NAME

xstart - start X on this machine's display

SYNOPSIS

xstart [ -n ] [ -xdm | -dtlogin ] [ :N ] [ WxH ] [ key=value ... ]

DESCRIPTION

xstart starts an X session on the display card, mode and depth that /etc/display names (see display(4)), with the X server and arguments the card's file in /etc/display.d gives (see display.d(4)). An argument changes one field of /etc/display for this session only: WxH is the mode, and card=, mode=, depth=, session= and monsw= the others. :N is the display number (default :0).

In order, xstart finds the card (with card auto, the first whose device answers, the chipset display last), checks the mode and depth against the card's, raises the limits the card asks for, switches the monitor to the card when the card shares it, and runs the server through xinit (X11R6's, else the system's) with the session: ~/.xsession, else ~/.xinitrc, else the session of /etc/display, else /usr/lib/amix/xsession. The card's environment (env) reaches the server alone, through a small script xstart writes in /tmp and removes afterwards. The server is given the card's once option, so it ends with the session instead of resetting for another (display.d(4)). When the session ends, the monitor is switched back; when the server ended on its own instead (it crashed or was killed), the card's restore command runs too.

When an X server for the display is still running (one still ending, or another session's), xstart says so once and waits for it to end, up to XSTART_WAIT seconds (60 when not set), looking every 2 seconds; when it is still there, xstart starts nothing and exits 1. -xdm and -dtlogin wait the same way.

The system's startx is still there and unchanged.

OPTIONS

-n

say what would be run, and every mistake in /etc/display and the card files, and run nothing; an X server still running on the display is reported.

-xdm | -dtlogin

instead of a session, start X11R6's xdm or CDE's dtlogin with the same server line; the boot step S95display does this when /etc/display says start xdm or start dtlogin.

EXIT STATUS

0 when the session ran (with -n: when the files hold no mistake); 1 when the display cannot be set up (no card answers, a mode or depth the card does not have, no server, no xinit, an X server for the display that did not end in time); 2 on a usage mistake.

FILES

/etc/display

the machine's choice.

/etc/display.d/*

the cards.

/usr/lib/amix/xsession

the default session.

SEE ALSO

display(4), display.d(4)

NOTES

An X11R6.3 server leaves its socket in /tmp/.X11-unix when it ends, however it ends; the next server replaces it, so it needs no removing by hand.

The keyboard map under X is not yet derived from the console's /etc/default.kmap; a ~/.Xmodmap run from the session sets it.