X Version 11 (Release 6.1)

xinit(X1M)

xinit -- X Window System initializer

Synopsis

xinit [ [ client ] options ] [ -- [ server ] [ display ] options ]

Description

The xinit program is used by startx(X1M) to start the X Window System server and a first client program. When this first client exits, xinit will kill the X server and then terminate.

If no specific client program is given on the command line, xinit will look for a file in the user's home directory called .xinitrc to run as a shell script to start up client programs. If no such file exists, xinit will use the following as a default:

   xterm  -geometry  +1+1  -n  login  -display  :0

If no specific server program is given on the command line, xinit will look for a file in the user's home directory called .xserverrc to run as a shell script to start up the server. If no such file exists, xinit will use the following as a default:

   X  :0

NOTE: This assumes there is a program named X in the current search path.

Options

[client] options: Specifies an alternate client and command line options.
[--[server] [display] options]: Specifies an alternate X server command line. If server is omitted, xinit runs the default server. If display is omitted, xinit runs the server on the default screen, ``:0''. xinit passes options as arguments to the server command (see Xsco(X)). The server information must be specified before other options.

Both the client program name and the server program name must begin with a slash (/) or a period (s). Otherwise, they are treated as arguments to be appended to their respective startup lines. This makes it possible to add arguments (for example, foreground and background colors) without having to retype the whole command line.

If an explicit server name is not given and the first argument following the double dash (--) is a colon followed by a digit, xinit will use that number as the display number instead of zero. All remaining arguments are appended to the server command line.

Environment variables

DISPLAY: default host and display number.
XINITRC: specifies an init file containing shell commands to start up the initial windows. By default, .xinitrc in the home directory will be used.

Files

.xinitrc: default client script
xterm: client to run if .xinitrc does not exist
.xserverrc: default server script
X: server to run if .xserverrc does not exist

Examples

Below are several examples of how command line arguments in xinit are used.

xinit: starts up a server named X and run the user's .xinitrc, if it exists, or else starts an xterm.
xinit -- /usr/bin/X11/Xsco :1: starts the Xsco 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. It ignores .xinitrc.
xinit -e widgets -- ./Xsco -l -c: uses the command ./Xsco -l -c to start the server and appends the arguments -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 arguments -a 2 -t 5. It then start a remote shell on the machine fasthost in which it runs the command cpupig, telling it to display 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, the user then chooses the Exit menu item to shut down X.

   xrdb -load $HOME/.Xresources
   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

Sites that want to create a common startup environment can create a default .xinitrc that references a site-wide startup 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 are a convenient way to provide a simple interface for novice users:

   #!/bin/sh
   xinit /usr/local/lib/site.xinitrc -- /usr/bin/X11/Xsco :1

References

startx(X1M), X(X1M), Xsco(X1M), xterm(X1)