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NAME

       Xephyr - X server outputting to a window on a pre-existing X display

SYNOPSIS

       Xephyr [:display] [option ...]

DESCRIPTION

       Xephyr  is  a  kdrive server that outputs to a window on a pre-existing
       "host" X display.  Think Xnest but with support for  modern  extensions
       like composite, damage and randr.

       Unlike  Xnest which is an X proxy, i.e.  limited to the capabilities of
       the host X server, Xephyr is a real X server  which  uses  the  host  X
       server window as "framebuffer" via fast SHM XImages.

       It  also  has  support  for  "visually"  debugging  what  the server is
       painting.

OPTIONS

       -screen widthxheight
               sets the screen size.

       -parent id
               uses exiting window id .   If  a  -screen  argument  follows  a
               -parent  argument,  this  screen  is  embedded  into  the given
               window.

       -host-cursor
               set 'cursor acceleration': The host's cursor is reused. This is
               only  really  there  to aid debugging by avoiding server paints
               for the cursor. Performance improvement is negligible.

SIGNALS

       Send a SIGUSR1 to the server (e.g. pkill -USR1 Xephyr)  to  toggle  the
       debugging  mode.   In  this  mode  red rectangles are painted to screen
       areas getting painted before painting the actual  content.   The  delay
       between  this  can  be  altered  by setting a XEPHYR_PAUSE env var to a
       value in micro seconds.

CAVEATS

       o Rotated displays are currently updated via full blits. This is slower
         than a normal orientated display. Debug mode will therefore not be of
         much use rotated.

       o The '-host-cursor' cursor is static in its appearance.

       o The build gets a warning about 'nanosleep'. I think the various  '-D'
         build  flags  are  causing this. I haven't figured as yet how to work
         round it. It doesn't appear to break anything however.

       o Keyboard handling is basic but works.

       Mouse button 5 probably won't work.

SEE ALSO

       X(7), Xserver(1)

AUTHOR

       Matthew Allum <mallum@o-hand.com> 2004