STARTX(1)                   X Version 11(Release 5)                   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 arguments.

      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'' 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  &
          xbiff  -geometry  -430+5  &
          oclock  -geometry  75x75-0-0  &
          xload  -geometry  -80-0  &
          xterm  -geometry  +0+60  -ls  &
          xterm  -geometry  +0-100  &
          xconsole  -geometry  -0+0  -fn  5x7  &
          exec  twm





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STARTX(1)                   X Version 11(Release 5)                   STARTX(1)


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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