XRDB(1) XRDB(1) NNAAMMEE xrdb - X server resource database utility SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS xxrrddbb [-option ...] [_f_i_l_e_n_a_m_e] DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN _X_r_d_b 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 nor- mally run this program from your X startup file. 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 previ- ous versions of X that required you to maintain _d_e_f_a_u_l_t_s 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 overrid- ing) 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 _f_i_l_e_n_a_m_e (or the contents from stan- dard input if - or no filename is given) is optionally passed through the C preprocessor with the following sym- bols defined, based on the capabilities of the server being used: SSEERRVVEERRHHOOSSTT==_h_o_s_t_n_a_m_e the hostname portion of the display to which you are connected. SSRRVVRR___n_a_m_e the SERVERHOST hostname string turned into a legal identifier. For example, "my-dpy.lcs.mit.edu" becomes SRVR_my_dpy_lcs_mit_edu. HHOOSSTT==_h_o_s_t_n_a_m_e the same as SSEERRVVEERRHHOOSSTT. DDIISSPPLLAAYY__NNUUMM==_n_u_m the number of the display on the server host. CCLLIIEENNTTHHOOSSTT==_h_o_s_t_n_a_m_e the name of the host on which _x_r_d_b is running. X Version 11 Release 6 1 XRDB(1) XRDB(1) CCLLNNTT___n_a_m_e the CLIENTHOST hostname string turned into a legal identifier. For example, "expo.lcs.mit.edu" becomes CLNT_expo_lcs_mit_edu. RREELLEEAASSEE==_n_u_m the vendor release number for the server. The interpretation of this number will vary depending on VENDOR. RREEVVIISSIIOONN==_n_u_m the X protocol minor version supported by this server (currently 0). VVEERRSSIIOONN==_n_u_m the X protocol major version supported by this server (should always be 11). VVEENNDDOORR==""_v_e_n_d_o_r"" a string literal specifying the vendor of the server. VVNNDDRR___n_a_m_e the VENDOR name string turned into a legal identi- fier. For example, "MIT X Consortium" becomes VNDR_MIT_X_Consortium. EEXXTT___n_a_m_e A symbol is defined for each protocol extension supported by the server. Each extension string name is turned into a legal identifier. For exam- ple, "X3D-PEX" becomes EXT_X3D_PEX. NNUUMM__SSCCRREEEENNSS==_n_u_m the total number of screens. SSCCRREEEENN__NNUUMM==_n_u_m the number of the current screen (from zero). BBIITTSS__PPEERR__RRGGBB==_n_u_m the number of significant bits in an RGB color specification. This is the log base 2 of the num- ber of distinct shades of each primary that the hardware can generate. Note that it usually is not related to PLANES. CCLLAASSSS==_v_i_s_u_a_l_c_l_a_s_s one of StaticGray, GrayScale, StaticColor, Pseudo- Color, TrueColor, DirectColor. This is the visual class of the root window. CCLLAASSSS___v_i_s_u_a_l_c_l_a_s_s==_v_i_s_u_a_l_i_d the visual class of the root window in a form you can _#_i_f_d_e_f on. The value is the numeric id of the X Version 11 Release 6 2 XRDB(1) XRDB(1) visual. CCOOLLOORR defined only if CLASS is one of StaticColor, Pseu- doColor, TrueColor, or DirectColor. CCLLAASSSS___v_i_s_u_a_l_c_l_a_s_s___d_e_p_t_h==_n_u_m A symbol is 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. (If more than one visual has the same class and depth, the numeric id of the first one reported by the server is used.) HHEEIIGGHHTT==_n_u_m the height of the root window in pixels. WWIIDDTTHH==_n_u_m the width of the root window in pixels. PPLLAANNEESS==_n_u_m the number of bit planes (the depth) of the root window. XX__RREESSOOLLUUTTIIOONN==_n_u_m the x resolution of the screen in pixels per meter. YY__RREESSOOLLUUTTIIOONN==_n_u_m the y resolution of the screen in pixels per meter. SRVR__n_a_m_e, CLNT__n_a_m_e, VNDR__n_a_m_e, and EXT__n_a_m_e 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 that since _x_r_d_b can read from standard input, it can be used to the change the contents of properties directly from a terminal or from a shell script. OOPPTTIIOONNSS _x_r_d_b program accepts the following options: --hheellpp This option (or any unsupported option) will cause a brief description of the allowable options and parameters to be printed. --ddiissppllaayy _d_i_s_p_l_a_y This option specifies the X server to be used; see _X_(_1_). It also specifies the screen to use for the _-_s_c_r_e_e_n option, and it specifies the screen from which preprocessor symbols are derived for the X Version 11 Release 6 3 XRDB(1) XRDB(1) _-_g_l_o_b_a_l option. --aallll This option indicates that operation should be performed on the screen-independent resource prop- erty (RESOURCE_MANAGER), as well as the screen- specific property (SCREEN_RESOURCES) on every screen of the display. For example, when used in conjunction with _-_q_u_e_r_y, the contents of all prop- erties are output. For _-_l_o_a_d, _-_o_v_e_r_r_i_d_e and _-_m_e_r_g_e, the input file is processed once for each screen. The resources which 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. --gglloobbaall This option indicates that the operation should only be performed on the screen-independent RESOURCE_MANAGER property. --ssccrreeeenn This option indicates that the operation should only be performed on the SCREEN_RESOURCES property of the default screen of the display. --ssccrreeeennss This option indicates that the operation should be performed on the SCREEN_RESOURCES property of each screen of the display. For _-_l_o_a_d, _-_o_v_e_r_r_i_d_e and _-_m_e_r_g_e, the input file is processed for each screen. --nn This option indicates that changes to the speci- fied properties (when used with _-_l_o_a_d, _-_o_v_e_r_r_i_d_e or _-_m_e_r_g_e) or to the resource file (when used with _-_e_d_i_t) should be shown on the standard output, but should not be performed. --qquuiieett This option indicates that warning about duplicate entries should not be displayed. --ccpppp _f_i_l_e_n_a_m_e This option specifies the pathname of the C pre- processor program to be used. Although _x_r_d_b was designed to use CPP, any program that acts as a filter and accepts the -D, -I, and -U options may be used. --nnooccpppp This option indicates that _x_r_d_b should not run the input file through a preprocessor before loading it into properties. --ssyymmbboollss This option indicates that the symbols that are X Version 11 Release 6 4 XRDB(1) XRDB(1) defined for the preprocessor should be printed onto the standard output. --qquueerryy 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 won't appear in the output from this option. The --eeddiitt option can be used to merge the contents of properties back into the input resource file with- out damaging preprocessor commands. --llooaadd This option indicates that the input should be loaded as the new value of the specified proper- ties, replacing whatever was there (i.e. the old contents are removed). This is the default action. --oovveerrrriiddee This option indicates that the input should be added to, instead of replacing, the current con- tents of the specified properties. New entries override previous entries. --mmeerrggee This option indicates that the input should be merged and lexicographically sorted with, instead of replacing, the current contents of the speci- fied properties. --rreemmoovvee This option indicates that the specified proper- ties should be removed from the server. --rreettaaiinn This option indicates that the server should be instructed not to reset if _x_r_d_b is the first client. This never be necessary under normal con- ditions, since _x_d_m and _x_i_n_i_t always act as the first client. --eeddiitt _f_i_l_e_n_a_m_e This option 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. --bbaacckkuupp _s_t_r_i_n_g This option specifies a suffix to be appended to the filename used with --eeddiitt to generate a backup file. X Version 11 Release 6 5 XRDB(1) XRDB(1) --DD_n_a_m_e_[_=_v_a_l_u_e_] This option is passed through to the preprocessor and is used to define symbols for use with condi- tionals such as --UU_n_a_m_e This option is passed through to the preprocessor and is used to remove any definitions of this sym- bol. --II_d_i_r_e_c_t_o_r_y This option is passed through to the preprocessor and is used to specify a directory to search for files that are referenced with _#_i_n_c_l_u_d_e_. FFIILLEESS Generalizes _~_/_._X_d_e_f_a_u_l_t_s files. SSEEEE AALLSSOO X(1), Xlib Resource Manager documentation, Xt resource documentation EENNVVIIRROONNMMEENNTT DDIISSPPLLAAYY to figure out which display to use. BBUUGGSS The default for no arguments should be to query, not to overwrite, so that it is consistent with other programs. AAUUTTHHOORRSS Bob Scheifler, Phil Karlton, rewritten from the original by Jim Gettys X Version 11 Release 6 6