Checking whether a script can open a display?

Robert Brockway rbrockway-wgAaPJgzrDxH4x6Dk/4f9A at public.gmane.org
Tue Mar 1 22:03:22 UTC 2005


On Tue, 1 Mar 2005, William O'Higgins wrote:

> I use a cron job to update the backdrop (root window) of my window
> manager.  Sometimes I am not running X, however, and then my mail box
> fills up with cron telling me that it cannot open display :0.0.  Is
> there a way I can test whether I can open that display so I can quit
> cleanly?

Just get the script to check if you are running under X.  One option is to 
check if the DISPLAY environment variable is set.

zen:~$echo $DISPLAY
avon.opentrend.net:0.0

It is possible to run X without $DISPLAY set but then the script would 
fail to change the root window anyway :)

Rob

-- 
Robert Brockway B.Sc.
Senior Technical Consultant, OpenTrend Solutions Ltd.
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