startx(1) - NetBSD Manual Pages

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STARTX(1)						STARTX(1)



NAME

       startx - initialize an X session


SYNOPSIS

       startx  [ [ client ] options ... ] [ -- [ server ] options
       ... ]


DESCRIPTION

       NOTE: The startx script supplied with the X11 distribution
       is a sample designed more as a base for customization than
       as a finished product.  Site administrators are	urged  to
       customize  it  for  their site.	And to update this manual
       page when they do!

       The startx script is a front end to xinit that provides	a
       somewhat nicer user interface for running a single session
       of the X Window System.	It is typically run with no argu-
       ments.

       One important exception is the case when a different color
       depth is being selected. Since this is involves passing an
       argument to the server, the option has to be prefixed with
       `--' (see the xinit(1) manual page for more details on the
       arguments). In order to start the server in 16bpp use

       startx -- -bpp 16

       To  determine  the client to run, startx first looks for a
       file called .xinitrc in the  user's  home  directory.   If
       that  is	 not found, it uses the file xinitrc in the xinit
       library directory.  If command  line  client  options  are
       given,  they  override  this  behavior.	 To determine the
       server to run,  startx  first  looks  for  a  file  called
       .xserverrc  in  the user's home directory.  If that is not
       found, it uses the file xserverrc  in  the  xinit  library
       directory.  If command line server options are given, they
       override this behavior.	Users rarely need  to  provide	a
       .xserverrc  file.   See	the xinit(1) manual page for more
       details on the arguments.

       The .xinitrc is typically a shell script which starts many
       clients	according  to  the  user's preference.	When this
       shell script exits, startx kills the server  and	 performs
       any  other  session  shutdown needed.  Most of the clients
       started by .xinitrc should be run in the background.   The
       last  client  should run in the foreground; when it exits,
       the session will exit.  People often choose a session man-
       ager, window manager, or xterm as the ``magic'' client.


EXAMPLE

       Below  is  a  sample .xinitrc that starts several applica-
       tions  and  leaves  the	window	manager	 running  as  the
       ``last''	 application.	Assuming  that the window manager
       has been configured properly, the user  then  chooses  the



X Version 11		   Release 6.3				1





STARTX(1)						STARTX(1)


       ``Exit'' menu item to shut down X.

	   xrdb	 -load	$HOME/.Xresources
	   xsetroot  -solid  gray  &
	   xbiff  -geometry  -430+5  &
	   oclock  -geometry  75x75-0-0	 &
	   xload  -geometry  -80-0  &
	   xterm  -geometry  +0+60  -ls	 &
	   xterm  -geometry  +0-100  &
	   xconsole  -geometry	-0+0  -fn  5x7	&
	   exec	 twm


ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

       DISPLAY			This  variable	gets  set  to the
				name  of  the  display	to  which
				clients	  should  connect.   Note
				that this gets set, not read.


FILES

       $(HOME)/.xinitrc		Client to run.	Typically a shell
				script	which  runs many programs
				in the background.

       $(HOME)/.xserverrc	Server to run.	The default is X.

       <XRoot>/lib/X11/xinit/xinitrc
				Client	to run if the user has no
				.xinitrc file.	<XRoot> refers to
				the root of the X11 install tree.

       <XRoot>/lib/X11/xinit/xserverrc
				Client to run if the user has  no
				.xserverrc  file.   This  is only
				needed if the server  needs  spe-
				cial  arguments	 or is not named.
				<XRoot> refers to the root of the
				X11 install tree.


SEE ALSO

       xinit(1)

















X Version 11		   Release 6.3				2