---
name: "setvtrgb"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "kbd"
version: "2.7.1-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/setvtrgb"
---

# setvtrgb(1)

customize the console color map

## NAME

setvtrgb - customize the console color map

## SYNOPSIS

**setvtrgb** vga

**setvtrgb** *FILE*\|-

## DESCRIPTION

**setvtrgb** sets the console color map in all virtual terminals according to custom values specified in a file or standard input.  With the \`vga' parameter, it can also be used to restore the settings built into the kernel.

When invoked with a filename or \`-', **setvtrgb** expects input as follows:

  color0\_r,color1\_r,...,color15\_r\
   color0\_g,color1\_g,...,color15\_g\
   color0\_b,color1\_b,...,color15\_b

where colorN\_{r,g,b} is the red/green/blue portion of the respective color in decimal notation in the 0..255 range.  To pre-seed a file in the correct format, you can use

  cat /sys/module/vt/parameters/default\_{red,grn,blu}

The meanings of the color values are defined as follows:

  \+--------+--------+---------+\
   \| Normal \| Bright \| Color   \|\
   \+--------+--------+---------+\
   \|      0 \|      8 \| Black   \|\
   \|      1 \|      9 \| Red     \|\
   \|      2 \|     10 \| Green   \|\
   \|      3 \|     11 \| Yellow  \|\
   \|      4 \|     12 \| Blue    \|\
   \|      5 \|     13 \| Magenta \|\
   \|      6 \|     14 \| Cyan    \|\
   \|      7 \|     15 \| White   \|\
   \+---------------------------+

## AUTHOR

setvtrgb is Copyright © 2011 Alexey Gladkov \<gladkov.alexey@gmail.com\>, with portions by Dustin Kirkland \<kirkland@canonical.com\> and Seth Forshee \<seth.forshee@canonical.com\> at Canonical Ltd.

This manual page was written by Michael Schutte \<michi@debian.org\> for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by others).