xtrace - trace communication between X11 client and server

xtrace [ ptions ] -s

xtrace [ ptions ] -k

Xtrace fakes an X server and forwards all connections to an real X server, printing out the communication in between in (well, thoretically) human readable form.

-d name | --display name

Forward connections to the X server specified by name instead of the one specified by the environment variable DISPLAY.

-D name | --fakedisplay name

Fake display name instead of $FAKEDISPLAY or :9 respectively.

-f filename | --authfile filename

Add an -f filename to the arguments for all calls to xauth to get the authentication tokens of the X server to connect to.

-F filename | --newauthfile filename

Add an -f filename to the arguments for all calls to xauth to save the authentication tokens to connect to the faked X server.

-c | --copyauthentication (default)

Copy the authentication tokens for the X server to connect to so that clients connecting to our fake server will use them.

The commands run are roughly equivalent to: xauth add $FAKEDISPLAY . `xauth list $DISPLAY | awk '$2=="MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1" {print $3}'`

Not that only MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 tokens are copied as xtrace does not yet support to change the authentication tokens so that XDM-AUTHORIZATION-1 would be possible.

-n | --nocopyauthentication

Do not call xauth and do fiddle with authentication tokens but leave that to the user to handle.

-s | --stopwhendone (default in xtrace 0.1)

Terminate when all forwarded clients have disconnected.

-k | --keeprunning

If all clients disconnected, wait for new ones to connect.

-e | --denyextensions

Modify all server replies to say there are no extensions available. (As xtrace does supports only BIG-REQUESTS and SHAPE anyway and calls all extended requests "unknown" and all replies to such requests "unexpected").

-w | --readwritedebug

Print how many bytes are read and/or written when.

-m count | --maxklistlength count

Print only the first count many elements of all lists.

DISPLAY

Without --display the content of this variable is used to determine the server to connect to. (And without -n given to xauth to get the authentication tokens for this display.)

FAKEDISPLAY

Without --fakedisplay the content of this variable is used to determine how to listen for clients. (And without -n given to xauth to set the authentication tokens for this display.) If neighter is given, xtrace will try :9

XAUTHORITY

Without -n and without -f or -F your xauth program will most likely look into this variable for the file to get/save the authentication tokens from/into. If this is not set it will most likely use $HOME/.Xauthority.

Report bugs to <brlink@debian.org> or the Debian BTS.

xauth(1), x(7x),

Copyright © 2005 Bernhard R. Link

This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.