Practical Linux

Using X11 Resources

Many X Window System clients use a configuration, or resource, file. This is a text file that contains line-item settings, or resource strings, used to determine how the client looks or runs. Many of these settings can be specified by using the -xrm X11 Toolkit option followed by a resource string, but most programs use only a resource file.

To change resource settings for an X11 client, first read the program's manual page. Alternatively, look for a resource file in the app-defaults directory under /usr/X11R6/lib/X11 by entering the following:

 # ls -A /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/app-defaults Beforelight RXvt XGammon XRn Xgopher Bitmap Seyon XGetfile Xscreensaver Xgopher color Bitmap-color Seyon-color XLoad XSm Xloadimage Chooser Viewres ...