xauth:tldr:02740

The "xauth list" command is used to display the authorization records (also known as cookies) in the X Window System.

In the X Window System, a client program needs to be authorized to communicate with the X server. This authorization is managed using a cookie, which is a record of client's permission to access the server. The "xauth list" command allows you to view the cookies stored in the authentication database.

The output of the command will list the cookies along with some information about each entry, such as the display ID (hostname:display.screen), authority name, and the authentication data (encoded as hexadecimal digits). The authority name identifies the type of authentication used, such as MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 or XDM-AUTHORIZATION-1.

By default, the command looks for the authentication database file specified in the XAUTHORITY environment variable. If the variable is not set, it will use the file .Xauthority in the user's home directory. This database file stores the cookies for the current user.

The "xauth list" command is often used by system administrators or advanced users to diagnose or troubleshoot X Window System authorization issues. It provides information about the current authorization records, which can help identify any misconfigurations or problems related to X Window System authentication.