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X Version 11 (Release 6.1)

xrdb(X1)


xrdb -- X server resource database utility

Synopsis

xrdb [-display display] [-all] [-backupstring] [-cpp filename] [-Dname[=value]] [-edit filename] [-help] [-Idirectory] [-global] [-load] [-merge] [-n] [-nocpp] [-override] [-screen] [-screens] [-quiet] [-query] [-remove] [-retain] [-symbols] [-Uname] [filename]

Description

xrdb is used to get or set the contents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property on the root window of screen 0, or the SCREEN_RESOURCES property on the root window of any or all screens, or everything combined. You would normally run this program from your X startup file.

Options

xrdb(X1) accepts the following options:

-display display
specifies the X server to be used; see X(X1M). -display also specifies the screen to use for the -screen option, and it specifies the screen from which preprocessor symbols are derived for the -global option.

-all
indicates that operation should be performed on the screen-independent resource property (RESOURCE_MANAGER), as well as the screen-specific property (SCREEN_RESOURCES) on every screen of the display. For example, when used in conjunction with -query, the contents of all properties are output. For -load, -override and -merge, the input file is processed once for each screen. The resources that occur in common in the output for every screen are collected, and these are applied as the screen-independent resources. The remaining resources are applied for each individual per-screen property. This the default mode of operation.

-backupstring
specifies a suffix to be appended to the filename used with -edit to generate a backup file.

-cpp filename
specifies the pathname of the C preprocessor 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.

-Dname[=value]
defines symbols for use with conditionals such as #ifdef.

-edit filename
indicates that the contents of the specified properties 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.

-help
describes the allowable options and parameters.

-Idirectory
specifies a directory to search for files that are referenced with #include.

-global
indicates that the operation should only be performed on the screen-independent RESOURCE_MANAGER property.

-load
indicates that the input should be loaded as the new value of the specified properties, replacing whatever was there (that is, the old contents are removed). This is the default action.

-merge
indicates that the input should be merged and lexicographically sorted with, instead of replacing, the current contents of the specified properties.

-n
indicates that changes to the specified properties (when used with -load, -override or -merge) or to the resource file (when used with -edit) should be shown on the standard output, but should not be performed.

-nocpp
indicates that xrdb should not run the input file through a preprocessor before loading it into properties.

-override
indicates that the input should be added to, instead of replacing, the current contents of the specified properties. New entries override previous entries.

-screen
indicates that the operation should only be performed on the SCREEN_RESOURCES property of the default screen of the display.

-screens
indicates that the operation should be performed on the SCREEN_RESOURCES property of each screen of the display. For -load, -override and -merge, the input file is processed for each screen.

-quiet
indicates that warnings about duplicate entries should not be displayed.

-query
This option indicates that the current contents of the specified properties 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 will not appear in the output from this option. The -edit" option can be used to merge the contents of properties back into the input resource file without damaging preprocessor commands.

-remove
indicates that the specified properties should be removed from the server.

-retain
indicates that the server should be instructed not to reset if xrdb is the first client. This should never be necessary under normal conditions, because xdm and xinit always act as the first client.

-symbols
indicates that the symbols that are defined for the preprocessor should be printed onto the standard output.

-Uname
removes any definitions of specified symbol.

Keywords

Most X clients use the RESOURCE_MANAGER and SCREEN_RESOURCES properties 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.

The RESOURCE_MANAGER property is used for resources that apply to all screens of the display. The SCREEN_RESOURCES property on each screen specifies additional (or overriding) resources to be used for that screen. (When there is only one screen, SCREEN_RESOURCES is normally not used, all resources are just placed in the RESOURCE_MANAGER property.)

The file specified by filename (or the contents from standard input if ``-'' or no filename is given) is optionally passed through the C preprocessor with the following symbols defined, based on the capabilities of the server being used:


SERVERHOST=hostname
the hostname portion of the display to which you are connected

SRVR_name
the SERVERHOST hostname string changes to a legal identifier. For example, ``my-dpy.lcs.mit.edu'' becomes ``SRVR_my_dpy_lcs_mit_edu''.

HOST=hostname
the same as SERVERHOST

DISPLAY_NUM=num
the number of the display on the server host

CLIENTHOST=hostname
the name of the host on which xrdb is running.

CLNT_name
the CLIENTHOST hostname string changes to a legal identifier. For example, ``expo.lcs.mit.edu'' becomes ``CLNT_expo_lcs_mit_edu''.

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 literal specifying the vendor of the server

VNDR_name
the VENDOR name string turned into a legal identifier. For example, ``MIT X Consortium'' becomes ``VNDR_MIT_X_Consortium''.

EXT_name
defined for each protocol extension supported by the server. Each extension string name is turned into a legal identifier. For example, ``X3D-PEX'' becomes ``EXT_X3D_PEX''.

NUM_SCREENS=num
the total number of screens

SCREEN_NUM=num
the number of the current screen (from zero)

BITS_PER_RGB=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, PseudoColor, TrueColor, DirectColor. This is the visual class of the root window.

CLASS_visualclass=visualid
the visual class of the root window in a form you can #ifdef on. The value is the numeric id of the visual.

COLOR
defined only if CLASS is one of StaticColor, PseudoColor, TrueColor, or DirectColor

CLASS_visualclass_depth=num
defined for each visual supported for the screen. The symbol includes the class of the visual and its depth; the value is the numeric id of the visual.

HEIGHT=num
the height of the root window in pixels

WIDTH=num
the width of the root window in pixels

PLANES=num
the number of bit planes (the depth) of the root window

X_RESOLUTION=num
the x resolution of the screen in pixels per meter

Y_RESOLUTION=num
the y resolution of the screen in pixels per meter
SRVR_name, CLNT_name, VNDR_name, and EXT_name identifiers are formed by changing all characters other than letters and digits into underscores (_).

Lines that begin with an exclamation mark (!) are ignored and may be used as comments.


NOTE: Since xrdb can read from standard input, it can be used to change the contents of properties directly from a terminal or from a shell script.

Environment variables


DISPLAY
default host and display number

Files

~/.Xdefaults

Warnings

The default for no arguments should be to query, not to overwrite, so that it is consistent with other programs.

References

X(X1M)

X3xlib Resource Manager documentation,
X3xt resource documentation


© 2004 The SCO Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
UnixWare 7 Release 7.1.4 - 25 April 2004