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TLDR: xev (tldr-pages)

Print contents of X events.

  • Monitor all occurring X events
    xev
  • Monitor all X events of the root window instead of creating a new one
    xev -root
  • Monitor all X events of a particular window
    xev -id {{window_id}}
  • Monitor X events from a given category (can be specified multiple times)
    xev -event {{event_category}}
XEV(1)                                 General Commands Manual                                XEV(1)



NAME
       xev - print contents of X events

SYNOPSIS
       xev  [-display displayname] [-geometry geom] [-bw pixels] [-bs {NotUseful,WhenMapped,Always}]
       [-id windowid] [-root] [-s]  [-name  string]  [-rv]  [-version]  [-event  event_mask  [-event
       event_mask ...]]

DESCRIPTION
       Xev  creates  a window and then asks the X server to send it events whenever anything happens
       to the window (such as it being moved, resized, typed in, clicked in, etc.).   You  can  also
       attach  it to an existing window.  It is useful for seeing what causes events to occur and to
       display the information that they contain; it is  essentially  a  debugging  and  development
       tool, and should not be needed in normal usage.

OPTIONS
       -display display
               This option specifies the X server to contact.

       -geometry geom
               This  option  specifies  the size and/or location of the window, if a window is to be
               created.

       -bw pixels
               This option specifies the border width for the window.

       -bs {NotUseful,WhenMapped,Always}
               This option specifies what kind of backing store to give the window.  The default  is
               NotUseful.  Backing store refers to the the pixels saved off-screen when the X server
               maintains the contents of a window; NotUseful means that the xev process will  redraw
               its contents itself, as necessary.

       -id windowid
               This  option specifies that the window with the given id should be monitored, instead
               of creating a new window.

       -root   This option specifies that the root window should be monitored, instead of creating a
               new window.

       -s      This  option  specifies that save-unders should be enabled on the window. Save unders
               are similar to backing store, but they refer rather to  the  saving  of  pixels  off-
               screen when the current window obscures other windows. Save unders are only advisory,
               and are normally set for popup dialogs and other transient windows.

       -name string
               This option specifies the name to assign to the created window.

       -rv     This option specifies that the window should be in reverse video.

       -event event_mask
               Select which events to display.  The -event option can be specified multiple times to
               select  multiple  types  of  events.   When  not  specified, all events are selected.
               Available event masks: keyboard mouse expose visibility structure substructure  focus
               property colormap owner_grab_button randr button

       -version
               This option prints the program version and exits.

SEE ALSO
       X(7), xwininfo(1), xdpyinfo(1), Xlib Programmers Manual, X Protocol Specification
       See X(7) for a full statement of rights and permissions.

AUTHOR
       Jim Fulton, MIT X Consortium



X Version 11                                  xev 1.2.3                                       XEV(1)

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