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xrdb(1X)

X server resource database utility

From the original Amiga UNIX 2.1 manual. Some things it mentions may not be in this release.

Also by this name: xrdb(1), General commands

xrdb - X server resource database utility

xrdb [-option ...] [filename]

Xrdb is used to get or set the contents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property on the root window of screen 0. You would normally run this program from your X startup file.

The resource manager (used by the Xlib routine XGetDefault(3X) and the X Toolkit) uses the RESOURCE_MANAGER property 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.

For compatibility, if there is no RESOURCE_MANAGER property defined (either because xrdb was not run or if the property was removed), the resource manager will look for a file called .Xdefaults in your home directory.

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

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.
one of StaticGray, GrayScale, StaticColor, PseudoColor, TrueColor, DirectColor. This is the visual class of the root window of the default screen.
defined only if CLASS is one of StaticColor, PseudoColor, TrueColor, or DirectColor.
the height of the default screen in pixels.
the hostname portion of the display to which you are connected.
the same as SERVERHOST.
the name of the host on which xrdb is running.
the number of bit planes (the depth) of the root window of the default screen.
the vendor release number for the server. The interpretation of this number will vary depending on VENDOR.
the X protocol minor version supported by this server (currently 0).
the X protocol major version supported by this server (should always be 11).
a string specifying the vendor of the server.
the width of the default screen in pixels.
the x resolution of the default screen in pixels per meter.
the y resolution of the default screen in pixels per meter.

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

xrdb program accepts the following options:

This option (or any unsupported option) will cause a brief description of the allowable options and parameters to be printed.
This option specifies the X server to be used; see X(1).
This option indicates that changes to the property (when used with -load) or to the resource file (when used with -edit) should be shown on the standard output, but should not be performed.
This option indicates that warning about duplicate entries should not be displayed.
This option 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.
This option indicates that xrdb should not run the input file through a preprocessor before loading it into the RESOURCE_MANAGER property.
This option indicates that the symbols that are defined for the preprocessor should be printed onto the standard output. It can be used in conjunction with -query, but not with the options that change the RESOURCE_MANAGER property.
This option indicates that the current contents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property 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 -edit option can be used to merge the contents of the property back into the input resource file without damaging preprocessor commands.
This option indicates that the input should be loaded as the new value of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property, replacing whatever was there (i.e. the old contents are removed). This is the default action.
This option indicates that the input should be merged with, instead of replacing, the current contents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property. Since xrdb can read the standard input, this option can be used to the change the contents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property directly from a terminal or from a shell script. Note that this option does a lexicographic sorted merge of the two inputs, which is almost certainly not what you want, but remains for backward compatibility.
This option indicates that the RESOURCE_MANAGER property should be removed from its window.
This option indicates that the server should be instructed not to reset if xrdb is the first client.
This option indicates that the contents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property 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.
This option specifies a suffix to be appended to the filename used with -edit to generate a backup file.
This option is passed through to the preprocessor and is used to define symbols for use with conditionals such as #ifdef.
This option is passed through to the preprocessor and is used to remove any definitions of this symbol.
This option is passed through to the preprocessor and is used to specify a directory to search for files that are referenced with #include.

Generalizes ~/.Xdefaults files.

X(1), XGetDefault(3X), Xlib Resource Manager documentation

to figure out which display to use.

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

Copyright 1988, Digital Equipment Corporation.

Phil Karlton, rewritten from the original by Jim Gettys

Release 4 X Version 11