Xinit: Difference between revisions
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== Configuration == | == Configuration == | ||
''xinit'' and ''startx'' take an optional client program argument, see [[#Override xinitrc | ''xinit'' and ''startx'' take an optional client program argument, see [[#Override xinitrc]]. If you do not provide one they will look for {{ic|~/.xinitrc}} to run as a shell script to start up client programs. | ||
=== xinitrc === | === xinitrc === | ||
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== Tips and tricks == | == Tips and tricks == | ||
=== Override xinitrc | === Override xinitrc === | ||
If you have a working {{ic|~/.xinitrc}}, but just want to try other window manager or desktop environment, you can run it by issuing ''startx'' followed by the path to the window manager: | If you have a working {{ic|~/.xinitrc}}, but just want to try other window manager or desktop environment, you can run it by issuing ''startx'' followed by the path to the window manager: | ||
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See also {{man|1|startx}}. | See also {{man|1|startx}}. | ||
{{Tip|This can be used even to start a regular GUI programs but without any of the window manager features. See also [[# | {{Tip|This can be used even to start a regular GUI programs but without any of the window manager features. See also [[#Start applications only]] and [[Running program in separate X display]].}} | ||
=== Switching between desktop environments/window managers === | === Switching between desktop environments/window managers === | ||
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$ startx ~/.xinitrc ''session'' | $ startx ~/.xinitrc ''session'' | ||
=== | === Start applications only === | ||
It is possible to start only specific applications without a window manager, although most likely this is only useful with a single application shown in full-screen mode. For example: | It is possible to start only specific applications without a window manager, although most likely this is only useful with a single application shown in full-screen mode. For example: |
Revision as of 10:59, 11 November 2018
From Wikipedia:
- The xinit program allows a user to manually start an Xorg display server. The startx(1) script is a front-end for xinit(1).
xinit is typically used to start window managers or desktop environments. While you can also use xinit to run GUI applications without a window manager, many graphical applications expect an EWMH compliant window manager. Display managers start Xorg for you and generally source xprofile.
Installation
Install the xorg-xinit package.
Configuration
xinit and startx take an optional client program argument, see #Override xinitrc. If you do not provide one they will look for ~/.xinitrc
to run as a shell script to start up client programs.
xinitrc
~/.xinitrc
is handy to run programs depending on X and set environment variables on X server startup. If it is present in a user's home directory, startx and xinit execute it. Otherwise startx will run the default /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc
.
This default xinitrc will start a basic environment with Twm, xorg-xclock and Xterm (assuming that the necessary packages are installed). Therefore, to start a different window manager or desktop environment, first create a copy of the default xinitrc
in your home directory:
$ cp /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc ~/.xinitrc
Then edit the file and replace the default programs with desired commands. Remember that lines following a command using exec
would be ignored. For example, to start xscreensaver
in the background and then start openbox, use the following:
~/.xinitrc
... xscreensaver & exec openbox-session
/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc
is present in your ~/.xinitrc
file to ensure that the scripts in /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d
are sourced.Long-running programs started before the window manager, such as a screensaver and wallpaper application, must either fork themselves or be run in the background by appending an &
sign. Otherwise, the script would halt and wait for each program to exit before executing the window manager or desktop environment. Note that some programs should instead not be forked, to avoid race bugs, as is the case of xrdb. Prepending exec
will replace the script process with the window manager process, so that X does not exit even if this process forks to the background.
xserverrc
The xserverrc
file is a shell script responsible for starting up the X server. Both startx and xinit execute ~/.xserverrc
if it exists, startx will use /etc/X11/xinit/xserverrc
otherwise.
In order to maintain an authenticated session with logind
and to prevent bypassing the screen locker by switching terminals, Xorg has to be started on the same virtual terminal where the login occurred [1]. Therefore it is recommended to specify vt$XDG_VTNR
in the ~/.xserverrc
file:
~/.xserverrc
#!/bin/sh exec /usr/bin/Xorg -nolisten tcp "$@" vt$XDG_VTNR
See Xserver(1) for a list of all command line options.
-nolisten local
can be added after -nolisten tcp
to disable abstract sockets of X11 to help with isolation. There is a quick background on how this potentially affects X11 security.Alternatively, if you wish to have the X display on a separate console from the one where the server is invoked, you can do so by using the X server wrapper provided by /usr/lib/systemd/systemd-multi-seat-x
. For convenience, xinit and startx can be set up to use this wrapper by modifying your ~/.xserverrc
.
-keeptty
option. See Xorg#Broken redirection for details.Usage
To run Xorg as a regular user, issue:
$ startx
or
$ xinit -- :1
-- :display_number
, where display_number
is 1 or more.Your window manager (or desktop environment) of choice should now start correctly.
To quit X, run your window manager's exit function (assuming it has one). If it lacks such functionality, run:
$ pkill -15 Xorg
$ pkill -15 -t tty"$XDG_VTNR" Xorg
Autostart X at login
Make sure that startx is properly configured.
For Bash, add the following to the bottom of ~/.bash_profile
. If the file does not exist, copy a skeleton version from /etc/skel/.bash_profile
. For Zsh, add it to ~/.zprofile
.
if [[ ! $DISPLAY && $XDG_VTNR -eq 1 ]]; then exec startx fi
You can replace the -eq
comparison with one like -le 3
(for vt1 to vt3) if you want to use graphical logins on more than one virtual terminal.
Alternative conditions to detect the virtual terminal include "$(tty)" = "/dev/tty1"
, which does not allow comparison with -le
, and "$(fgconsole 2>/dev/null || echo -1)" -eq 1
, which does not work in serial consoles.
If you would like to remain logged in when the X session ends, remove exec
.
See also Fish#Start X at login and Systemd/User#Automatic login into Xorg without display manager.
Tips and tricks
Override xinitrc
If you have a working ~/.xinitrc
, but just want to try other window manager or desktop environment, you can run it by issuing startx followed by the path to the window manager:
$ startx /usr/bin/i3
If the window manager takes arguments, they need to be quoted to be recognized as part of the first parameter of startx:
$ startx "/usr/bin/window-manager --key value"
Note that the full path is required. Optionally, you can also specify custom options for #xserverrc script by appending them after --
, e.g.:
$ startx /usr/bin/enlightenment -- -br +bs -dpi 96
See also startx(1).
Switching between desktop environments/window managers
If you are frequently switching between different desktop environments or window managers, it is convenient to either use a display manager or expand ~/.xinitrc
to make the switching possible.
The following example ~/.xinitrc
shows how to start a particular desktop environment or window manager with an argument:
~/.xinitrc
... # Here Xfce is kept as default session=${1:-xfce} case $session in i3|i3wm ) exec i3;; kde ) exec startkde;; xfce|xfce4 ) exec startxfce4;; # No known session, try to run it as command * ) exec $1;; esac
To pass the argument session:
$ xinit session
or
$ startx ~/.xinitrc session
Start applications only
It is possible to start only specific applications without a window manager, although most likely this is only useful with a single application shown in full-screen mode. For example:
~/.xinitrc
... exec chromium
With this method you need to set each application window's geometry through its own configuration files, if possible at all.
See also Display manager#Starting applications without a window manager.
Output redirection using startx
See Xorg#Broken redirection for details.