XRDB(1) RISC/os Reference Manual XRDB(1)
NAME
xrdb - X server resource database utility
SYNOPSIS
xrdb [-option ...] [filename]
DESCRIPTION
Xrdb is used to get or set the contents of the
RESOURCE_MANAGER property on the root window of screen 0.
You would normally run this program from your X startup
file.
The resource manager (used by the Xlib routine
XGetDefault(3X) and the X Toolkit) uses the RESOURCE_MANAGER
property to get user preferences about color, fonts, and so
on for applications. Having this information in the server
(where it is available to all clients) instead of on disk,
solves the problem in previous versions of X that required
you to maintain defaults files on every machine that you
might use. It also allows for dynamic changing of defaults
without editing files.
For compatibility, if there is no RESOURCE_MANAGER property
defined (either because xrdb was not run or if the property
was removed), the resource manager will look for a file
called .Xdefaults in your home directory.
The filename (or the standard input if - or no input file is
given) is optionally passed through the C preprocessor with
the following symbols defined, based on the capabilities of
the server being used:
BITSPERRGB=num
the number of significant bits in an RGB color
specification. This is the log base 2 of the number
of distinct shades of each primary that the hardware
can generate. Note that it usually is not related
to PLANES.
CLASS=visualclass
one of StaticGray, GrayScale, StaticColor, Pseu-
doColor, TrueColor, DirectColor. This is the visual
class of the root window of the default screen.
COLOR defined only if CLASS is one of StaticColor, Pseu-
doColor, TrueColor, or DirectColor.
HEIGHT=num
the height of the default screen in pixels.
SERVERHOST=hostname
the hostname portion of the display to which you are
Printed 1/24/91 Page 1
XRDB(1) RISC/os Reference Manual XRDB(1)
connected.
HOST=hostname
the same as SERVERHOST.
CLIENTHOST=hostname
the name of the host on which xrdb is running.
PLANES=num
the number of bit planes (the depth) of the root
window of the default screen.
RELEASE=num
the vendor release number for the server. The
interpretation of this number will vary depending on
VENDOR.
REVISION=num
the X protocol minor version supported by this
server (currently 0).
VERSION=num
the X protocol major version supported by this
server (should always be 11).
VENDOR=vendor
a string specifying the vendor of the server.
WIDTH=num
the width of the default screen in pixels.
XRESOLUTION=num
the x resolution of the default screen in pixels per
meter.
YRESOLUTION=num
the y resolution of the default screen in pixels per
meter.
Lines that begin with an exclamation mark (!) are ignored
and may be used as comments.
OPTIONS
xrdb program accepts the following options:
-help This option (or any unsupported option) will cause a
brief description of the allowable options and
parameters to be printed.
-display display
This option specifies the X server to be used; see
X(1).
Page 2 Printed 1/24/91
XRDB(1) RISC/os Reference Manual XRDB(1)
-n This option indicates that changes to the property
(when used with -load) or to the resource file (when
used with -edit) should be shown on the standard
output, but should not be performed.
-quiet This option indicates that warning about duplicate
entries should not be displayed.
-cpp filename
This option specifies the pathname of the C prepro-
cessor program to be used. Although xrdb was
designed to use CPP, any program that acts as a
filter and accepts the -D, -I, and -U options may be
used.
-nocpp This option indicates that xrdb should not run the
input file through a preprocessor before loading it
into the RESOURCE_MANAGER property.
-symbols
This option indicates that the symbols that are
defined for the preprocessor should be printed onto
the standard output. It can be used in conjunction
with -query, but not with the options that change
the RESOURCE_MANAGER property.
-query This option indicates that the current contents of
the RESOURCE_MANAGER property should be printed onto
the standard output. Note that since preprocessor
commands in the input resource file are part of the
input file, not part of the property, they won't
appear in the output from this option. The -edit
option can be used to merge the contents of the pro-
perty back into the input resource file without
damaging preprocessor commands.
-load This option indicates that the input should be
loaded as the new value of the RESOURCE_MANAGER pro-
perty, replacing whatever was there (i.e. the old
contents are removed). This is the default action.
-merge This option indicates that the input should be
merged with, instead of replacing, the current con-
tents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property. Since xrdb
can read the standard input, this option can be used
to the change the contents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER
property directly from a terminal or from a shell
script. Note that this option does a lexicographic
sorted merge of the two inputs, which is almost cer-
tainly not what you want, but remains for backward
compatibility.
Printed 1/24/91 Page 3
XRDB(1) RISC/os Reference Manual XRDB(1)
-remove This option indicates that the RESOURCE_MANAGER pro-
perty should be removed from its window.
-retain This option indicates that the server should be
instructed not to reset if xrdb is the first client.
-edit filename
This option indicates that the contents of the
RESOURCE_MANAGER property should be edited into the
given file, replacing any values already listed
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.
-backup string
This option specifies a suffix to be appended to the
filename used with -edit to generate a backup file.
-Dname[=value]
This option is passed through to the preprocessor
and is used to define symbols for use with condi-
tionals such as #ifdef.
-Uname This option is passed through to the preprocessor
and is used to remove any definitions of this sym-
bol.
-Idirectory
This option is passed through to the preprocessor
and is used to specify a directory to search for
files that are referenced with #include.
FILES
Generalizes ~/.Xdefaults files.
SEE ALSO
X(1), XGetDefault(3X), Xlib Resource Manager documentation
ENVIRONMENT
DISPLAY - to figure out which display to use.
BUGS
The default for no arguments should be to query, not to
overwrite, so that it is consistent with other programs.
COPYRIGHT
Copyright 1988, Digital Equipment Corporation.
AUTHORS
Phil Karlton, rewritten from the original by Jim Gettys
Page 4 Printed 1/24/91