If you call the file .Xdefaults it will be used in both scenarios described, with no need for the `xrdb` command.
On Wed, 17 Feb 2016 at 08:47 Jiri B <ji...@devio.us> wrote: > XDM fires up /etc/X11/xdm/Xsession, easy to read. One can even > customize XDM and all other things in /etc/X11/xdm/xdm-config. > > It should be `xrdb -load $file'. > > j.