---
name: "xconsole"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "xorg-xconsole"
version: "1.1.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/xconsole"
---

# xconsole(1)

monitor system console messages with X

## NAME

xconsole - monitor system console messages with X

## SYNOPSIS

```
xconsole [-toolkitoption ...] [-file file-name]
         [-notify|-nonotify] [-daemon] [-verbose]
         [-exitOnFail] [-stripNonprint] [-saveLines count]
xconsole -help
xconsole -version
```

## DESCRIPTION

The **xconsole** program displays messages which are usually sent to /dev/console.

## OPTIONS

**Xconsole** accepts all of the standard X Toolkit command line options along with the additional options listed below:

- **-file *file-name***

  To monitor some other device, use this option to specify the device name. This does not work on regular files as they are always ready to be read from.

- **-notify** \| **-nonotify**

  When new data are received from the console and the notify option is set, the icon name of the application has " \*" appended, so that it is evident even when the application is iconified. **-notify** is the default.

- **-daemon**

  This option causes **xconsole** to place itself in the background, using fork/exit.

- **-verbose**

  When set, this option directs **xconsole** to display an informative message in the first line of the text buffer.

- **-exitOnFail**

  When set, this option directs **xconsole** to exit when it is unable to redirect the console output.

- **-stripNonprint**

  When set, this option directs **xconsole** to not include any non-printable characters in the current locale in the displayed output.

- **-saveLines *count***

  When set, **xconsole** only preserves *count* lines of message history instead of growing the text buffer without bound (a *count* of zero - the default - is treated as placing no limit on the history).

- **-help**

  This option indicates that **xconsole** should print a usage message and exit.

- **-version**

  This option indicates that **xconsole** should print its version and exit.

## X DEFAULTS

This program uses the *Athena Text* widget, look in the *Athena Widget Set* documentation for controlling it.

**Xconsole** otherwise accepts resources of the same names as the command-line options (without the leading dash). "file" is a string type, "saveLines" an integer, and the remaining options are booleans.

## WIDGETS

In order to specify resources, it is useful to know the hierarchy of the widgets which compose **xconsole**. In the notation below, indentation indicates hierarchical structure. The widget class name is given first, followed by the widget instance name.

```
XConsole  xconsole
     XConsole  text
```

## ENVIRONMENT

- **DISPLAY**

  to get the default host and display number.

- **XENVIRONMENT**

  to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources stored in the RESOURCE\_MANAGER property.

## FILES

- **/usr/share/X11/app-defaults/XConsole**

  specifies required resources

## SEE ALSO

[**xrdb**(1)](/xrdb/1.md), [**X**(7)](/X/7.md), Athena Text widget

## AUTHOR

Keith Packard (MIT X Consortium)