XEV(1)                               General Commands Manual                               XEV(1)



NAME
       xev - print contents of X events

SYNOPSIS
       xev   [-display   displayname]   [-geometry   geom]  [-bw  pixels]  [-bs  {NotUseful,When‐
       Mapped,Always}] [-id windowid] [-root] [-s] [-name string] [-rv]

DESCRIPTION
       Xev creates a window and then asks the X server to send it events whenever  anything  hap‐
       pens to the window (such as it being moved, resized, typed in, clicked in, etc.).  You can
       also attach it to an existing window.  It is useful for seeing what causes events to occur
       and to display the information that they contain; it is essentially a debugging and devel‐
       opment 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  contents of a window; NotUseful means that the xev process
               will redraw 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 creat‐
               ing 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 window 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 specified 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

SEE ALSO
       X(7), xwininfo(1), xdpyinfo(1), Xlib Programmers Manual, X Protocol Specification
       See X(7) for a full statement of rights and permissions.

AUTHOR
       Jim Fulton, MIT X Consortium



X Version 11                                xev 1.2.1                                      XEV(1)