Starting X in "Raw" Mode

/usr/X11R6/bin/xinit [ [ client ] options ] [ -- [ server ] [ display ] options ]

• client and server programs must begin with '/' or '.'
• given no client xinit looks for ~/.xinitrc
  • Environmental variable XINITRC can override default value of ~/.xinitrc
  • Commands in .xinitrc are executed as a shell script
  • Place commands in background except the last command which should be the window manager
  • xinit exits after completing last command in .xinitrc

  sample .xinitrc

• given no ~/.xinitrc xinit runs: xterm -geometry +1+1 -n login -display :0
• given no server xinit looks for ~/.xserverrc

  sample ~/.xserverrc

  exec Xdisplaytype

• given no ~/.xserverrc xinit runs: X :0

Starting X in "Cooked" Mode

#!/bin/sh

# $XConsortium: startx.cpp,v 1.4 91/08/22 11:41:29 rws Exp $
# $XFree86: xc/programs/xinit/startx.cpp,v 3.0 1994/05/22 00:02:28 dawes Exp $
# 
# This is just a sample implementation of a slightly less primitive 
# interface than xinit.  It looks for user .xinitrc and .xserverrc
# files, then system xinitrc and xserverrc files, else lets xinit choose
# its default.  The system xinitrc should probably do things like check
# for .Xresources files and merge them in, startup up a window manager,
# and pop a clock and serveral xterms.
#
# Site administrators are STRONGLY urged to write nicer versions.
# 

userclientrc=$HOME/.xinitrc
userserverrc=$HOME/.xserverrc
sysclientrc=/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/xinitrc
sysserverrc=/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/xserverrc
clientargs=""
serverargs=""

if [ -f $userclientrc ]; then
    clientargs=$userclientrc
else if [ -f $sysclientrc ]; then
    clientargs=$sysclientrc
fi
fi

if [ -f $userserverrc ]; then
    serverargs=$userserverrc
else if [ -f $sysserverrc ]; then
    serverargs=$sysserverrc
fi
fi

whoseargs="client"
while [ "x$1" != "x" ]; do
    case "$1" in
	/''*|\.*)	if [ "$whoseargs" = "client" ]; then
		    clientargs="$1"
		else
		    serverargs="$1"
		fi ;;
	--)	whoseargs="server" ;;
	*)	if [ "$whoseargs" = "client" ]; then
		    clientargs="$clientargs $1"
		else
		    serverargs="$serverargs $1"
		fi ;;
    esac
    shift
done

xinit $clientargs -- $serverargs

Last Modified: 14 June 1997