XEV(1) General Commands Manual XEV(1)
NAME
xev - print contents of X events
SYNOPSIS
xev [-display displayname] [-geometry geom] [-bw pixels] [-bs {NotUse-
ful,WhenMapped,Always}] [-id windowid] [-root] [-s] [-name string] [-rv]
[-version] [-event event_mask [-event event_mask ...]]
DESCRIPTION
Xev creates a window and then asks the X server to send it events when-
ever anything happens to the window (such as it being moved, resized,
typed in, clicked in, etc.). You can also attach it to an existing win-
dow. It is useful for seeing what causes events to occur and to display
the information that they contain; it is essentially a debugging and de-
velopment tool, and should not be needed in normal usage.
OPTIONS
-display display
This option specifies the X server to contact.
-geometry geom
This option specifies the size and/or location of the window, if
a window is to be created.
-bw pixels
This option specifies the border width for the window.
-bs {NotUseful,WhenMapped,Always}
This option specifies what kind of backing store to give the
window. The default is NotUseful. Backing store refers to the
the pixels saved off-screen when the X server maintains the con-
tents of a window; NotUseful means that the xev process will re-
draw its contents itself, as necessary.
-id windowid
This option specifies that the window with the given id should
be monitored, instead of creating a new window.
-root This option specifies that the root window should be monitored,
instead of creating a new window.
-s This option specifies that save-unders should be enabled on the
window. Save unders are similar to backing store, but they refer
rather to the saving of pixels off-screen when the current win-
dow obscures other windows. Save unders are only advisory, and
are normally set for popup dialogs and other transient windows.
-name string
This option specifies the name to assign to the created window.
-rv This option specifies that the window should be in reverse
video.
-event event_mask
Select which events to display. The -event option can be speci-
fied multiple times to select multiple types of events. When
not specified, all events are selected. Available event masks:
keyboard mouse expose visibility structure substructure focus
property colormap owner_grab_button randr button
-version
This option prints the program version and exits.
SEE ALSO
X(7), xwininfo(1), xdpyinfo(1), Xlib Programmers Manual, X Protocol
Specification
AUTHOR
Jim Fulton, MIT X Consortium
X Version 11 xev 1.2.6 XEV(1)
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