Configuring X Startup with .xinitrc

When .xinitrc is used

The ~/.xinitrc file is read when you start X with xinit or its front-end startx. In this mode:

• You log in on a virtual console (for example, Ctrl+Alt+F3).
• You run startx from the shell prompt.
• startx launches the X server and then executes the commands in ~/.xinitrc.

If you always log in through a graphical login manager and never use startx, your system may ignore .xinitrc and use desktop-environment specific startup mechanisms instead. This lesson focuses on the startx/xinit path, which is still useful on servers, lab systems, and minimal installations.

Creating or editing ~/.xinitrc

The .xinitrc file lives in your home directory:

ls -la ~/.xinitrc

If it does not exist, you can create it with your preferred editor:

nano ~/.xinitrc
# or
vi ~/.xinitrc

The file is simply a shell script. Each line is executed in order when your X session starts. You typically:

1. Load X resources or settings.
2. Set the background and start support tools (clock, load monitor, terminals).
3. Start your window manager or desktop environment as the final command.

Basic structure of a .xinitrc file

A minimal .xinitrc might look like this:

xrdb -load "$HOME/.Xresources"
xsetroot -solid gray

# Helper applications
xclock &
xterm  &

# Start the window manager (no ampersand here)
exec fvwm2

A few important rules:

• Place an ampersand (&) after each program that should run in the background (xclock, xterm, and similar tools).
• The last line should start your window manager or desktop environment with exec and no ampersand. When that program exits, your X session ends.

Walkthrough: sample .xinitrc (slide show)

The following five images form a slide show that walks through a simple .xinitrc file. Together, they show how resources are loaded, how geometry is specified, and how the window manager is started.

Starting desktop environments from .xinitrc

Instead of a traditional window manager, you may want to start a full desktop environment (such as GNOME or KDE) from .xinitrc. In that case, the final line of the file typically looks like one of the following:

• GNOME:

  exec /usr/bin/gnome-session

• KDE Plasma:

  exec startkde

• LXDE:

  exec /usr/bin/startlxde

• XFCE:

  exec startxfce4

The exact paths can vary by distribution and version, but the pattern is always the same: start helper applications in the background, then exec the desktop environment as the last line.

Additional customization in .xinitrc

Because .xinitrc is just a shell script, you can set environment variables and launch additional applications before the final exec line. Examples:

Setting environment variables:

# Set environment variable for DISPLAY (usually not needed to override)
export DISPLAY=:0.0

# Example custom font path
export FONT="/path/to/your/font.ttf"

Launching additional applications:

# Start a terminal emulator in the background
xterm &

# Launch a file manager in the background
thunar &

Making .xinitrc executable and starting X

When you are satisfied with your configuration, make the .xinitrc file executable:

chmod +x ~/.xinitrc

Then start your X session from the console:

startx

The X server will start, run the commands in ~/.xinitrc in order, and then hand control to your window manager or desktop environment. When that final program exits, the X session ends and you return to the virtual console.

Summary

The ~/.xinitrc file gives you precise control over what happens when your X session starts: you can load resources, configure the background, start diagnostic tools and terminals, and finally launch the window manager or desktop environment of your choice. The five-step slide show in this lesson walks you through a concrete example, so you can adapt the same structure to your own Red Hat Linux environment.

In the next lesson, you will see how this X startup configuration fits into the broader module on configuring the X display server.