2 ====================================================================
3 the latest info can be found at
4 http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~grapeape/wmfaq.html or
5 http://wm.gnu.net/wmfaq/
6 --------------------------
8 This version was slightly modified by me (Alfredo). Chris, I enclosed
9 my changes with "###". Please add the changes to your official version.
14 - What is WindowMaker?
15 - Where can I get WindowMaker?
16 - Where are the mailing list archives?
17 - Where is there more documentation on configuring WindowMaker?
20 - Where can I get proplist.h?
21 - Why do no icons show up after installing WindowMaker 0.15.0 when I've
22 followed all the directions?
23 - How do I get libtiff to work?
24 - How do I get libjpeg to work?
25 - How do I get libpng to work?
26 - Does wmsound work with 0.1x.x?
27 - Can I use WindowMaker with KDE or GNOME or CDE?
28 - How do I switch CDE's windowmanager to use WindowMaker?
29 - Do I need to rerun wmaker.inst with every new version of WindowMaker?
30 - When I run wmaker it quits complaing about something __register_frame_info.
31 - The libxyz image format library is not detected.
35 - How do I get new apps on the dock (The line of pixmaps on the right side
36 of the screen by default)
37 - What is the button in the middle of the Clip?
38 - What is the difference between the Exit and Exit Session Option?
39 - How do I "dock" Icons on the Clip?
40 - Why do none of my Key Bindings work in WindowMaker 0.1x.x
41 - How do I rename workspaces?
42 - How can I resize a window if the window is larger than my currect
44 - When I run xyz (xyz usually = rxvt) from the dock and later quit, the
45 3 dots don't come back and I can't run it again.
48 - What are those files inside my ~/GNUstep directory?
49 - How do I enable the normal X sloppy focus mode?
50 - How do I get my auto-arrange icons to work?
51 - How do I get my Meta-Tab to cycle through windows correctly?
52 - How can I define my own Icon for a program? (instead of the Icon the
53 Application Supplies?)
54 - How do I get a pixmap background for my appicons (those things in the
56 - How do you dock <insert program here> that doesn't have an appicon in
57 the new version of WindowMaker?
58 - How do I get x11amp to not have a title bar? (or any other program for that
60 - How do I set a pixmap background?
61 - Can I put pixmaps in my root menu and title bars?
62 - How do I get my Minimize Icon to look like the triangle I see in
64 - How do I get superfluous bells and whistles working?
65 - How do I get my oldstyle back?
68 - How do I assign gimp an appicon?
69 - How do I get an appicon for XEmacs 20.3+?
70 - Where do you get that clock program I always see on people's desktops?
71 - How do you dock asclock?
72 - How do you dock wmload?
73 - What other apps exist for the dock?
74 - How do I get an appicon for rxvt so I can dock it?
75 - How do I get different icons for rxvt's (or xterms) running different
77 - How do I allow Alt+# to work in an rxvt session? (with irc for example)
78 - When I use Netscape with Window Maker it crashes.
81 - How do I get a normal X application to produce an appicon?
82 - How do I get my tcl/tk application to produce an appicon?
84 Miscellaneous Questions
85 - Is there a pager for WindowMaker?
86 - Can I have folders like in AfterStep?
87 - What exactly are Themes?
88 - How do I install a Theme?
89 - How do I make a Theme?
90 - Why don't you distribute {normal diff,xdelta} patches?
93 ========================================================================
100 ----------------------------------
101 WindowMaker is an elegant X11 window manger that emulates the OpenStep
102 desktop with some noticeable enhancements. Look at
103 http://wm.gnu.net/screenshots.html for example screenshots.
106 Where can I get WindowMaker?
107 ----------------------------------
108 The official site to get new developmental versions from is
109 ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/beta/srcs/.
111 NOTE: WindowMaker-0.16.1.tar.gz is the newest stable release, for some
112 reason it has not been moved into the release directory. You should
113 DEFINATELY go with 0.16.1 rather than 0.6.3.
115 WindowMaker-0.17.5 is the newest development release. This will be the last
116 release with new features until 1.0 is released. Work from now until 1.0 will
117 focus on bug fixes, so keep testing and report those bugs!
119 The development versions are usually very stable themselves, so if you want to
120 have all the newest features, you can rather safetly go with the development
121 versions. Just remember to save any unsaved data before you go playing
122 around with the config files. Also, remember they are developmental versions,
123 so your mileage may vary, don't get angry if they crash.
126 Where are the mailing list archives?
127 ----------------------------------
128 UPDATE: Ed has moved to Utah to work for Caldera, so the list has moved.
129 The new address is http://www.caldera.com/linuxcenter/forums/wmaker.html
131 The archives should come online again when Ed gets all moved in and comfy in
132 about 2 weeks or so. (around mid-august or so) Please be patient until then.
136 Where is there more documentation on configuring WindowMaker?
137 ----------------------------------
138 Besides the mailing list archives, there are nice documents in
139 ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/docs/
147 Where can I get proplist.h?
148 ----------------------------------
149 My first hint would be to look through the documentation a little more closely.
150 libPropList.tar.gz is located in the root of the WindowMaker distribution source
151 tree. Untar libproplist, compile and install it so that the it will be available to
155 Why do no icons show up after installing WindowMaker >= 0.15.x when
156 I've followed all the directions?
157 ----------------------------------
158 According to Dan Pascu should not happen because WindowMaker should
159 detect if libtiff is going to be compiled in and then it will make the default theme
160 based around .xpm instead of .tif.
162 As of WindowMaker version 0.15.0, the default setup includes .tiff icons which
163 require you to have compiled WindowMaker with libtiff support. For some help
164 on compiling with libtiff, at the libtiff section of this FAQ.
167 How do I get libtiff to work?
168 ----------------------------------
169 The whole key to getting libtiff working for me was to upgrade to >=
170 tiff-v3.4beta037-tar.gz availible at ftp.sgi.com.
172 Rerun ./configure and make and it should work. I had previously been using
173 tiff-v3.4-tar.gz instead so the library was there just not working. A note to keep in
174 mind, is that the tiff libs are versioned rather oddly, version tiff-v3.4beta037 is
175 actually newer than tiff-v3.4.
177 Make sure to rm config.cache and rerun ./configure before attempting to compile
180 Also, make sure to use gnu-make for the WindowMaker compile.
183 How do I get libjpeg to work?
184 ----------------------------------
185 The newest jpeg libs are availible at ftp://ftp.uu.net/graphics/jpeg/.
187 How many of you have seen that darned "lib reports 62 caller expects 61" type of
189 Well, I have more than once, and here are some answers to possibly help you
192 First things first. As always, make sure there are not older copies of libjpeg
193 floating around on your system. By default my Slackware distribution came with
194 an old libjpeg.so.1 in the /usr/X11R6/lib/ directory. This can simply be deleted. Or
195 if something complains after you delete it, recompile it if you can to look for the
196 new lib in the right place, or if that fails, as a last resort, you might add a symlink
197 to the new lib like so:
198 ln -s /usr/local/lib/libjpeg.so.6.0.2 libjpeg.so.1
201 This is basically caused by your application having been compiled to
202 dynamically use the libjpeg.so shared library. When you install a new lib and then
203 try to run your program again, it expects the lib it was compiled against, in this
204 case the older libjpeg.so.6.0.1 and instead finds libjpeg.so.6.0.2 and reports the
207 The fix is actually rather simple. Along with adding a libjpeg.so.6 symlink like so
209 ln -s libjpeg.so.6.0.2 libjpeg.so.6
210 where you installed your new lib, you simply need to recompile your app to link it
211 against the new library. :)
213 Make sure to rm config.cache and rerun ./configure before attempting to compile
216 Also, make sure to use gnu-make for the WindowMaker compile.
219 How do I get libpng to work?
220 ----------------------------------
221 The newest png libs are availible at
222 http://www.cdrom.com/pub/png/pngcode.html.
223 You should also get the newest zlib libs from
224 http://www.cdrom.com/pub/infozip/zlib/.
226 I had a few problems with this lib as well, basically I had an old libz.so in my
227 /usr/X11R6/lib/ directory which configure was finding first, and which failed the test,
230 Generally the same applies here as with libjpeg, make sure there are no older
231 versions of the necessary libs floating around on your system, then try and
232 configure and make again.
234 Make sure to rm config.cache and rerun ./configure before attempting to compile
237 Also, make sure to use gnu-make for the WindowMaker compile.
240 Does wmsound work with 0.1x.x?
241 ----------------------------------
242 As of WindowMaker 0.15.x, sound is now included by default but requires the
243 authors sound server. For more information, read the NEWS file in the
244 WindowMaker distribution.
246 The author Anthony Quinn has released a version that works with
247 WindowMaker >= 0.15.x. It is available from it's home page at
248 http://www.frontiernet.net/~southgat/wmsound/
250 http://wm.gnu.net/files.html#wmsound
254 ### New, possibly with some errors
256 Can I use WindowMaker with KDE or GNOME or CDE?
257 ----------------------------------
259 Contrary to a lot of people thinks, KDE is NOT a window manager. KDE is
260 a suite of various applications that includes a custom window manager.
261 The same is true for CDE.
263 Now, answering the question: Yes, you can use WindowMaker in these
264 environments. To use WindowMaker with GNOME, you don't need to do anything
265 special. To use it with CDE, read the answer for "How do I switch CDE's
266 windowmanager to use WindowMaker?"
268 To use it with KDE, read it's documentation to get rid of kwm (and possibly
269 kpanel) and replace it with wmaker. Then, start WPrefs.app, go to "Mouse
270 Preferences" and set the "Disable mouse actions" check box. You will need to
271 restart WindowMaker to make this change take effect. The "Disable mouse
272 actions" change is needed to allow you to use krootwm, wich enables you to
273 use kfm's desktop icons, but will prevent you from accessing WindowMaker's
274 Applications and Window List menus with the mouse.
279 How do I switch CDE's window-manager to use WindowMaker?
280 ----------------------------------
283 Peter Ilberg <peter.ilberg@natinst.com> gives us this answer:
285 Install WM wherever you want it, mine is in /opt/WindowMaker-0.16.0
286 (eg. use ./configure --prefix=/opt/WindowMaker-0.16.0).
287 Run the install script wmaker.inst in your home directory.
289 Add the following two lines to .dtprofile in your home directory:
291 SESSIONTYPE=xdm; export SESSIONTYPE
292 PATH=:/usr/contrib/bin/X11:$PATH:.; export PATH
294 This tells CDE to go looking for an .xinitrc/.xsession instead of using the default
297 Make your .xsession/.xinitrc executable (VERY IMPORTANT, wmaker.inst did NOT
298 do this automatically for me) using eg.
300 chmod ugo+x .xsession
302 Your .xsession/.xinitrc should look something like this:
305 <some other init stuff that you want/need>
308 Things to try if it doesn't work: (somewhat fuzzy and random)
310 This should do it although I did have problems sometimes initially which I fixed
311 by randomly trying absolute pathes for wmaker in .xsession/.xinitrc and/or making
312 the dtprofile/.xinitrc/etc executable. It helps logging in on the console (select from
313 CDE login screen) and start X manually using 'X'.
314 If it works that way it should work when logging into the CDE environment.
315 Remember to Check your paths!
317 If it doesn't work, you can also substitute some other window manager for
318 wmaker in the .xinitrc and see if that works. If it does you know at least that .xinitrc
319 is getting called/executed, so your WM path is wrong or not set.
324 Thomas Hanselman gave this alternative answer (via Peter Ilberg):
326 Build and install WM wherever you want, as described in Method 1. You can
327 install and run WM just fine from your home directory. That's what I'm doing,
328 since I don't have root access at work :(. Then, in your .Xdefaults file in your
329 home directory, add the following line:
331 Dtsession*wmStartupCommand: <path to WindowMaker executable>
333 Then, log out, and log back in, and, unless I've forgotten a step (or this is a
334 custom Nortel thing), you should be in WindowMaker heaven ;).
336 Difference between the methods: (according to Thomas)
338 I've been told that the difference between setting the resource and Peter's
339 method is that if you override the window manager with the resouce, you still get
340 the CDE resources read into the resource database (so you still have your color
341 settings & such from CDE), whereas with Peter's, the CDE resource don't get
342 read into the database. I don't know if this is true or not, however. Also, another
343 thing to note with WindowMaker and HP-UX 10.20 -- if you select "Exit Session"
344 from the WM root menu, WindowMaker and all of your applications are killed,
345 but you may not be logged out. Again, this might be an artifact from my work
346 environment, or the way I start WindowMaker.
348 Owen Stenseth <iplenergy.com> adds:
350 When using this method it is possible to exit WindowMaker cleanly by using the
351 dtaction command. I use the following in my WindowMaker menu:
353 "Exit Session" EXEC dtaction ExitSession
355 The only problem I have at the moment is I seem to get multiple copies of
356 asclock running when I log in again.
360 You can also use the normal "Exit Session" command from the WM root menu
361 and place additional commands required to shutdown CDE in
362 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/exitscript
364 So, if you add "dtaction ExitSession" in that file, the command to
365 shutdown CDE will be automatically executed when you exit WindowMaker.
369 Do I need to rerun wmaker.inst with every new version of WindowMaker?
370 ----------------------------------
371 Dan Pascu reveals the answer:
373 When the user will need to run wmaker.inst again in a new release of wmaker,
374 we will write that down in the NEWS file.
375 (as I've done in 0.15.0).
377 The way domain files are read beginning from 0.15.0 makes this redundant. The
378 user config files are merged with the global ones in
379 /usr/local/share/WindowMaker/Defaults.
380 So even if new options are added, they will reflect in the user configuration.
382 Only if user wishes to change the default behavior, he needs to add that option
386 When I run wmaker it quits complaing about something __register_frame_info.
387 -----------------------------------------------------------
389 This seems to be related to pgcc, gcc-2.8.0 or something. Try using gcc
390 2.7.x to compile wmaker.
393 The libxyz image format library is not detected.
394 ------------------------------------------------
396 Always look at config.log and see why configure isn't detecting the library.
397 If that doens't help you much, check the following:
399 - if there is only one set of libraries in your system (look in
400 /usr/openwin/lib, check if you have different versions of the library etc)
401 - if the header file(s) of that library are installed (make sure you
402 have installed the devel packages of that library)
403 - supply the path of that library to configure:
404 ./configure --with-gfx-libs=/the/path/to/the/lib
414 ----------------------------------
415 An appicon is the icon (without the tiny titlebar a minimized application icon has)
416 produced by most applications that initially is in the bottom left corner of the
417 screen while an application is running. For an example, run xterm and notice the
418 icon in the corner. (Make sure that you use xterm and not a default older rxvt
419 because older versions of rxvt do not properly set their window attributes.)
422 How do I get new apps on the dock (The icon or line of icons on the right
423 side of the screen by default)
424 ----------------------------------
425 Launch an application. If there is a little icon that pops up in the bottom corner of
426 the screen, drag it over to the dock icon(s). You should see a whiteish square
427 indicating when it is close enough to dock, and where it will be placed. To make
428 sure this application will be there next time you start up windowmaker, exit
429 windowmaker with the "exit session" option.
432 What is the button in the middle of the Clip?
433 ----------------------------------
434 Dan Pascu gives this insightful answer:
436 "Well, it's the power on indicator. To be sure that Clip is working ;)"
438 In 0.15.x, the light now means that the Clip is in its expanded stateto show any
439 appicons attached to it. When collapsed, it expands when you drag an appicon
443 What is the difference between the 'Exit' and 'Exit Session' Options?
444 ----------------------------------
445 Another Answer from Dan Pascu:
447 "'Exit' exits wmaker, but leaves the other apps running, and if wmaker was not
448 the last app launched in the .xinitrc the X server is not closed, until the last app
449 started by .xinitrc is closed.
450 'Exit session' will exit wmaker, but also will close all running apps, thus the X
451 server will be closed."
454 How do I "dock" Icons on the Clip?
455 ----------------------------------
456 Just drag icons near it like you would for the dock. If you are having a problem
457 docking icons, you should try moving the Clip away from the dock.
460 Why do none of my Key Bindings (ie: Alt+#) work in WindowMaker 0.1x.x
461 ----------------------------------
462 If you are using XFree86, make sure scroll lock and numlock are off or no
463 bindings will work (XFree bug). You can try using the XFree86 Numlock Hack by
464 editing the line #undef NUMLOCK_HACK in $WindowMakerdir/src/wconfig.h and
465 changing it to #define NUMLOCK_HACK.
468 How do I rename workspaces?
469 ----------------------------------
470 Right click on the "desktop" (root window) to show the menu (don't hold the
471 button down). Go to the workspaces menu and hold the Control key down and
472 click on the workspace you would like to rename and type the name.
474 If you use the clip, use the "Rename Workspace" command in the clip menu.
477 How can I resize a window if the window is larger than my currect
479 ----------------------------------
480 David Reviejo <dreviejo@arrakis.es> best summed up this answer:
483 Alt+Left click and drag
487 Alt+Right click and drag
488 to resize (by moving the nearest window corner)
490 Another move/resize tip: while you are moving or resizing a window, you
491 can change the move/resize mode by pressing the SHIFT key."
494 When I run xyz (xyz usually = rxvt) from the dock and later quit, the
495 3 dots don't come back and I can't run it again.
496 ----------------------------------
498 You docked xyz using dockit. Dockit does not generate correct application
499 icons most of the time. The only way to get around it is to edit
500 ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMState and set ForcedDock = YES; in the entry for xyz.
501 If you use rxvt, upgrade to rxvt 2.4.6 or newer.
503 There is another better way to dock applications that do not have an appicon,
504 wich is by using the "Emulate Application Icon" option in the
505 "Advanced Options" section of the attributes panel. If you turn this option
506 ON and restart that application, you should get a dockable application icon.
513 What are those files inside my ~/GNUstep directory?
514 ----------------------------------
515 ~/GNUstep/WindowMaker/WindowMaker
517 The main config file. This file controls options such as keybindings, fonts,
518 pixmaps, and focus modes.
521 ~/GNUstep/WindowMaker/WMWindowAttributes
523 The Controls "attributes" for individual applications and appicons. Options
524 such as what icon to use are set here. For the most part, this is now best
525 accessed via a right click on a title bar of an application and selecting
529 ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMState
531 This is the file that is automatically generated and contains the current
532 dock settings. It is not recommended to edit this file by hand.
535 ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMRootMenu
537 This file specifies what file to use as the root menu.
540 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/menu
542 This is the file to edit to change your root menu.
545 How do I enable the normal X sloppy focus mode?
546 ----------------------------------
547 In the ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker, change the following:
552 How do I get my auto-arrange icons to work?
553 ----------------------------------
554 In ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker set AutoArrangeIcons=Yes; and the icons
555 should now auto-arrange.
558 How do I get my Meta-Tab to cycle through windows correctly?
559 ----------------------------------
560 Make sure that these settings are true in your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker
563 CirculateRaise = Yes;
567 How can I define my own Icon for a program? (instead of the Icon the
568 Application Supplies?)
569 ----------------------------------
570 You can right click on the titlebar of the running app and choose the
571 "Attributes..." option, then click on the "Ignore client supplied icon" checkbox.
572 Click "Apply", "Save" and close the Attributes Editor.
574 Another method is to edit ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMWindowAttributes by hand and
575 use the AlwaysUserIcon=YES; option for the app. For example:
577 xmcd = { Icon = "Radio.xpm";
582 How do I get a pixmap background for my appicons (those things in the
584 ----------------------------------
585 You need to change 1 line to your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMakerfile.
587 IconBack = (spixmap, tile.black.xpm, white);
589 IconBack = (tpixmap, tile.black.xpm, white);
591 spixmap will scale the pixmap to fit the tile, tpixmap will tile it as is.
593 As Random@efnet says, The last parameter is the color that fills in any
594 transparent parts of your icon.
597 How do you dock <insert program here> that doesn't have an appicon in
598 the new version of WindowMaker?
599 ----------------------------------
601 Open the window commands menu for the main window of the application
602 (the first window that is opened by the app and also causes the whole
603 application to exit, when it is closed), choose "Attributes..." and
604 go to the "Advanced Options" section. Then, check ON the
605 "Emulate Application Icon" check box.
608 How do I get x11amp to not have a title bar? (or any other program for
610 ----------------------------------
611 Right Click on the title bar and choose "Attributes". Click on Panel 2 and click
612 the the "Disable titlebar" and "Disable resizebar" options. Click "Save", "Apply"
613 and then close the Attributes panel.
615 By Default, to get back to the attributes menu once you've removed the titlebar,
616 hit the key F10 while the window is focused.
618 Here is an example entry in ~/GNUstep/WMWindowAttributes for x11amp.
628 How do I set a pixmap background?
629 ----------------------------------
630 Here is the in depth explanation straight from the NEWS file:
632 wmsetbg now accepts the following options:
633 usage: wmsetbg [-options] image
638 -s scale image (default)
639 -u update WindowMaker domain database
640 -D <domain> update <domain> database
641 -c <cpc> colors per channel to use
643 By default, it will try to guess if dithering is needed or not and proceed
645 Using -d or -m will force it to dither or match colors.
647 Dithering for more than 15bpp is generally not needed, and will only result in a
649 Don't use dithering except when needed, because it is slower. Else rely on
650 wmsetbg which will detect if dithering is needed and use it.
652 -u will update the WorkspaceBack in the default database domain
653 file in ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker, and let WindowMaker
654 refresh the screen. Please note that this option only works under
655 WindowMaker, and will have no effect under other window
656 managers, since it rely on WindowMaker to update the image
657 after it reads the updated defaults database.
659 -D <domain> is same as above, but will update the domain
660 <domain> instead of the default WindowMaker domain.
662 -c <cpc> will set the color per channel to use. Only needed for
663 PseudoColor visuals. WindowMaker will automatically pass the
664 value read from the WindowMaker domain database.
667 The following line is straight from your WindowMaker-0.15.x
668 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/menu file and should all be on one line.
670 "Images" OPEN_MENU BACKGROUNDS_DIR
671 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/Backgrounds WITH wmsetbg -u -t
673 This should give you an idea on how to add other entries for different image
674 directories. See the help info at the top of the
675 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/menu file for more information.
677 If you for some reason would like to set your background image with XV, for
678 instance to use an image format not yet supported by wmsetbg or to use one of
679 XV's special modes, edit the file ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/autostart and
682 xv -root -quit -maxpect ~/background.jpg
684 xv -root -quit -max ~/background.jpg
686 you can also try variations of this to get different tiling and other effects (where X
687 is a number 1-9 I believe):
688 'xv -root -quit -rmodeX ~/background.jpg'
690 If you would like xv functionality in your menu, heres a nice little tip from Alfredo:
692 Add the following line to your ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/menu file. (all on one
695 "More Backgrounds" OPEN_MENU /home/whoever/backgrounds xv -root -maxpect -quit
698 Can I put pixmaps in my root menu and title bars?
699 ----------------------------------
700 With the release of WindowMaker-0.14.1, you can now put pixmaps anywhere
701 you would have either a gradient or a color. This means now that
703 MenuTextBack=(tpixmap, foo.xpm, acolor);
705 in ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker will put the correct pixmap tiled in your menu.
707 FTitleBack = (spixmap, foo.xpm, black);
709 Would have the effect of streching a pixmap to fit the titlebar of the active
711 You can use png, tiff, jpeg and xpm images interchangeably in WindowMaker if
712 you have compiled in support for those formats.
715 How do I get my Minimize Icon to look like the triangle I see in
717 ----------------------------------
718 This involves a minor source tweak. Instructions are available at
719 http://wm.gnu.net/tips.html#titlebar_icons.
720 Example screenshot can be seen at
721 http://wm.gnu.net/images/screenshots/Midnight3.jpg.
724 How do I get superfluous bells and whistles working?
725 ----------------------------------
726 Add Superfluous=YES; to your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/Windowmaker file.
728 This option was added as a runtime option in WindowMaker >= 0.16.1.
731 How do I get the classic NeXT(tm)-like style back?
732 ----------------------------------
733 Add NewStyle=NO; to your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/Windowmaker file.
735 This option was added as a runtime option in WindowMaker >= 0.16.1
743 How do I assign gimp an appicon?
744 ----------------------------------
745 WindowMaker now can assign Icons from within the windowmanager, to do so,
746 right click on the title bar of an app or hit F10 while the desired app is focused,
747 choose "Attributes...", click on the "4" Button, enter the icon file name (make
748 sure this is in your pixmap path, or you can type in the full path without using ~/
749 type path names), click "Update", "Apply", "Save" and then close the Attributes
752 You can also enter the following line in
753 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/WMWindowAttributes:
755 gimp={Icon="gimp.xpm";};
758 How do I get an appicon for XEmacs 20.3+?
759 ----------------------------------
760 Thanks to Michael Hafner <hayfi@rz.fh-augsburg.de> for this answer.
762 You don't need to patch the XEmacs code, just run
764 ./configure --with-session=yes (in addition to any other options you use)
766 in your XEmacs 20.3+ sourcedir and rebuild it. Then XEmacs shows an
767 appicon when running and you can easily dock it.
770 Where do you get that clock program I always see on people's desktops?
771 ----------------------------------
772 Its called asclock. It has been included with every version I've downloaded.
773 Currently it resides in ./WindowMaker-0.xx.x/misc/asclock.tgz and is prepatched to
774 be able to dock. Some other (older) versions you might find on the net don't
778 How do you dock asclock?
779 ----------------------------------
780 asclock -shape -iconic -12 &
782 Drag it from the top right corner of the clock to the dock. Right click on the icon
783 and select autolaunch.
784 You have to drag the appicon by clicking on the edge of the icon, because the
785 actual pixmap belongs to the app itself, and any clicks on the pixmap are
786 interpreted by the app rather than X or the window manager. Therefor, you need
787 to click somewhere on the appicon where the background tile shows through
788 (usually the edges), and drag it that way.
791 How do you dock wmload?
792 ----------------------------------
793 wmload -withdrawn -shape &
795 Then dock it similar to asclock.
798 What other apps exist for the dock?
799 ----------------------------------
800 Several Nice applications are available:
802 wmmixer and wmcd and wmmount
803 http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Vista/2471/linux.htm#xapps
805 ascd,WMRack,asmixer,asmodem, and others
806 ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/wmaker/contrib/srcs/apps/
808 wmavgload, wmmount, and wmload
809 ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/wmaker/contrib/srcs/utils/
811 wmppp-wmifs, wmtime, wmmon and other nifty apps
812 http://windowmaker.mezaway.org/
815 How do I get an appicon for rxvt so I can dock it?
816 ----------------------------------
817 The default rxvt that comes with most distribtions is an outdated version of rxvt.
818 The newest development version of rxvt is availible from
819 ftp://ftp.math.fu-berlin.de/pub/rxvt/devel/. As of the time of this writing, the
820 version is 2.4.6 and it natively produces an appicon without a patch.
822 John Eikenberry has also created an rpm which is available from
823 ftp://ftp.coe.uga.edu/users/jae/windowmaker/
825 As of version 2.4.6, rxvt includes WindowMaker support as well as
826 John Eikenberry's NeXT scrollbar hack.
829 How do I get different icons for rxvt's (or xterms) running different
831 ----------------------------------
832 The simplest way is to run each rxvt with a different -name parameter.
834 For example, I want to run an rxvt for irc and one for mail. This is an example of
838 rxvt -name "irc" -e "irc"
841 rxvt -name "mail" -e "pine"
843 This would result in each rxvt now having the instance and class of irc.Xterm and
844 mail.Xterm respectively, so that WindowMaker can now set Attributes for them
848 How do I allow Alt+# to work in an rxvt session? (with irc for example)
849 ----------------------------------
850 First, Launch a unique instance of rxvt or xterm.
851 This can be done using the -name option of rxvt.
854 rxvt -name foo -e irc
856 Then, go to the Attributes menu (right click on titlebar (or hit Control+Esc
857 and choose 'Attributes...')
858 Then choose 'Advanced Options' from the listbox and enable 'Don't Bind
860 Click 'Save' and 'Apply' and you should be able to run your session without the
864 When I use Netscape with Window Maker it crashes
865 ------------------------------------------------
867 (the problem where you get a message with something like _MOTIF_DRAG_WINDOW
868 was deleted or something)
870 You are probably are running a glibc system and using libc5 version of
871 Netscape. To solve this, upgrade Netscape to a glibc version.
873 BTW: blaming wmaker for something like this is nonsensical. It makes as
874 much sense as blaming the pizza you ate yesterday for a disentery
882 How do I get a normal X application to produce an appicon?
883 ----------------------------------
884 Another insightful answer from who else but Dan Pascu.
886 "You must define the WM_CLASS (XSetClassHint()) and the CLIENT_LEADER
887 or XWMHints.window_group properties, which are automatically set by most
888 applications that use Xt (Motif, Athena ...), but if you use plain Xlib you must set
891 Also you must make a call to XSetCommand(dpy, leader, argv, argc);
893 Take a look at WindowMaker-0.1x.x/test/test.c that is an example for writing
894 such an app (which also have an app menu)."
897 How do I get my tcl/tk application to produce an appicon?
898 ----------------------------------
901 The main window (normally this is called '.' [dot] in tk) should use the following
904 wm command . [concat $argv0 $argv]
907 All child windows attached to the same app-icon should use:
912 where .child should be replaced by the actual window path.
914 Replace '.' with the actual main-window path and 'wm group .child .' should be
915 added for each 'toplevel .child' call.
919 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
920 Miscellaneous Questions:
921 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
923 Is there a pager for WindowMaker?
924 ----------------------------------
925 Not at the moment because there is not a pressing need for a pager. The
926 concept of multiple desktops does exist and there are currently 3 ways to
929 First, the Alt+Number combination will switch between desktops. The
930 Workspaces menu will also let you switch workspaces. Lastly, the Clip will also
931 scroll one through workspaces.
933 For those that would like to send an application to a specific workspace, either
934 drag it to an edge of the desktop onto the next workspace or you can right click
935 on the titlebar, choose "Move to..." and choose the appropriate workspace.
938 Can I have folders like in AfterStep?
939 ----------------------------------
940 No. WindowMaker does however support the collapsable Clip per desktop for a
941 similar functionality.
944 What exactly are themes?
945 ----------------------------------
946 Themes are a great aspect of WindowMaker allowing a user to simply save the
947 entire 'look' of their desktop in a Archive to distribute freely among friends, fellow
948 users and/or the whole net in general. :)
950 See the topic "How do I make a Theme?" below for an in-depth walk-through on
951 making a Theme archive.
954 How do I install a Theme?
955 ----------------------------------
956 This should be as simple as untarring the Theme.tar.gz into one of two places.
957 You can untar it to the global /usr/local/share/WindowMaker/* directory, and have it
958 be accessable to all users, or you can untar it to your own
959 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/ directory for your own personal use.
961 Use your favorite variation of the following:
963 gzip -dc "Theme.tar.gz" | tar xvf -
965 *(directory may differ on some systems)
968 How do I make a Theme?
969 ----------------------------------
970 In this walk-through when I use WindowMaker/, it can refer to the global
971 /usr/local/share/WindowMaker/ directory or the users own
972 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/ directory.
974 To make a Theme.tar.gz, these are the steps I take:
976 1.Optionally create a README for your theme in WindowMaker/, call it
977 something like "ThemeName.txt"
979 2.Use the following command to add the Theme files to your .tar file.
981 tar cvf ThemeName.tar ThemeName.txt Themes/ThemeName
982 Backgrounds/ThemeNameBG.jpg Backgrounds/ThemeNameTile.xpm
984 You can add as many more images as you need from the appropriate
985 directories under WindowMaker/ following that general idea. You can even
986 optionally add an IconSets/ThemeName.iconset and it's associated icons to
987 your theme in the same manner. This should be stated in your README
988 if you decide to include these.
990 3.Then gzip your .tar file to make your ThemeName.tar.gz file with this
993 gzip -9 ThemeName.tar
995 4.Now give it to your friends!
1000 Why don't you distribute {normal diff,xdelta} patches?
1001 ------------------------------------------------------------
1003 Whenever possible plain diff patches are distributed. If the new
1004 version has new binary files, normal diff won't be able to handle
1005 them, so a patch package is distributed, instead. We don't use
1007 - most systems do not have xdelta installed;
1008 - xdelta is picky and require the file to be patched to be
1009 exactly the same as the one used to make the patch. The patch package
1010 scheme used is much more flexible.
1012 We do not distribute a simple diff with the binary files separately
1013 (and variations, like uuencoding the binary files) because:
1014 - it is more complicated and error prone to require the user to manually
1015 move the files to the correct places;
1016 - the current patch package scheme *does* distribute the binary files
1017 and diff files separately. If the user wants to install everything by
1018 hand, nobody will object to that;
1019 - sooner or later someone will certainly ask for a script to automate the
1022 So we hacked a script (mkpatch) that automatically creates a patch package
1023 with the normal text diff file, a list of removed files and the binary files
1024 that have changed or been added, plus a script that does the patching
1025 automatically. If you don't like the script, you can apply the patch and
1026 move the files manually. Or download the whole distribution.