[NTLUG:Discuss] Question about X

[Leroy Tennison]

Working with X trying to get a good grasp of how the components work 
together and ran across something I don't understand.  I boot into 
runlevel three then do

DISPLAY=:0
export DISPLAY
echo $DISPLAY

just to make sure it's set then I start X from console 1 with:

X &

I get a black screen with a bitmap X for a cursor on what I'll call 
"console 7" (Ctrl-Alt-F7), so far so good.  Next I do:

xsetroot -solid blue

No change on "console 7".  Next, on console 1, I do:

xsetroot -cursor_name left-ptr

Still no change on "console 7".  Finally I do:

xterm &

Now I not only get an xterminal application but also the blue background 
and changed mouse icon.  If I change the order and load the xterminal 
right after I start X then the xsetroot commands take effect immediately.

Why does it work this way?