HPlogo Using the X Window System > Chapter 8 Using the X Clients

Changing Display Preferences with `xset'

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The xset client allows you to change certain user preference options of the display. Note that hardware limitations and implementation differences may affect the results of the xset client.

xset provides a way to set:

  • Bell volume, pitch, and duration.

  • Keyboard click volume and autorepeat.

  • Mouse acceleration and threshold.

  • Font paths.

  • Screen saver time.

The syntax for xset is:

   xset options

where options are:

-b

Turns the bell off.

b on/off

Turns the bell on or off.

b volume [,pitch, [,duration] ]

Specifies the bell volume, pitch, and duration. Volume is a percentage between 0 and 100 and can be specified without specifying pitch and duration. Pitch is in hertz and is specified together with a volume. Duration is in milliseconds and is specified with both volume and pitch. If only one parameter is given, it is taken as the volume. If two parameters are given, they are taken as volume and pitch.

-c

Turns the key click off.

c on/off

Turns the key click on or off.

c 0-100

Specifies the key click volume as a percentage between 0 and 100.

-fp/fp- path[,path...]

Removes the specified directories from the font path.

+fp/fp+ path[,path...]

Prefixes or appends the specified directories to the font path (depending on the position of the +).

fp default

Restores the default font path.

fp path[,path...]

Specifies the font path, absolutely.

fp= path

Sets the font path.

fp rehash

Causes the server to reread the fonts.dir file and the fonts.alias files in each path of the server's font path.

m acceleration threshold

Specifies the acceleration and threshold of the mouse. Acceleration indicates the change in mouse speed (for example: 2=double, 3=triple). Threshold indicates the number of pixels of movement required before acceleration takes place. If only one number is given, it is taken as the acceleration.

m default

Resets the mouse acceleration and threshold to their default values.

p pixel color

Controls color on a per pixel basis. Pixel is an integer representing a specific pixel in the X server's colormap. The exact number of pixels in the colormap depends on your hardware. Color specifies the color that pixel should be.

pm default

Restores the default font button codes to the pointer map.

pm number

Specifies the button codes for pointer map entries.

-r

Turns autorepeat off.

r on/off

Turns autorepeat on or off

s length period

Sets the screen saver option on. Length is the number of seconds that the server must be inactive before the screen is blanked. Period is the number of seconds a particular background pattern will be displayed before changing it.

s blank

Specifies that the screen saver should blank the video, if permitted by your hardware, rather than display the background pattern.

s noblank

Specifies that the screen saver should display the background pattern rather than blank the video.

s expose

Specifies that the server should discard window contents.

s noexpose

Specifies that the server should not enable the screen saver unless it saves window contents.

s default

Sets the system to its default screen saver characteristics.

s on/off

Sets the screen saver feature on or off.

q

Displays the current settings.

-display host:display.screen

Specifies the host, display number, and screen to be reset with xset.

© 1995 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.