a window manager.  If no name is specified, the name xterm is used.  If no title string is specified, the window name is displayed in the title bar. 
 

ENVIRONMENT

When executed, xterm sets the environment variables TERM and TERMCAP properly for the size window you have created.  The environment variable WINDOWID is set to the X window id number of the xterm window. 

SEE ALSO

resize(1X), X(1X), Guide to the xterm Terminal Emulator