rxvt (ouR XVT) - a VT102 emulator for the X window system
SYNOPSIS
rxvt [options] [-e command [ args ]]
DESCRIPTION
rxvt, version 2.7.5, is a colour vt102 terminal emulator
intended as an xterm(1) replacement for users who do not require
features such as Tektronix 4014 emulation and toolkit-style configurability.
As a result, rxvt uses much less swap space -- a significant
advantage on a machine serving many X sessions.
OPTIONS
The rxvt options (mostly a subset of xterm's) are listed below.
In keeping with the smaller-is-better philosophy, options may be eliminated
or default values chosen at compile-time, so options and defaults listed
may not accurately reflect the version installed on your system.
`rxvt -h' gives a list of major compile-time options on the usage line.
Option descriptions may be prefixed with which compile option each is
dependent upon. e.g. `Compile XIM:' requires XIM on the usage line.
Note: `rxvt -help' gives a list of all options compiled into your version.
Note that rxvt permits the resource name to be used as a long-option
(--/++ option) so the potential command-line options are far greater than
those listed.
For example: `rxvt --loginShell --color1 Orange'.
-help, --help
Print out a message describing available options.
-displaydisplayname
Attempt to open a window on the named X display (-d still
respected). In the absence of this option, the display specified
by the DISPLAY environment variable is used.
-geometrygeom
Window geometry (-g still respected);
resource geometry.
Turn on/off inheriting parent window's pixmap. Alternative form
is -tr;
resource inheritPixmap.
-bgcolour
Window background colour;
resource background.
-fgcolour
Window foreground colour;
resource foreground.
-pixmap:file[;geom]
Compile XPM: Specify XPM file for the background and also
optionally specify its scaling with a geometry string. Note you
may need to add quotes to avoid special shell interpretation of
the `;' in the command-line;
resource backgroundPixmap.
-crcolour
The cursor colour;
resource cursorColor.
-prcolour
The mouse pointer colour;
resource pointerColor.
-bdcolour
The colour of the border between the xterm scrollbar and the text;
resource borderColor.
-fnfontname
Main normal text font;
resource font.
-fbfontname
Main bold text font;
resource boldFont.
-fmfontname
Main multicharacter font;
resource mfont.
-kmmode
Multiple-character font-set encoding mode;
eucj: EUC Japanese encoding.
sjis: Shift JIS encoding.
big5: BIG5 encoding.
gb: GB encoding.
kr: EUC Korean encoding.
noenc: no encoding;
resource multichar_encoding.
Specify the application name under which resources
are to be obtained, rather than the default executable file name.
Name should not contain `.' or `*' characters.
Also sets the icon and title name.
-ls|+ls
Start as a login-shell/sub-shell;
resource loginShell.
-ut|+ut
Compile utmp: Inhibit/enable writing a utmp entry;
resource utmpInhibit.
-vb|+vb
Turn on/off visual bell on receipt of a bell character;
resource visualBell.
-sb|+sb
Turn on/off scrollbar;
resource scrollBar.
-si|+si
Turn on/off scroll-to-bottom on TTY output inhibit;
resource scrollTtyOutput has opposite effect.
-sk|+sk
Turn on/off scroll-to-bottom on keypress;
resource scrollTtyKeypress.
-sr|+sr
Put scrollbar on right/left;
resource scrollBar_right.
-st|+st
Display normal (non XTerm/NeXT) scrollbar without/with a trough;
resource scrollBar_floating.
-iconic
Start iconified, if the window manager supports that option.
Alternative form is -ic.
-slnumber
Save number lines in the scrollback buffer;
resource saveLines.
-bnumber
Compile frills: Internal border of number pixels;
resource internalBorder.
-wnumber
Compile frills: External border of number pixels.
Also, -bw and -borderwidth;
resource externalBorder.
-tntermname
This option specifies the name of the terminal type to be set in the
TERM environment variable. This terminal type must exist in the
termcap(5) database and should have li# and co# entries;
resource termName.
-ecommand [arguments]
Run the command with its command-line arguments in the rxvt
window; also sets the window title and icon name to be the basename
of the program being executed if neither -title (-T) nor
-n are given on the command line. If this option is used, it
must be the last on the command-line. If there is no -e option
then the default is to run the program specified by the SHELL
environment variable or, failing that, sh(1).
-titletext
Window title (-T still respected); the default title is the
basename of the program specified after the -e option, if
any, otherwise the application name;
resource title.
-ntext
Icon name; the default name is the basename of the program specified
after the -e option, if any, otherwise the application name;
resource iconName.
Override detection of Meta modifier with specified key:
alt, meta, hyper, super, mod1, mod2, mod3,
mod4, mod5;
resource modifier.
-xrmresourcestring
No effect on rxvt. Simply passes through an argument to be made
available in the instance's argument list. Appears in WM_COMMAND
in some window managers.
RESOURCES (available also as long-options)
Note: `rxvt --help' gives a list of all resources (long options) compiled
into your version.
If compiled with internal Xresources support (i.e. rxvt -h lists
.Xdefaults) then rxvt accepts application defaults set in
XAPPLOADDIR/Rxvt (compile-time defined: usually
/usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/Rxvt) and resources set in ~/.Xdefaults,
or ~/.Xresources if ~/.Xdefaults does not exist. Note that when
reading X resources, rxvt recognizes two class names: XTerm and
Rxvt. The class name XTerm allows resources common to both
rxvt and xterm to be easily configured, while the class name
Rxvt allows resources unique to rxvt, notably colours and
key-handling, to be shared between different rxvt configurations.
If no resources are specified, suitable defaults will be used.
Command-line arguments can be used to override resource settings. The
following resources are allowed:
geometry:geom
Create the window with the specified X window geometry [default
80x24];
option -geometry.
background:colour
Use the specified colour as the window's background colour [default
White];
option -bg.
foreground:colour
Use the specified colour as the window's foreground colour [default
Black];
option -fg.
colorn:colour
Use the specified colour for the colour value n, where 0-7
corresponds to low-intensity (normal) colours and 8-15 corresponds to
high-intensity (bold = bright foreground, blink = bright
background) colours. The canonical names are as follows:
0=black, 1=red, 2=green, 3=yellow, 4=blue, 5=magenta, 6=cyan, 7=white,
but the actual colour names used are listed in the
COLORS AND GRAPHICS section.
colorBD:colour
Use the specified colour to display bold characters when the
foreground colour is the default.
colorUL:colour
Use the specified colour to display underlined characters when the
foreground colour is the default.
colorRV:colour
Use the specified colour as the background for reverse video
characters.
cursorColor:colour
Use the specified colour for the cursor. The default is to use the
foreground colour;
option -cr.
cursorColor2:colour
Use the specified colour for the colour of the cursor text. For this
to take effect, cursorColor must also be specified. The default
is to use the background colour.
reverseVideo:boolean
True: simulate reverse video by foreground and background colours;
option -rv,
False: regular screen colours [default];
option +rv.
See note in COLORS AND GRAPHICS section.
inheritPixmap:boolean
True: make the background inherit the parent windows' pixmap,
giving artificial transparency.
False: do not inherit the parent windows' pixmap.
scrollColor:colour
Use the specified colour for the scrollbar [default #B2B2B2].
troughColor:colour
Use the specified colour for the scrollbar's trough area [default
#969696]. Only relevant for normal (non XTerm/NeXT) scrollbar.
backgroundPixmap:file[;geom]
Use the specified XPM file (note the `.xpm' extension is optional)
for the background and also optionally specify its scaling with a
geometry string WxH+X+Y, in which "W" / "H" specify the
horizontal/vertical scale (percent) and "X" / "Y" locate the
image centre (percent). A scale of 0 displays the image with tiling.
A scale of 1 displays the image without any scaling. A scale of 2 to
9 specifies an integer number of images in that direction. No image
will be magnified beyond 10 times its original size. The maximum
permitted scale is 1000. [default 0x0+50+50]
menu:file[;tag]
Read in the specified menu file (note the `.menu' extension is
optional) and also optionally specify a starting tag to find. See
the reference documentation for details on the syntax for the menuBar.
path:path
Specify the colon-delimited search path for finding files (XPM and
menus), in addition to the paths specified by the RXVTPATH and
PATH environment variables.
font:fontname
Select the main text font used [default 7x14];
option -fn.
fontn:fontname
Specify the alternative font n. The default font values:
font:
7x14
font1:
6x10
font2:
6x13
font3:
8x13
font4:
9x15
boldFont:fontname
Specify the name of the bold font to use if colorBD has not been
specified and it is not possible to map the default foreground colour
to colour 8-15 [default NONE]. This font must be the same height and
width as the normal font;
option -fb.
mfont:fontname
Select the main multiple-character text font used [default k14];
option -fk.
mfontn:fontname
Specify the alternative multiple-character font n. If compiled
for multiple-character fonts, the Roman and multiple-character font
sizes should match.
multichar_encoding:mode
Set the encoding mode to be used when multicharacter encoding is
received;
eucj: EUC Japanese encoding [default for Kanji].
sjis: Shift JIS encoding.
big5: BIG5 encoding.
gb: GB encoding.
kr: EUC Korean encoding.
noenc: no encoding;
option -km.
greek_keyboard:mode
Set the Greek keyboard translation mode to be used;
iso: ISO-8859 mapping (elot-928) [default].
ibm: IBM-437 mapping (DOS codepage 737);
option -grk.
Use Mode_switch to toggle keyboard input. For more details,
see the distributed file README.greek.
selectstyle:text
Set mouse selection style to old which is 2.20, oldword which
is xterm style with 2.20 old word selection, or anything else which
gives xterm style selection.
scrollstyle:text
Set scrollbar style to rxvt, next or xterm
title:text
Set window title string, the default title is the command-line
specified after the -e option, if any, otherwise the application
name;
option -title.
iconName:text
Set the name used to label the window's icon or displayed in an icon
manager window, it also sets the window's title unless it is
explicitly set;
option -n.
mapAlert:boolean
True: de-iconify (map) on receipt of a bell character.
False: no de-iconify (map) on receipt of a bell character
[default].
visualBell:boolean
True: use visual bell on receipt of a bell character;
option -vb.
False: no visual bell [default];
option +vb.
loginShell:boolean
True: start as a login shell by prepending a `-' to argv[0]
of the shell;
option -ls.
False: start as a normal sub-shell [default];
option +ls.
utmpInhibit:boolean
True: inhibit writing record into the system log file utmp;
option -ut.
False: write record into the system log file utmp [default];
option +ut.
print-pipe:string
Specify a command pipe for vt100 printer [default lpr(1)]. Use
Print to initiate a screen dump to the printer and Ctrl-Print
or Shift-Print to include the scrollback as well.
scrollBar:boolean
True: enable the scrollbar [default];
option -sb.
False: disable the scrollbar;
option +sb.
scrollBar_right:boolean
True: place the scrollbar on the right of the window;
option -sr.
False: place the scrollbar on the left of the window;
option +sr.
scrollBar_floating:boolean
True: display an rxvt scrollbar without a trough;
option -st.
False: display an rxvt scrollbar with a trough;
option +st.
scrollTtyOutput:boolean
True: scroll to bottom when tty receives output;
option(+si).
False: do not scroll to bottom when tty receives output;
option(-si).
scrollTtyKeypress:boolean
True: scroll to bottom when a non-special key is pressed.
Special keys are those which are intercepted by rxvt for special
handling and are not passed onto the shell;
option(-sk).
False: do not scroll to bottom when a non-special key is pressed;
option(+sk).
smallfont_key:keysym
If enabled, use Alt-keysym to toggle to a smaller font
[default Alt-<]
bigfont_key:keysym
If enabled, use Alt-keysym to toggle to a bigger font
[default Alt->]
saveLines:number
Save number lines in the scrollback buffer [default 64];
option -sl.
internalBorder:number
Internal border of number pixels;
option -b.
externalBorder:number
External border of number pixels;
option -w, -bw, -borderwidth.
termName:termname
Specifies the terminal type name to be set in the TERM
environment variable;
option -tn.
meta8:boolean
True: handle Meta (Alt) + keypress to set the 8th bit.
False: handle Meta (Alt) + keypress as an escape prefix [default].
backspacekey:string
The string to send when the backspace key is pressed. If set to
DEC or unset it will send Delete (code 127) or, if shifted,
Backspace (code 8) - which can be reversed with the appropriate
DEC private mode escape sequence.
deletekey:string
The string to send when the delete key (not the keypad delete key) is
pressed. If unset it will send the sequence traditionally associated
with the Execute key.
cutchars:string
The characters used as delimiters for double-click word selection.
The built-in default: BACKSLASH `"'&()*,;<=>?@[]{|}
preeditType:style
OverTheSpot, OffTheSpot, Root;
option -pt.
inputMethod:name
name of inputMethod to use;
option -im.
modifier:modifier
Set the key to be interpreted as the Meta key to:
alt, meta, hyper, super, mod1, mod2, mod3,
mod4, mod5;
option -mod.
answerbackString:string
Specify the reply rxvt sends to the shell when an ENQ (control-E)
character is passed through. It may contain escape values as
described in the entry on keysym following.
keysym.sym: string
Associate string with keysym sym (0xFF00 - 0xFFFF). It
may contain escape values (\a: bell, \b: backspace, \e, \E: escape,
\n: newline, \r: return, \t: tab, \000: octal number) or control
characters (^?: delete, ^@: null, ^A ...) and may enclosed with
double quotes so that it can start or end with whitespace. The
intervening resource name keysym. cannot be omitted. This
resource is only available when compiled with KEYSYM_RESOURCE.
THE SCROLLBAR
Lines of text that scroll off the top of the rxvt window (resource:
saveLines) and can be scrolled back using the scrollbar or by keystrokes.
The normal rxvt scrollbar has arrows and its behaviour is fairly
intuitive. The xterm-scrollbar is without arrows and its behaviour
mimics that of xterm
Scroll down with Button1 (xterm-scrollbar) or Shift-Next.
Scroll up with Button3 (xterm-scrollbar) or Shift-Prior.
Continuous scroll with Button2.
MOUSE REPORTING
To temporarily override mouse reporting, for either the scrollbar or the
normal text selection/insertion, hold either the Shift or the Meta (Alt) key
while performing the desired mouse action.
If mouse reporting mode is active, the normal scrollbar actions are disabled
-- on the assumption that we are using a fullscreen application.
Instead, pressing Button1 and Button3 sends
ESC[6~ (Next) and ESC[5~ (Prior), respectively.
Similarly, clicking on the up and down arrows sends ESC[A (Up) and
ESC[B (Down), respectively.
TEXT SELECTION AND INSERTION
The behaviour of text selection and insertion mechanism is similar to
xterm(1).
Selection:
Left click at the beginning of the region, drag to the end of the
region and release; Right click to extend the marked region;
Left double-click to select a word; Left triple-click to select
the entire line.
Insertion:
Pressing and releasing the Middle mouse button (or Shift-Insert)
in an rxvt window causes the current text selection to be inserted
as if it had been typed on the keyboard.
CHANGING FONTS
You can change fonts on-the-fly, which is to say cycle through the default
font and others of various sizes, by using Shift-KP_Add and
Shift-KP_Subtract. Or, alternatively (if enabled) with
Alt-> and Alt-<, where the actual key
can be selected using resources smallfont_key/bigfont_key.
LOGIN STAMP
rxvt tries to write an entry into the utmp(5) file so that it can be
seen via the who(1) command, and can accept messages. To allow this
feature, rxvt must be installed setuid root on some systems.
COLORS AND GRAPHICS
If graphics support was enabled at compile-time, rxvt can be queried
with ANSI escape sequences and can address individual pixels instead of
text characters. Note the graphics support is still considered beta code.
In addition to the default foreground and background colours, rxvt
can display up to 16 colours (8 ANSI colours plus high-intensity bold/blink
versions of the same).
Here is a list of the colours with their rgb.txt names.
color0
(black)
= Black
color1
(red)
= Red3
color2
(green)
= Green3
color3
(yellow)
= Yellow3
color4
(blue)
= Blue3
color5
(magenta)
= Magenta3
color6
(cyan)
= Cyan3
color7
(white)
= AntiqueWhite
color8
(bright black)
= Grey25
color9
(bright red)
= Red
color10
(bright green)
= Green
color11
(bright yellow)
= Yellow
color12
(bright blue)
= Blue
color13
(bright magenta)
= Magenta
color14
(bright cyan)
= Cyan
color15
(bright white)
= White
foreground
= Black
background
= White
It is also possible to specify the colour values of foreground,
background, cursorColor, cursorColor2, colorBD, colorUL
as a number 0-15, as a convenient shorthand to reference the colour name of
color0-color15.
Note that -rv ("reverseVideo: True") simulates reverse video by
always swapping the foreground/background colours. This is in contrast to
xterm(1) where the colours are only swapped if they have not otherwise been
specified.
For example,
rxvt -fg Black -bg White -rv
would yield White on Black, while on xterm(1) it would yield
Black on White.
ENVIRONMENT
rxvt sets the environment variables TERM, COLORTERM and
COLORFGBG. The environment variable WINDOWID is set to the X window
id number of the rxvt window and it also uses and sets the environment
variable DISPLAY to specify which display terminal to use. rxvt uses
the environment variables RXVTPATH and PATH to find XPM files.