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Revision 1.20 by root, Sat Dec 24 12:55:17 2005 UTC vs.
Revision 1.25 by root, Thu Jan 12 05:37:34 2006 UTC

1FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
2 I don't like the new selection/popups/hotkeys/perl, how do I
3 change/disable it?
4 You can disable the perl extension completely by setting the
5 perl-ext-common resource to the empty string, which also keeps
6 rxvt-unicode from initialising perl, saving memory.
7
8 If you only want to disable specific features, you first have to
9 identify which perl extension is responsible. For this, read the
10 section PREPACKAGED EXTENSIONS in the rxvtperl(3) manpage. For
11 example, to disable the selection-popup and option-popup, specify
12 this perl-ext-common resource:
13
14 URxvt.perl-ext-common: default,-selection-popup,-option-popup
15
16 This will keep the default extensions, but disable the two popup
17 extensions. Some extensions can also be configured, for example,
18 scrollback search mode is triggered by M-s. You can move it to any
19 other combination either by setting the searchable-scrollback
20 resource:
21
22 URxvt.searchable-scrollback: CM-s
23
2 Isn't rxvt supposed to be small? Don't all those features bloat? 24 Isn't rxvt supposed to be small? Don't all those features bloat?
3 I often get asked about this, and I think, no, they didn't cause 25 I often get asked about this, and I think, no, they didn't cause
4 extra bloat. If you compare a minimal rxvt and a minimal urxvt, you 26 extra bloat. If you compare a minimal rxvt and a minimal urxvt, you
5 can see that the urxvt binary is larger (due to some encoding tables 27 can see that the urxvt binary is larger (due to some encoding tables
6 always being compiled in), but it actually uses less memory (RSS) 28 always being compiled in), but it actually uses less memory (RSS)
35 57
36 Compared to e.g. Eterm (5112k), aterm (3132k) and xterm (4680k), 58 Compared to e.g. Eterm (5112k), aterm (3132k) and xterm (4680k),
37 this still fares rather well. And compared to some monsters like 59 this still fares rather well. And compared to some monsters like
38 gnome-terminal (21152k + extra 4204k in separate processes) or 60 gnome-terminal (21152k + extra 4204k in separate processes) or
39 konsole (22200k + extra 43180k in daemons that stay around after 61 konsole (22200k + extra 43180k in daemons that stay around after
40 exit, plus half aminute of startup time, including the hundreds of 62 exit, plus half a minute of startup time, including the hundreds of
41 warnings it spits out), it fares extremely well *g*. 63 warnings it spits out), it fares extremely well *g*.
42 64
43 Why C++, isn't that unportable/bloated/uncool? 65 Why C++, isn't that unportable/bloated/uncool?
44 Is this a question? :) It comes up very often. The simple answer is: 66 Is this a question? :) It comes up very often. The simple answer is:
45 I had to write it, and C++ allowed me to write and maintain it in a 67 I had to write it, and C++ allowed me to write and maintain it in a
83 terminal as an example embedding application. 105 terminal as an example embedding application.
84 106
85 How do I know which rxvt-unicode version I'm using? 107 How do I know which rxvt-unicode version I'm using?
86 The version number is displayed with the usage (-h). Also the escape 108 The version number is displayed with the usage (-h). Also the escape
87 sequence "ESC [ 8 n" sets the window title to the version number. 109 sequence "ESC [ 8 n" sets the window title to the version number.
88 When using the urxvtc client, the version displayed is that of the 110 When using the rxvtc client, the version displayed is that of the
89 daemon. 111 daemon.
90 112
91 I am using Debian GNU/Linux and have a problem... 113 I am using Debian GNU/Linux and have a problem...
92 The Debian GNU/Linux package of rxvt-unicode in sarge contains large 114 The Debian GNU/Linux package of rxvt-unicode in sarge contains large
93 patches that considerably change the behaviour of rxvt-unicode. 115 patches that considerably change the behaviour of rxvt-unicode.
101 For other problems that also affect the Debian package, you can and 123 For other problems that also affect the Debian package, you can and
102 probably should use the Debian BTS, too, because, after all, it's 124 probably should use the Debian BTS, too, because, after all, it's
103 also a bug in the Debian version and it serves as a reminder for 125 also a bug in the Debian version and it serves as a reminder for
104 other users that might encounter the same issue. 126 other users that might encounter the same issue.
105 127
128 I am maintaining rxvt-unicode for distribution/OS XXX, any
129 recommendation?
130 You should build one binary with the default options. configure now
131 enables most useful options, and the trend goes to making them
132 runtime-switchable, too, so there is usually no drawback to enbaling
133 them, except higher disk and possibly memory usage. The perl
134 interpreter should be enabled, as important functionality (menus,
135 selection, likely more in the future) depends on it.
136
137 You should not overwrite the "perl-ext-common" snd "perl-ext"
138 resources system-wide (except maybe with "defaults"). This will
139 result in useful behaviour. If your distribution aims at low memory,
140 add an empty "perl-ext-common" resource to the app-defaults file.
141 This will keep the perl interpreter disabled until the user enables
142 it.
143
144 If you can/want build more binaries, I recommend building a minimal
145 one with "--disable-everything" (very useful) and a maximal one with
146 "--enable-everything" (less useful, it will be very big due to a lot
147 of encodings built-in that increase download times and are rarely
148 used).
149
150 I need to make it setuid/setgid to support utmp/ptys on my OS, is this
151 safe?
152 Likely not. While I honestly try to make it secure, and am probably
153 not bad at it, I think it is simply unreasonable to expect all of
154 freetype + fontconfig + xft + xlib + perl + ... + rxvt-unicode
155 itself to all be secure. Also, rxvt-unicode disables some options
156 when it detects that it runs setuid or setgid, which is not nice.
157 Besides, with the embedded perl interpreter the possibility for
158 security problems easily multiplies.
159
160 Elevated privileges are only required for utmp and pty operations on
161 some systems (for example, GNU/Linux doesn't need any extra
162 privileges for ptys, but some need it for utmp support). It is
163 planned to mvoe this into a forked handler process, but this is not
164 yet done.
165
166 So, while setuid/setgid operation is supported and not a problem on
167 your typical single-user-no-other-logins unix desktop, always
168 remember that its an awful lot of code, most of which isn't checked
169 for security issues regularly.
170
106 When I log-in to another system it tells me about missing terminfo data? 171 When I log-in to another system it tells me about missing terminfo data?
107 The terminal description used by rxvt-unicode is not as widely 172 The terminal description used by rxvt-unicode is not as widely
108 available as that for xterm, or even rxvt (for which the same 173 available as that for xterm, or even rxvt (for which the same
109 problem often arises). 174 problem often arises).
110 175
134 199
135 "tic" outputs some error when compiling the terminfo entry. 200 "tic" outputs some error when compiling the terminfo entry.
136 Most likely it's the empty definition for "enacs=". Just replace it 201 Most likely it's the empty definition for "enacs=". Just replace it
137 by "enacs=\E[0@" and try again. 202 by "enacs=\E[0@" and try again.
138 203
139 "bash"'s readline does not work correctly under urxvt. 204 "bash"'s readline does not work correctly under rxvt.
140 I need a termcap file entry. 205 I need a termcap file entry.
141 One reason you might want this is that some distributions or 206 One reason you might want this is that some distributions or
142 operating systems still compile some programs using the 207 operating systems still compile some programs using the
143 long-obsoleted termcap library (Fedora Core's bash is one example) 208 long-obsoleted termcap library (Fedora Core's bash is one example)
144 and rely on a termcap entry for "rxvt-unicode". 209 and rely on a termcap entry for "rxvt-unicode".
255 indeed look correct. 320 indeed look correct.
256 321
257 In that case, select a font of your taste and add it to the font 322 In that case, select a font of your taste and add it to the font
258 list, e.g.: 323 list, e.g.:
259 324
260 urxvt -fn basefont,font2,font3... 325 rxvt -fn basefont,font2,font3...
261 326
262 When rxvt-unicode sees a character, it will first look at the base 327 When rxvt-unicode sees a character, it will first look at the base
263 font. If the base font does not contain the character, it will go to 328 font. If the base font does not contain the character, it will go to
264 the next font, and so on. Specifying your own fonts will also speed 329 the next font, and so on. Specifying your own fonts will also speed
265 up this search and use less resources within rxvt-unicode and the 330 up this search and use less resources within rxvt-unicode and the
550 Mouse cut/paste suddenly no longer works. 615 Mouse cut/paste suddenly no longer works.
551 Make sure that mouse reporting is actually turned off since killing 616 Make sure that mouse reporting is actually turned off since killing
552 some editors prematurely may leave the mouse in mouse report mode. 617 some editors prematurely may leave the mouse in mouse report mode.
553 I've heard that tcsh may use mouse reporting unless it otherwise 618 I've heard that tcsh may use mouse reporting unless it otherwise
554 specified. A quick check is to see if cut/paste works when the Alt 619 specified. A quick check is to see if cut/paste works when the Alt
555 or Shift keys are depressed. See urxvt(7) 620 or Shift keys are depressed. See rxvt(7)
556 621
557 What's with this bold/blink stuff? 622 What's with this bold/blink stuff?
558 If no bold colour is set via "colorBD:", bold will invert text using 623 If no bold colour is set via "colorBD:", bold will invert text using
559 the standard foreground colour. 624 the standard foreground colour.
560 625
615 URxvt.color6: #73f7ff 680 URxvt.color6: #73f7ff
616 URxvt.color14: #73f7ff 681 URxvt.color14: #73f7ff
617 URxvt.color7: #e1dddd 682 URxvt.color7: #e1dddd
618 URxvt.color15: #e1dddd 683 URxvt.color15: #e1dddd
619 684
620 How can I start urxvtd in a race-free way? 685 How can I start rxvtd in a race-free way?
621 Try "urxvtd -f -o", which tells urxvtd to open the display, create 686 Try "rxvtd -f -o", which tells rxvtd to open the display, create the
622 the listening socket and then fork. 687 listening socket and then fork.
623 688
624 What's with the strange Backspace/Delete key behaviour? 689 What's with the strange Backspace/Delete key behaviour?
625 Assuming that the physical Backspace key corresponds to the 690 Assuming that the physical Backspace key corresponds to the
626 BackSpace keysym (not likely for Linux ... see the following 691 BackSpace keysym (not likely for Linux ... see the following
627 question) there are two standard values that can be used for 692 question) there are two standard values that can be used for
640 705
641 For starting a new rxvt-unicode: 706 For starting a new rxvt-unicode:
642 707
643 # use Backspace = ^H 708 # use Backspace = ^H
644 $ stty erase ^H 709 $ stty erase ^H
645 $ urxvt 710 $ rxvt
646 711
647 # use Backspace = ^? 712 # use Backspace = ^?
648 $ stty erase ^? 713 $ stty erase ^?
649 $ urxvt 714 $ rxvt
650 715
651 Toggle with "ESC [ 36 h" / "ESC [ 36 l" as documented in urxvt(7). 716 Toggle with "ESC [ 36 h" / "ESC [ 36 l" as documented in rxvt(7).
652 717
653 For an existing rxvt-unicode: 718 For an existing rxvt-unicode:
654 719
655 # use Backspace = ^H 720 # use Backspace = ^H
656 $ stty erase ^H 721 $ stty erase ^H
682 There are some compile-time selections available via configure. 747 There are some compile-time selections available via configure.
683 Unless you have run "configure" with the "--disable-resources" 748 Unless you have run "configure" with the "--disable-resources"
684 option you can use the `keysym' resource to alter the keystrings 749 option you can use the `keysym' resource to alter the keystrings
685 associated with keysyms. 750 associated with keysyms.
686 751
687 Here's an example for a URxvt session started using "urxvt -name 752 Here's an example for a URxvt session started using "rxvt -name
688 URxvt" 753 URxvt"
689 754
690 URxvt.keysym.Home: \033[1~ 755 URxvt.keysym.Home: \033[1~
691 URxvt.keysym.End: \033[4~ 756 URxvt.keysym.End: \033[4~
692 URxvt.keysym.C-apostrophe: \033<C-'> 757 URxvt.keysym.C-apostrophe: \033<C-'>

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