Command Line Options

DS9 will process each command line option, one at a time, as the last step in the initialization process. Therefore, it is possible to use command line options as a little script. For example, the following command line option is used:
 

$ds9 -tile foo.fits -cmap Heat -zscale bar.fits -cmap I8

First DS9 is put in tile mode, then foo.fits is loaded. Then the colormap for foo.fits is changed to Heat. Next, a new frame is created and bar.fits is loaded. And finally, the colormap for bar.fits is changed to I8.

align

array

blink

bin

cmap

colorbar

contour

coords

dss

exit

fifo

fifo_only

geometry

grid

help

horzgraph

iconify

inet_only

info

invert

lower

linear

ln

log

magnifier

minmax

mode

mosaicimage

mosaicimages

mosaic

orient

panner

port

port_only

print

private

raise

rass

regionfile

rotate

scale

scalelims

scalemode

shm

squared

sqrt

source

tile

tilemode

title

unix

unix_only

version

vertgraph

visual

wcs

wcsformat

z1

zscale

zoom

align

Aligns current frame to WCS equatorial coordinate axis, if present.
Syntax: -align
Example: $ds9 -align

array

Load an array.
Syntax: -array filename
Example: $ds9 -array foo.arr[dim=512,bitpix=-32]

blink

Activates Blink Mode.
Syntax: -blink
Example: $ds9 -blink

bin

Controls binning factor, binning buffer size, and  binning function for binning FITS bin tables.
Syntax: -bin [about <x> <y>]
           [buffersize <value>]
           [cols <x> <y>]
           [factor <value>]
           [filter <string>]
           [function average|sum]
           [to fit]
Example:
-bin about 4096 4096
-bin buffersize 512
-bin cols detx dety
-bin factor 4
-bin filter "pha>5"
-bin function sum
-bin to fit

cmap

Changes Colormap for current frame.
Syntax: -cmap name
Example: $ds9 -cmap BB

colorbar
nocolorbar

Toggles Colorbar in display.
Syntax: -colorbar
      -nocolorbar
Example: $ds9 -nocolorbar

contour
nocontour

Toggles contours in display.
Syntax: -contour
      -nocontour
Example: $ds9 -nocontour

coords

Toggles specified coordinate system display in information panel.
Syntax: -coords [wcs|detector|amplifier|physical|image] [yes|no]
Example: $ds9 -coords physical yes wcs no

dss

Retreive the following named object from the Digital Sky Survey Image server. The object name is resolved using the default Name Resolution Server.
Syntax: -dss <object>
Example: $ds9 -dss m51

exit
quit

Quits DS9.
Syntax: -exit
      -quit
Example: $ds9 -exit

fifo

Set the name of the IRAF input and output fifos. The default is "none". These fifos are used by IRAF to communicate with DS9.
Syntax: -fifo name
Example: $ds9 -fifo /dev/imt

fifo_only

Only use IRAF input and output fifos. Same as -port 0 -unix none.
Syntax: -fifo_only
Example: $ds9 -fifo_only

geometry

Define the initial window geometry. see X(1).
Syntax: -geometry value
Example: $ds9 -geometry 640x480

grid
nogrid

Toggles the coordinate grid display
Syntax: -grid
      -nogrid
Example: $ds9 -grid

help

Displays list of Command Line Options. Users of CSH and TCSH may have to quote.
Syntax:    -?
       -- -help
Example:
$ds9 -- -help
$ds9 '-?'

horzgraph
nohorzgraph

Toggles Horizontal Graph in display.
Syntax: -horzgraph
      -nohorzgraph
Example: $ds9 -horzgraph

iconify

DS9 is iconified at startup.
Syntax: -iconify
Example: $ds9 -iconify

info
noinfo

Toggle Information display.
Syntax: -info
      -noinfo
Example:  $ds9 -noinfo

invert

Invert colormap of current frame.
Syntax: -invert
Example: $ds9 -invert

linear

Select Linear scale for current frame.
Syntax: -linear
Example: $ds9 -linear

ln

Select Natural Log scale for current frame. This is the same algorithm as used in SAOImage.
Syntax: -ln
Example: $ds9 -ln

log

Select LOG scale for current frame. This is the same algorithm as used in IRAF.
Syntax: -log
Example: $ds9 -log

lower

Lower ds9 in the window stacking order.
Syntax: -lower
Example: $ds9 -lower

magnifier
nomagnifier

Toggle Magnifier display.
Syntax: -magnifier
      -nomagnifier
Example:  $ds9 -nomagnifier

minmax

Set Scale Limits based on the Min and Max data values for the current frame and changes the scale mode to minmax.
Syntax: -minmax
Example: $ds9 -minmax

mode

Select the current mode.
Syntax: -mode [pointer|crosshair|colorbar|pan|zoom|rotate]
Example: $ds9 -mode crosshair

mosaicimage

Load entire FITS Mosaic image composed of multiple extensions in one FITS file.  All extensions that are FITS Images and are valid FITS Mosaic Images will be loaded.
Syntax: -mosaicimage filename
Example: $ds9 -mosaicimage fourshooter.fits

mosaicimages

Load entire FITS Mosaic image composed of multiple files into the current frame.  All files that match filename in pattern will be loaded. See FITS Mosaic for supported patterns.
Syntax: -mosaicimages filename
Example: $ds9 -mosaicimages img001.fits

mosaic

Load FITS mosaic image segment.
Syntax: -mosaic filename
Example: $ds9 -mosaic amp1.fits -mosaic amp2.fits

orient

Set the orientation of the current frame.
Syntax: -orient [none|x|y|xy]
Example: $ds9 -orient xy

panner
nopanner

Toggle Panner display.
Syntax: -panner
      -nopanner
Example:  $ds9 -nopanner

port

Set the IRAF port number, used by IRAF to communicate with DS9. The default is 5137, the standard IRAF port used by ximtool.
Syntax: -port number
Example: $ds9 -port 5137

port_only
inet_only

Only use the IRAF port number. This is the same as -fifo none -unix none.
Syntax: -port_only
Example: $ds9 -port_only

print

Print the display.
Syntax: -print
Example: $ds9 -print

private

use private colormap, valid for pseudocolor 8 mode.
Syntax: -private
Example: $ds9 -private

raise

Riase ds9 in the window stacking order.
Syntax: -raise
Example: $ds9 -raise

rass

Retreive the following named object from the Rosat All Sky Survey Image server. The object name is resolved using the default Name Resolution Server.
Syntax: -rass <object>
Example: $ds9 -rass m51

regionfile

Loads a Regions File into the current frame.
Syntax: -regionfile filename
Example: $ds9 -regionfile catalog.reg

rotate

Rotate the current frame to the value in degrees.
Syntax: -rotate value
Example: $ds9 -rotate 45

scale
ztrans

Sets the scale for the current frame. ln is a natural log algorithm, same as used in SAOImage. log is a log distribution, same as used in IRAF.
Syntax: -scale [linear|ln|log|squared|sqrt]
      -ztrans [linear|ln|log|squared|sqrt]
Example: $ds9 -scale ln

scalelims

Set the scale limits to the specified values and changes the scalemode to user.
Syntax: -scalelims value value
Example: $ds9 -scalelims 100 200

scalemode

Set the scale limits base on the specified value. minmax sets the limits to the min and max of the data, zscale sets the limits based on the IRAF algorithm, user sets the limits to previous user specified values.
Syntax: -scalemode [minmax|zscale|user]
Example: $ds9 -scalemode zscale

shm

Load a shared memory segment into the current frame. id is the shared memory id, size is the size of the segment in bytes.
Syntax:   -shm <key> <size> [<filename>]
       -shm [key|shmid] <id> <size> [<filename>]
       -shm mosaicimage [key|shmid] <id> <size> [<filename>]
       -shm mosaic [key|shmid] <id> <size> [<filename>]
       -shm array [key|shmid] <id> <size> [[xdim=<x>,ydim=<y>|dim=<dim>],bitpix=<b>,[skip=<s>]]
Example: $ds9 -shm 102 8640
        $ds9 -shm shmid 102 8640 foo[2]
        $ds9 -shm mosaicimage key 100 10240 foo
        $ds9 -shm mosaic key 100 10240 foo
        $ds9 -shm array shmid 102 8640 [dim=32,bitpix=-32]

squared

Select Squared scale for current frame.
Syntax: -squared
Example: $ds9 -squared

sqrt

Select Square Root scale for current frame.
Syntax: -sqrt
Example: $ds9 -sqrt

source

Sources a valid TCL file.
Syntax: -source filename
Example: $ds9 -source extensions.tcl

tile

Toggles DS9 into tile mode.
Syntax: -tile
Example: $ds9 -tile

tilemode

Sets the type of Tile algorithm
Syntax: -tilemode [grid|row|column]
Example:  $ds9 -tilemode row

title

Changes the display window title to the specified name.
Syntax: -title name
Example: $ds9 -title Voyager

unix

Set the IRAF unix socket name, used by IRAF to communicate with DS9. The default is /tmp/.IMT%d, so that the standard IRAF unix socket is defined.
Syntax: -unix name
Example: $ds9 -unix "/tmp/.IMT%d"

unix_only

Only use the IRAF unix socket name. This is the same as -fifo none -port 0.
Syntax: -unix_only
Example: $ds9 -unix_only

version

Displays the version of ds9 and exits.

vertgraph
novertgraph

Toggles Vertical Graph in display.
Syntax: -vertgraph
      -novertgraph
Example: $ds9 -vertgraph

visual

Force DS9 to use the specified color visual. This argument MUST be the first argument listed. Requires the visual be available.
Syntax: -visual [pseudocolor|pseudocolor8|truecolor|truecolor8|truecolor16|truecolor24]
Example: $ds9 -visual truecolor24

wcs

Selects WCS display coordinate system.
Syntax: -wcs [fk4|fk5|galactic|ecliptic]
Example: $ds9 -wcs fk4

wcsformat

Toggles WCS display format.
Syntax: -wcsformat [degrees|sexagesimal]
Example: $ds9 -wcsformat sexagesimal

z1
z2

Set the scale limits to the specified values and changes the scalemode to user.
Syntax: -z1 value -z2 value
Example: $ds9 -z1 100 -z2 200

zscale

Set Scale Limits based  on the IRAF algorithm and changes the scale mode to zscale.
Syntax: -zscale
Example: $ds9 -zscale

zoom

Set the zoom value for the current frame.
Syntax: -zoom value
Example: $ds9 -zoom 1.25