XINIT(1) X Version 11(Release 5) XINIT(1)
NAME
xinit - X Window System initializer
SYNOPSIS
xinit [ [ client ] options ] [ -- [ server ] [ display ] options ]
DESCRIPTION
The xinit program is used to start the X Window System server and a first
client program on systems that cannot start X directly from /etc/init or
in environments that use multiple window systems. When this first client
exits, xinit will kill the X server and then terminate.
If no specific client program is given on the command line, xinit will
look for a file in the user's home directory called .xinitrc to run as a
shell script to start up client programs. If no such file exists, xinit
will use the following as a default:
xterm -geometry +1+1 -n login -display :0
If no specific server program is given on the command line, xinit will
look for a file in the user's home directory called .xserverrc to run as
a shell script to start up the server. If no such file exists, xinit
will use the following as a default:
X :0
Note that this assumes that there is a program named X in the current
search path. However, servers are usually named Xdisplaytype where
displaytype is the type of graphics display which is driven by this
server. The site administrator should, therefore, make a link to the
appropriate type of server on the machine, or create a shell script that
runs xinit with the appropriate server.
An important point is that programs which are run by .xinitrc should be
run in the background if they do not exit right away, so that they don't
prevent other programs from starting up. However, the last long-lived
program started (usually a window manager or terminal emulator) should be
left in the foreground so that the script won't exit (which indicates
that the user is done and that xinit should exit).
An alternate client and/or server may be specified on the command line.
The desired client program and its arguments should be given as the first
command line arguments to xinit. To specify a particular server command
line, append a double dash (--) to the xinit command line (after any
client and arguments) followed by the desired server command.
Both the client program name and the server program name must begin with
a slash (/) or a period (.). Otherwise, they are treated as an arguments
to be appended to their respective startup lines. This makes it possible
to add arguments (for example, foreground and background colors) without
having to retype the whole command line.
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If an explicit server name is not given and the first argument following
the double dash (--) is a colon followed by a digit, xinit will use that
number as the display number instead of zero. All remaining arguments
are appended to the server command line.
EXAMPLES
Below are several examples of how command line arguments in xinit are
used.
xinit This will start up a server named X and run the user's .xinitrc,
if it exists, or else start an xterm.
xinit -- /usr/bin/X11/Xqdss :1
This is how one could start a specific type of server on an
alternate display.
xinit -geometry =80x65+10+10 -fn 8x13 -j -fg white -bg navy
This will start up a server named X, and will append the given
arguments to the default xterm command. It will ignore .xinitrc.
xinit -e widgets -- ./Xsun -l -c
This will use the command ./Xsun -l -c to start the server and
will append the arguments -e widgets to the default xterm
command.
xinit /usr/ucb/rsh fasthost cpupig -display ws:1 -- :1 -a 2 -t 5
This will start a server named X on display 1 with the arguments
-a 2 -t 5. It will then start a remote shell on the machine
fasthost in which it will run the command cpupig, telling it to
display back on the local workstation.
Below is a sample .xinitrc that starts a clock, several terminals, 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 &
xclock -g 50x50-0+0 -bw 0 &
xload -g 50x50-50+0 -bw 0 &
xterm -g 80x24+0+0 &
xterm -g 80x24+0-0 &
twm
Sites that want to create a common startup environment could simply
create a default .xinitrc that references a site-wide startup file:
#!/bin/sh
. /usr/local/lib/site.xinitrc
Another approach is to write a script that starts xinit with a specific
shell script. Such scripts are usually named x11, xstart, or startx and
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XINIT(1) X Version 11(Release 5) XINIT(1)
are a convenient way to provide a simple interface for novice users:
#!/bin/sh
xinit /usr/local/lib/site.xinitrc -- /usr/bin/X11/X bc
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
DISPLAY This variable gets set to the name of the display to which
clients should connect.
XINITRC This variable specifies an init file containing shell
commands to start up the initial windows. By default,
.xinitrc in the home directory will be used.
FILES
.xinitrc default client script
xterm client to run if .xinitrc does not exist
.xserverrc default server script
X server to run if .xserverrc does not exist
SEE ALSO
X(1), startx(1), Xserver(1), xterm(1)
COPYRIGHT
Copyright 1988, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
See X(1) for a full statement of rights and permissions.
AUTHOR
Bob Scheifler, MIT Laboratory for Computer Science
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