xinit(1) X Version 11 (29 December 1989) xinit(1)
NAME
xinit - initializes the X Window System
SYNOPSIS
xinit [[client] options] [-- [server] [display] options]
DESCRIPTION
The xinit program starts the X Window System server and a
first client program (usually a terminal emulator) on
systems that cannot start the server directly from /etc/init
or in environments that use multiple window systems. When
this first client exits, xinit kills the server and
terminates.
If you do not specify a client program on the command line,
xinit looks for a file in your home directory called
.xinitrc to run as a shell script to start up client
programs. If no such file exists, xinit uses the following
by default.
xterm -geometry +1+1 -n login -display :0
If you do not specify a server program on the command line,
xinit looks for a file in your home directory called
.xserverrc to run as a shell script to start up the server.
If no such file exists, xinit uses the following by default:
X :0
Note that this assumes 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 that is driven by this server. The system
administrator should make a link to the appropriate type of
server, or create a shell script that runs xinit with the
appropriate server.
It is important that programs run by .xinitrc and .xserverrc
run in the background if they do not exit right away, so
that they do not prevent other programs from starting.
However, the last long-lived program started (usually a
window manager or terminal emulator) should be left in the
foreground so the script won't exit (which indicates that
you are done and that xinit should exit).
You can also specify an alternate client and server on the
command line. You must specify the desired client program
and its arguments 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 options) followed by the server command you want.
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xinit(1) X Version 11 (29 December 1989) xinit(1)
Both the client program name and the server program name
must begin with a slash (/), a period (.), or a letter of
the alphabet. Otherwise, they are treated as an arguments to
be appended to their respective start-up lines. This makes
it possible to add options (for example, foreground and
background colors) without having to retype the whole
command line.
If you do not specify a server name and the first argument
following the double dash (--) is a colon followed by a
digit, xinit uses that number instead of zero. All
remaining arguments are appended to the server command line.
EXAMPLES
The following examples show how to use command-line
arguments in xinit.
xinit
Starts up a server named X and runs your .xinitrc file,
if it exists, or starts an xterm session. This example
also runs your .Xserverrc file, if it exists, or starts
the default: X:0.
xinit -- /usr/bin/X11/Xqdss :1
Starts a specific type of server on an alternate
display.
xinit -geometry =80x65+10+10 -fn 8x13 -j -fg white -bg navy
Starts up a server named X and appends the given
arguments to the default xterm command.
xinit -e widgets -- ./Xsun -l -c
Uses the command ./Xsun -l -c to start the server and
appends the options -e widgets to the default xterm
command.
xinit /usr/ucb/rsh fasthost cpupig -display ws:1 -- :1 -
a 2 -t 5
Starts a server named X on display 1 with the options
-a 2 -t 5. It then starts a remote shell on the
machine fasthost, and this remote shell executes the
cpupig command and passes the argument -display ws:1 to
cpupig. The cpupig command now displays the results
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, you can choose the "Exit" menu
item to shut down the server.
xrdb -load $HOME/.Xres
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xinit(1) X Version 11 (29 December 1989) xinit(1)
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 &
mwm
If you want to create a common start-up environment for your
site you could simply create a default .xinitrc that
references a site-wide start-up 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 conveniently provide a simple interface
for novice users:
#!/bin/sh
xinit /usr/local/bin/startx -- /usr/bin/X11/Xhp :1
ENVIRONMENT
DISPLAY
Specifies the default display to which the clients
connect.
XINITRC
Specifies a file containing shell commands to start up
the initial windows. The .xinitrc file in your home
directory is used by default.
SEE ALSO
X(1)
xterm(1)
xrdb(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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