---
name: "bsetroot"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "blackbox"
version: "0.77-3"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/bsetroot"
---

# bsetroot(1)

blackbox utility to change root window appearance

## NAME

bsetroot - blackbox utility to change root window appearance

## SYNOPSIS

**bsetroot** -help\
 **bsetroot** \[ -display *display* \] -solid *color*\
 **bsetroot** \[ -display *display* \] -mod *x y* -fg *color* -bg *color*\
 **bsetroot** \[ -display *display* \] -gradient *texture* -from *color* -to *color*

## DESCRIPTION

Bsetroot is a utility that can control the appearance of the root window in three ways: Either give it a solid color, or write a two color modula pattern to it, or render a gradient texture, based on two different colors.

Bsetroot resembles [*xsetroot*(1)](/xsetroot/1.md) in this functionality but it supports multiple screen displays, and gradient textures the same way as Blackbox does. It doesn't handle cursors etc. Bsetroot is part of the Blackbox package.

## OPTIONS

Bsetroot operates in three ways, you must choose one of the first 3 options:

- **-solid** *color*

  Sets the root window to specified color.

- **-mod** *x y*

  Creates a modula pattern. You must specify **-bg** and **-fg** colors.

- **-gradient** *texturestring*

  Renders the specified texture string to the root window. For possible texture strings, please refer to [*blackbox*(1)](/blackbox/1.md). You must also specify both a **-from** and a **-to** color.

- **-display** *display*

  Tells Bsetroot to connect to the specified display.

- **-bg, -background** *color*

  Background color. Needed for **-mod** patterns.

- **-fg, -foreground** *color*

  Foreground color. Needed for **-mod** patterns.

- **-from** *color*

  Start color for rendering textures. Needed for **-gradient** operation mode.

- **-to** *color*

  Ending color for rendering textures. Needed for **-gradient** operation mode.

- **-help**

  Prints version info and short help text.

## AUTHOR

Bsetroot is written and maintained by Brad Hughes (blackbox@alug.org) and Jeff Raven (jraven@psu.edu).

## SEE ALSO

[*blackbox*(1)](/blackbox/1.md)