Linux.Desktop.Hacks [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Hack 22. Take Your Screens Black

Every time you start up an X11 session,
the default background is an ugly gray
mesh. Some window managers and desktop environments change this
almost immediately, but others leave the background a putrid gray.
Here's a tip on how you can make sure the default
background is solid black. (In case you're
wondering, the choice of colors for the background is like the choice
for the Model T Fordyou can make it any color you want as long
as it's black.)

The trick behind making the default background black is to add the
-br switch to the right configuration file. Which
configuration file needs to be modified depends on how you start your
window manager or desktop.

4.2.1. startx

If you start your window manager with the
startx command, edit the
/usr/X11R6/bin/startx file. Make sure the
default server arguments include the -br switch.
For example, if the beginning of your startx
file looks like this:

userclientrc=$HOME/.xinitrc
userserverrc=$HOME/.xserverrc
sysclientrc=/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc
sysserverrc=/etc/X11/xinit/xserverrc
defaultclientargs="
defaultserverargs="-nolisten tcp"
clientargs="
serverargs="

Add the -br switch to the definition for either
defaultserverargs or
serverargs. Just place the switch between the
quotes. For example:

defaultserverargs="-nolisten tcp -br"

Now, when you run startx to start a window
manager, the default background will be black instead of the gray
mesh.

4.2.2. xinit

If you use the xinit command to start a window manager or
desktop, add -- -br to the tail end of the
command. For example, if you want to start the
blackbox window manager with the
xinit command, do it this way:

$ xinit /usr/bin/blackbox -- -br

If you use the xinit command to start a new window
manager or desktop for a second user [Hack #19], add --
-br after the command and before you specify the next
available virtual terminal. For example:

$ xinit /usr/bin/blackbox -- -br :1

4.2.3. The Xservers File

One or more of your desktop environments or window
managers might use a file called Xservers to
determine how to start the X11 engine that drives all window managers
and desktops. In this case, log in as root and locate your
Xservers file with this command:

# locate Xservers /etc/X11/xdm/Xservers

If you are using the XDM graphical login manager, this is the file
you want to modify. You can find the Xservers
file in the directory for the KDE graphical login manager, KDM, or in
the directory for the GNOME graphical login manager, GDM. You might
even find Xservers files in all three places.
You only need to modify the Xservers that is
connected to your login manager. Once you've found
it, open the file with a text editor, and you should see a line that
looks something like this:

:0 local@tty1 /usr/X11R6/bin/X -nolisten tcp

Simply add the -br switch to this line so that it
looks more like this:

:0 local@tty1 /usr/X11R6/bin/X -br -nolisten tcp

Save your work, and that should transform the ugly gray pattern into
solid black.