XWN740 X-Windows Configuring and Using X Utility Programs (Chapter 6: Pages 95-111)‏

Agenda X Utility Programs: Displaying X Server / Window information Control System Bell / Keyboard / LEDs Kill a X Windows client Color code Magnifier

X Windows Utilities The standard X distribution contains a number of command-line utilities to configure and administer the X Windows server. These tools have been collected over many years, and some have a very old look and feel to them. Nonetheless, some of these tools continue to be very useful for system administrators.

X Windows Utilities The utilities available from X.org relating to this chapter include: xdpyinfo an X client that gathers information about the display and outputs it to standard output. This very simple program is invaluable when debugging an X server setup. xwininfo for obtaining basic information about a window, including its size, location, visibility, color depth, ID, and name. We have used this in a previous lesson.

X Windows Utilities The utilities available from X.org relating to this chapter include: xset is a utility to view and change certain settings that X Windows sever allows you to change “on-the-fly”. xkill enables you to kill an X client by clicking on it. Actually, it doesn't kill the client process, but it does kill the connection between the X server and the client. In most cases, that's enough to cause the client to terminate; in any case, it gets it off the screen.

X Windows Utilities The utilities available from X.org relating to this chapter include: Examples Involving xset Utility: (Refer to sections 6.5 to 6.8 in X Power Tools text)‏ Control System Bell Characteristics Turn on/off System Bell Set Keyboard repeat Set Keyboard repeat for specific key Set Keyboard repeat rate and delay Control Keyboard LEDs Prevent Screen from Blanking During Presentations

X Windows Utilities The utilities available from X.org relating to this chapter include: xmag a simple utility that magnifies part of the display and displays the color code of selected pixels. Start it without any arguments. xwd > filename takes a snapshot of the current screen, a manually selected window or a window designated by its numeric ID, and outputs the image to standard output or to a file. The utility xwdis can be used in a shell script..

X Windows Utilities The utilities available from X.org relating to this chapter include: xscreensaver a simple utility to configure and run a screensaver to enhance security. xrefresh Once in a while, a bug in a client program (or, in rare cases, a buggy video card driver) will cause it to leave artifacts in its windows—dots, lines, or partial images that shouldn't be there. The xrefresh utility cleans up the screen image which causes every client to redraw itself

X Windows Utilities There are some other useful utilities for the system administrator that may be covered in future lessons: xev - testing input events xkbsetmap, xmodmap - setting the keymap xlsfonts , xfontsel , mkfontdir , mkfontscale: For dealing with old-style fonts x11perf, x11perfcomp, xmark - benchmarking X xsm - session management glxinfo, xtrapinfo, and xvinfo – Extension information