Print Page - [SOLVED] Change default xterm background color to black

Title: [SOLVED] Change default xterm background color to black
Post by: u0 on 23 March 2022, 19:36:44

I want to change default xterm background color to black for all system.

I uncommented corresponding lines in
/usr/share/X11/app-defaults/XTerm-color

Quote

#include "XTerm"

*VT100*colorMode: on
*VT100*boldColors: on
*VT100*dynamicColors: on

! Uncomment this for "white" text on a dark background.
*VT100*foreground: gray90
*VT100*background: black

But background in xterm is still white.

Title: Re: Change default xterm background color to black
Post by: qontinuum on 23 March 2022, 20:05:12

Have you tried setting this up into Xresources?

Title: Re: Change default xterm background color to black
Post by: strajder on 23 March 2022, 20:18:58

Case is important.

Code: [Select]

man xterm

then /^ +VT100 Widget Resources and press Enter.

Quote

The following resources are specified as part of the vt100 widget (class VT100). They are specified by patterns such as
“XTerm.vt100.NAME”.
[...]
background (class Background)
Specifies the color to use for the background of the window. The default is “XtDefaultBackground”

So, ($HOME/.Xresources)

Code: [Select]

XTerm.vt100.background: black
XTerm.vt100.foreground: grey

Code: [Select]

xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources
xterm

Title: Re: Change default xterm background color to black
Post by: u0 on 26 March 2022, 02:47:30

By default settings I mean global changes for all users.
Xresources file makes changes for current user and requires autostart because changes dissapear after reboot.

Title: Re: Change default xterm background color to black
Post by: strajder on 26 March 2022, 09:40:48

Quote from: u0 – on 26 March 2022, 02:47:30

By default settings I mean global changes for all users.
Xresources file makes changes for current user and requires autostart because changes dissapear after reboot.

It's just a text file which is passed to xrdb. Where it is located is of no consequence (provided the user has permissions to read the file).

That said, the default system-wide xinitrc sources /etc/X11/xinit/.Xresources. Keep in mind that system-wide xinitrc will be overridden by user-defined $HOME/.xinitrc.

Also keep in mind that if you are using a DM, your $HOME/.xinitrc might be overridden as well. See the documentation of a particular DM.

More information:

Code: [Select]

less /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xinit

Title: Re: Change default xterm background color to black
Post by: u0 on 01 April 2022, 20:22:26

Code: [Select]

xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources

Color changes are kept untill reboot and only for current user.
After reboot xterm has wite background and cyan ps1.

I don't see any marged setting in /etc/X11/xinit/anyfile
$HOME/.xinitrc is commented so emty

xterm from tty is also with white background.
So it is not because WM overwrites .xinitrc

Title: Re: Change default xterm background color to black
Post by: strajder on 01 April 2022, 20:42:21

Quote from: u0 – on 01 April 2022, 20:22:26

I don't see any marged setting in /etc/X11/xinit/anyfile

If you have world/xorg-xinit installed, that package provides the file /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc. It starts with:

Code: [Select]

#!/bin/sh

userresources=$HOME/.Xresources
usermodmap=$HOME/.Xmodmap
sysresources=/etc/X11/xinit/.Xresources
sysmodmap=/etc/X11/xinit/.Xmodmap

# merge in defaults and keymaps

if [ -f $sysresources ]; then
    xrdb -merge $sysresources
fi

Quote from: u0 – on 01 April 2022, 20:22:26

So it is not because WM overrites .xinitrc

I said that a DM (display manager, for example: lightdm, sddm...), not WM (window manager) can override (not overwrite, those are two different things!) your $HOME/.xinitrc.

If you are using a DM, use instead the file $HOME/.xprofile.

Read the wiki:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xinit
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xprofile

Title: Re: Change default xterm background color to black
Post by: u0 on 08 August 2022, 21:09:35

Finally solved this quest for me. :D
I expected system to remember settings after xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources and reboot.

but normaly resourses are loaded every time at boot by:
1 line in .xinitrc when user logins by startx:

Quote

[[ -f ~/.Xresources ]] && xrdb -merge -I$HOME ~/.Xresources

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/X_resources#xinitrc
2 Login manager

I use tbsm login manager so .xinitrc is not executed , and tbsm does not loads xresources by itself.
So I have to add to autostart:

Quote

xrdb ~/.Xresources &

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Artix Linux => Applications & Software => Topic started by: u0 on 23 March 2022, 19:36:44