---
name: "parse-xf86config"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "xserver-common"
version: "3.3.2.3a-11"
release: "Debian 2.1 (Slink)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/parse-xf86config"
---

# parse-xf86config(8)

check XF86Config file for errors

## NAME

parse-xf86config - check XF86Config file for errors

## SYNOPSIS

**parse-xf86config** \[ *options* \] *file*

## DESCRIPTION

**parse-xf86config** checks an XF86Config file for errors or bad style.  Unless the -q or --quiet options are given, it issues a report to standard output. There are three types of messages: errors, warnings, and advisories. Errors are problems with the file that will be fatal to the X server; warnings are functional problems with the file that do not necessarily prevent successful operation of the X server; and advisories consist of recommendations on improvement of the XF86Config file for better operation.  Error messages are prepended by E:, warnings by W:, and advisories by A:.  If given no options, **parse-xf86config** issues all three kinds of messages.

In the future, **parse-xf86config** will be enhanced to permit editing of XF86Config files, and checking of changes made to the file before they applied.  This will permit configurators for the XF86Config file to be written which can interface with **parse-xf86config** instead of editing one directly.

## OPTIONS

- \-h, --help

  Displays a helpful usage message and exits.

- \-q, --quiet

  Do not output any messages.

- \-v, --verbose

  Chatty output.

- \-e, --errors

  Check for errors in *file* (on by default).

- \-w, --warning

  Warn about non-fatal problems in *file* (on by default).

- \-d, --advisory

  Issue advisory messages about potential improvements to *file* (on by default).

- \--all

  Shortcut for --errors, --warning, --advisory.  Effectively on by default.

- \--noerrors

  Do not check for errors in *file*.

- \--nowarning

  Do not warn about non-fatal problems in *file*.

- \--noadvisory

  Do not issue advisory messages about potential improvements to *file*.

## EXAMPLES

- parse-xf86config /etc/X11/XF86Config

  Processes the XFree86 X server configuration file in use by system (*/etc/X11/XF86Config* is the standard location for this file in a Debian GNU/Linux system).

- parse-xf86config --quiet --nowarning --noadvisory /etc/X11XF86Config && startx

  This construct could be used to start the X server if and only if no fatal errors are found in the XF86Config file.

## SEE ALSO

**XF86Config**(5)

## DIAGNOSTICS

**parse-xf86config** returns 0 if no problems were found; 1 if errors were found in the processed file, or if processing of the file failed for some reason; 2 if candidates for warnings were found, but no errors; 3 if candidates for advisory messages were found, but no errors or warning candidates. If certain checks were disabled, the corresponding error codes will not be issued, and the exit code "falls back" to the most severe problem found for which checks were enabled (in other words, in default operation, if both errors and advisory candidates were found, the exit code will be 1, not 3, because errors are more important than advisories).

## BUGS

See \<http://bugs.debian.org/xserver-common\>.  If you wish to report a bug in **parse-xf86config**, please see */usr/doc/debian/bug-reporting.txt* or the [**bug**(1)](/bug/1.md) command.

## AUTHOR

**parse-xf86config** is written and copyrighted by Marcus Brinkmann.  It is licensed under an XFree86-style license with the advertising clause removed.  See the source code for details. **parse-xf86config** is maintained by Branden Robinson, who also wrote this man page.