How to change background and fonts color in xterm?

HaasonHeist · 04-02-2016, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlucardZero

This topic is the first Google result for "xterm black background", so sorry for the necro, but the question is IMO not clearly answered and contains several totally irrelevant replies.

If you want your XTerm color to be white font on black background, then create or edit a file named .Xdefaults in your home directory, and place the following in it:

Code:

XTerm*Background: black
XTerm*Foreground: white

Then restart xterm.

You can of course switch the colors if you want black on white.

So, I did try this and it did not work for me. I am running lubuntu and have only had it running for a day or so. I am a complete beginner on any type of unix/linux OS so perhaps I am getting a bit ahead of myself?

jim_p · 04-04-2016, 09:52 AM

The default terminal on lxde (the desktop enviroment of lubuntu) is lxterminal, and it does have a gui for its options, so there is no need to start editing files here and there.

gcurse · 04-30-2016, 04:46 AM

First of all: The file ~/.Xdefaults is deprecated. Please use ~/.Xresources instead.

If it does not exist issue the following command in a terminal:

Code:

touch ~/.Xresources

Then put the following in it:

Code:

xterm*Background: black
xterm*Foreground: white

"xterm" must be all lowercase.
Now in a terminal issue

Code:

xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources

and restart xterm.