Using Cygwin/X

Cygwin/X User's Guide
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# Chapter 3. Using Cygwin/X

# Starting Cygwin/X

Described below are several methods of starting up the Cygwin/X X Server with a startup utility that optionally starts initial clients (for example, a terminal, a window manager, or a desktop environment) and performs X server configuration (for example, loading a keyboard map).

## Starting in multiwindow mode (startxwin)

The custom XWin startup utility startxwin [1] starts the X server in multiwindow mode.

startxwin is included in the `xinit` package (installed by following the instructions in the Section called Installing Cygwin/X in Chapter 2).

Run startxwin by: [2]

- using the "XWin Server" shortcut under "Cygwin-X" on the Start Menu

- Starting `/usr/bin/startxwin` in a Cygwin shell:

      $ startxwin

You may create a `~/.startxwinrc` script to customize the client programs started, rather than using the default `/etc/X11/xinit/startxwinrc` script.

Full documentation for startxwin can be read with man startxwin .

## Starting an X desktop environment session or X window manager in windowed mode

Several X desktop environments are packaged for Cygwin.

- GNOME Flashback Desktop Environment: install the `gnome-flashback` package

- KDE Plasma Desktop Environment: install the `kde-workspace` package

- LXDE Desktop Environment: install the `lxde-common` package

- MATE Desktop Environment: install the `mate-session-manager` package

- Xfce Desktop Environment: install the `xfce4-session` package

and use the provided Start Menu shortcut. [3]

Several X window managers are packaged for Cygwin.

- aewm++ window manager: install the `aewm++` package

- dwm window manager: install the `dwm` package

- FVWM window manager: install the `fvwm` package

- Openbox window manager: install the `openbox` package

- twm window manager: install the `twm` package

- WindowMaker window manager: install the `WindowMaker` package

## Starting an X session with XLaunch

XLaunch is a GUI wizard for starting the Cygwin/X X server and a local or remote X client. These sessions can be saved and shared as `.xlaunch` files.

XLaunch is included in the `xlaunch` package (installed by following the instructions in the Section called Installing Cygwin/X in Chapter 2).

Run xlaunch using the "XLaunch" shortcut under "Cygwin-X" on the Start Menu.

Documentation for xlaunch is available at http://x.cygwin.com/docs/xlaunch/ and as online help within the program.

## Starting in windowed mode (startx)

Use the standard X Window System startx command and its associated `~/.xinitrc` configuration file.

Run startx in a Cygwin shell:

    $ startx

Full documentation for startx can be read with man startx .

You may create a `~/.xinitrc` from the template in `/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc` and then customize `~/.xinitrc` to start client programs and configure your X server.

    $ cp /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc ~/.xinitrc
    [edit ~/.xinitrc as desired]

> Note: startx waits until `~/.xinitrc` exits (which is often waiting for a window manager started by it to exit) and then kills X, so the last client started by should be started with exec and without &.

Alternatively, if you just want to start a single client program (perhaps a window manager), you don't need to use a `~/.xinitrc`, and can start the client directly from startx, e.g. [4]

    $ startx /usr/bin/fvwm2

> Note: The client name supplied to startx must begin with / or ., otherwise it is treated as an option to the default xterm client.

## Notes for advanced users

Advanced users may wish to start the X server by invoking XWin directly, for example, to start XDMCP sessions (See the Section called Remote sessions via XDMCP).

If you want to have a Start Menu shortcut which runs startxwin with custom options, you should use a copy of the Start Menu shortcut installed by `xinit`, so that your changes are not overwritten when the `xinit` package is updated.

## Obsolete startup methods

The MS-DOS batch file `startxwin.bat` and bash shell script `startxwin.sh` previously used to start the X server are no longer provided. This implementation made it difficult to reliably wait until the the X server had started before starting any clients. Use `startxwin` instead.

The executable `startxwin.exe` previously used to start the X server has been retired and replaced with a shell script startxwin.

### Notes

[1] | startxwin is a specialized version of startx with a few differences appropriate to running in multiwindow mode, rather than windowed mode. startxwin supplies the -multiwindow option to X It uses a different script to start clients (`~/.startxwinrc` rather than `~/.xinitrc`), because `~/.xinitrc` will normally end by starting a window manager, which would be incorrect for `~/.startxwinrc` (as it would discover the internal window manager is already running and exit immediately). Note that startxwin no longer exits after `~/.startxwinrc` has completed, leaving X running, but, similar to startx, waits until `~/.startxwinrc` exits and then kills X. If you don't want the X server to exit until explicitly told to do so, end your `~/.startxwinrc` with something like exec sleep infinity.
[2] | It's not recommended to start `startxwin` from a MS-DOS shell or by double-clicking it in Windows Explorer. To do so means that the X server is not started from a login shell, and programs started from the notification area icon menu will not inherit the environment of a login shell. This may lead to unexpected behaviour, for example, if you have customizations to your login shell start-up scripts which set environment variables.
[3] | Alternatively, these sessions can be started from the command line, e.g.
    startx /etc/X11/xinit/Xsession mate
or
    echo "/etc/X11/xinit/Xsession xfce" > ~/.xinitrc
and then running startx.
[4] | Note that startxwin and startx use the special option `--` to mark the end of client options and the beginning of server options, So, for example, if you wish to also start the X server with the options `-emulate3buttons` and `-noclipboard`, as described in the Section called Command line parameters in Chapter 4, use the following command:
    $ startx /usr/bin/fvwm2 -- -emulate3buttons -noclipboard

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