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.
34 - How do I get new apps on the dock (The line of pixmaps on the right side
35 of the screen by default)
36 - What is the button in the middle of the Clip?
37 - What is the difference between the Exit and Exit Session Option?
38 - How do I "dock" Icons on the Clip?
39 - Why do none of my Key Bindings work in WindowMaker 0.1x.x
40 - How do I rename workspaces?
41 - How can I resize a window if the window is larger than my currect
43 - When I run xyz (xyz usually = rxvt) from the dock and later quit, the
44 3 dots don't come back and I can't run it again.
47 - What are those files inside my ~/GNUstep directory?
48 - How do I enable the normal X sloppy focus mode?
49 - How do I get my auto-arrange icons to work?
50 - How do I get my Meta-Tab to cycle through windows correctly?
51 - How can I define my own Icon for a program? (instead of the Icon the
52 Application Supplies?)
53 - How do I get a pixmap background for my appicons (those things in the
55 - How do you dock <insert program here> that doesn't have an appicon in
56 the new version of WindowMaker?
57 - How do I get x11amp to not have a title bar? (or any other program for that
59 - How do I set a pixmap background?
60 - Can I put pixmaps in my root menu and title bars?
61 - How do I get my Minimize Icon to look like the triangle I see in
63 - How do I get superfluous bells and whistles working?
64 - How do I get my oldstyle back?
67 - How do I assign gimp an appicon?
68 - How do I get an appicon for XEmacs 20.3+?
69 - Where do you get that clock program I always see on people's desktops?
70 - How do you dock asclock?
71 - How do you dock wmload?
72 - What other apps exist for the dock?
73 - How do I get an appicon for rxvt so I can dock it?
74 - How do I get different icons for rxvt's (or xterms) running different
76 - How do I allow Alt+# to work in an rxvt session? (with irc for example)
79 - How do I get a normal X application to produce an appicon?
80 - How do I get my tcl/tk application to produce an appicon?
82 Miscellaneous Questions
83 - Is there a pager for WindowMaker?
84 - Can I have folders like in AfterStep?
85 - What exactly are Themes?
86 - How do I install a Theme?
87 - How do I make a Theme?
88 - Why don't you distribute {normal diff,xdelta} patches?
91 ========================================================================
98 ----------------------------------
99 WindowMaker is an elegant X11 window manger that emulates the OpenStep
100 desktop with some noticeable enhancements. Look at
101 http://wm.gnu.net/screenshots.html for example screenshots.
104 Where can I get WindowMaker?
105 ----------------------------------
106 The official site to get new developmental versions from is
107 ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/beta/srcs/.
109 NOTE: WindowMaker-0.16.1.tar.gz is the newest stable release, for some
110 reason it has not been moved into the release directory. You should
111 DEFINATELY go with 0.16.1 rather than 0.6.3.
113 WindowMaker-0.17.5 is the newest development release. This will be the last
114 release with new features until 1.0 is released. Work from now until 1.0 will
115 focus on bug fixes, so keep testing and report those bugs!
117 The development versions are usually very stable themselves, so if you want to
118 have all the newest features, you can rather safetly go with the development
119 versions. Just remember to save any unsaved data before you go playing
120 around with the config files. Also, remember they are developmental versions,
121 so your mileage may vary, don't get angry if they crash.
124 Where are the mailing list archives?
125 ----------------------------------
126 UPDATE: Ed has moved to Utah to work for Caldera, so the list has moved.
127 The new address is http://www.caldera.com/linuxcenter/forums/wmaker.html
129 The archives should come online again when Ed gets all moved in and comfy in
130 about 2 weeks or so. (around mid-august or so) Please be patient until then.
134 Where is there more documentation on configuring WindowMaker?
135 ----------------------------------
136 Besides the mailing list archives, there are nice documents in
137 ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/docs/
145 Where can I get proplist.h?
146 ----------------------------------
147 My first hint would be to look through the documentation a little more closely.
148 libPropList.tar.gz is located in the root of the WindowMaker distribution source
149 tree. Untar libproplist, compile and install it so that the it will be available to
153 Why do no icons show up after installing WindowMaker >= 0.15.x when
154 I've followed all the directions?
155 ----------------------------------
156 According to Dan Pascu should not happen because WindowMaker should
157 detect if libtiff is going to be compiled in and then it will make the default theme
158 based around .xpm instead of .tif.
160 As of WindowMaker version 0.15.0, the default setup includes .tiff icons which
161 require you to have compiled WindowMaker with libtiff support. For some help
162 on compiling with libtiff, at the libtiff section of this FAQ.
165 How do I get libtiff to work?
166 ----------------------------------
167 The whole key to getting libtiff working for me was to upgrade to >=
168 tiff-v3.4beta037-tar.gz availible at ftp.sgi.com.
170 Rerun ./configure and make and it should work. I had previously been using
171 tiff-v3.4-tar.gz instead so the library was there just not working. A note to keep in
172 mind, is that the tiff libs are versioned rather oddly, version tiff-v3.4beta037 is
173 actually newer than tiff-v3.4.
175 Make sure to rm config.cache and rerun ./configure before attempting to compile
178 Also, make sure to use gnu-make for the WindowMaker compile.
181 How do I get libjpeg to work?
182 ----------------------------------
183 The newest jpeg libs are availible at ftp://ftp.uu.net/graphics/jpeg/.
185 How many of you have seen that darned "lib reports 62 caller expects 61" type of
187 Well, I have more than once, and here are some answers to possibly help you
190 First things first. As always, make sure there are not older copies of libjpeg
191 floating around on your system. By default my Slackware distribution came with
192 an old libjpeg.so.1 in the /usr/X11R6/lib/ directory. This can simply be deleted. Or
193 if something complains after you delete it, recompile it if you can to look for the
194 new lib in the right place, or if that fails, as a last resort, you might add a symlink
195 to the new lib like so:
196 ln -s /usr/local/lib/libjpeg.so.6.0.2 libjpeg.so.1
199 This is basically caused by your application having been compiled to
200 dynamically use the libjpeg.so shared library. When you install a new lib and then
201 try to run your program again, it expects the lib it was compiled against, in this
202 case the older libjpeg.so.6.0.1 and instead finds libjpeg.so.6.0.2 and reports the
205 The fix is actually rather simple. Along with adding a libjpeg.so.6 symlink like so
207 ln -s libjpeg.so.6.0.2 libjpeg.so.6
208 where you installed your new lib, you simply need to recompile your app to link it
209 against the new library. :)
211 Make sure to rm config.cache and rerun ./configure before attempting to compile
214 Also, make sure to use gnu-make for the WindowMaker compile.
217 How do I get libpng to work?
218 ----------------------------------
219 The newest png libs are availible at
220 http://www.cdrom.com/pub/png/pngcode.html.
221 You should also get the newest zlib libs from
222 http://www.cdrom.com/pub/infozip/zlib/.
224 I had a few problems with this lib as well, basically I had an old libz.so in my
225 /usr/X11R6/lib/ directory which configure was finding first, and which failed the test,
228 Generally the same applies here as with libjpeg, make sure there are no older
229 versions of the necessary libs floating around on your system, then try and
230 configure and make again.
232 Make sure to rm config.cache and rerun ./configure before attempting to compile
235 Also, make sure to use gnu-make for the WindowMaker compile.
238 Does wmsound work with 0.1x.x?
239 ----------------------------------
240 As of WindowMaker 0.15.x, sound is now included by default but requires the
241 authors sound server. For more information, read the NEWS file in the
242 WindowMaker distribution.
244 The author Anthony Quinn has released a version that works with
245 WindowMaker >= 0.15.x. It is available from it's home page at
246 http://www.frontiernet.net/~southgat/wmsound/
248 http://wm.gnu.net/files.html#wmsound
252 ### New, possibly with some errors
254 Can I use WindowMaker with KDE or GNOME or CDE?
255 ----------------------------------
257 Contrary to a lot of people thinks, KDE is NOT a window manager. KDE is
258 a suite of various applications that includes a custom window manager.
259 The same is true for CDE.
261 Now, answering the question: Yes, you can use WindowMaker in these
262 environments. To use WindowMaker with GNOME, you don't need to do anything
263 special. To use it with CDE, read the answer for "How do I switch CDE's
264 windowmanager to use WindowMaker?"
266 To use it with KDE, read it's documentation to get rid of kwm (and possibly
267 kpanel) and replace it with wmaker. Then, start WPrefs.app, go to "Mouse
268 Preferences" and set the "Disable mouse actions" check box. You will need to
269 restart WindowMaker to make this change take effect. The "Disable mouse
270 actions" change is needed to allow you to use krootwm, wich enables you to
271 use kfm's desktop icons, but will prevent you from accessing WindowMaker's
272 Applications and Window List menus with the mouse.
277 How do I switch CDE's window-manager to use WindowMaker?
278 ----------------------------------
281 Peter Ilberg <peter.ilberg@natinst.com> gives us this answer:
283 Install WM wherever you want it, mine is in /opt/WindowMaker-0.16.0
284 (eg. use ./configure --prefix=/opt/WindowMaker-0.16.0).
285 Run the install script wmaker.inst in your home directory.
287 Add the following two lines to .dtprofile in your home directory:
289 SESSIONTYPE=xdm; export SESSIONTYPE
290 PATH=:/usr/contrib/bin/X11:$PATH:.; export PATH
292 This tells CDE to go looking for an .xinitrc/.xsession instead of using the default
295 Make your .xsession/.xinitrc executable (VERY IMPORTANT, wmaker.inst did NOT
296 do this automatically for me) using eg.
298 chmod ugo+x .xsession
300 Your .xsession/.xinitrc should look something like this:
303 <some other init stuff that you want/need>
306 Things to try if it doesn't work: (somewhat fuzzy and random)
308 This should do it although I did have problems sometimes initially which I fixed
309 by randomly trying absolute pathes for wmaker in .xsession/.xinitrc and/or making
310 the dtprofile/.xinitrc/etc executable. It helps logging in on the console (select from
311 CDE login screen) and start X manually using 'X'.
312 If it works that way it should work when logging into the CDE environment.
313 Remember to Check your paths!
315 If it doesn't work, you can also substitute some other window manager for
316 wmaker in the .xinitrc and see if that works. If it does you know at least that .xinitrc
317 is getting called/executed, so your WM path is wrong or not set.
322 Thomas Hanselman gave this alternative answer (via Peter Ilberg):
324 Build and install WM wherever you want, as described in Method 1. You can
325 install and run WM just fine from your home directory. That's what I'm doing,
326 since I don't have root access at work :(. Then, in your .Xdefaults file in your
327 home directory, add the following line:
329 Dtsession*wmStartupCommand: <path to WindowMaker executable>
331 Then, log out, and log back in, and, unless I've forgotten a step (or this is a
332 custom Nortel thing), you should be in WindowMaker heaven ;).
334 Difference between the methods: (according to Thomas)
336 I've been told that the difference between setting the resource and Peter's
337 method is that if you override the window manager with the resouce, you still get
338 the CDE resources read into the resource database (so you still have your color
339 settings & such from CDE), whereas with Peter's, the CDE resource don't get
340 read into the database. I don't know if this is true or not, however. Also, another
341 thing to note with WindowMaker and HP-UX 10.20 -- if you select "Exit Session"
342 from the WM root menu, WindowMaker and all of your applications are killed,
343 but you may not be logged out. Again, this might be an artifact from my work
344 environment, or the way I start WindowMaker.
346 Owen Stenseth <iplenergy.com> adds:
348 When using this method it is possible to exit WindowMaker cleanly by using the
349 dtaction command. I use the following in my WindowMaker menu:
351 "Exit Session" EXEC dtaction ExitSession
353 The only problem I have at the moment is I seem to get multiple copies of
354 asclock running when I log in again.
358 You can also use the normal "Exit Session" command from the WM root menu
359 and place additional commands required to shutdown CDE in
360 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/exitscript
362 So, if you add "dtaction ExitSession" in that file, the command to
363 shutdown CDE will be automatically executed when you exit WindowMaker.
367 Do I need to rerun wmaker.inst with every new version of WindowMaker?
368 ----------------------------------
369 Dan Pascu reveals the answer:
371 When the user will need to run wmaker.inst again in a new release of wmaker,
372 we will write that down in the NEWS file.
373 (as I've done in 0.15.0).
375 The way domain files are read beginning from 0.15.0 makes this redundant. The
376 user config files are merged with the global ones in
377 /usr/local/share/WindowMaker/Defaults.
378 So even if new options are added, they will reflect in the user configuration.
380 Only if user wishes to change the default behavior, he needs to add that option
384 When I run wmaker it quits complaing about something __register_frame_info.
385 -----------------------------------------------------------
387 This seems to be related to pgcc, gcc-2.8.0 or something. Try using gcc
388 2.7.x to compile wmaker.
397 ----------------------------------
398 An appicon is the icon (without the tiny titlebar a minimized application icon has)
399 produced by most applications that initially is in the bottom left corner of the
400 screen while an application is running. For an example, run xterm and notice the
401 icon in the corner. (Make sure that you use xterm and not a default older rxvt
402 because older versions of rxvt do not properly set their window attributes.)
405 How do I get new apps on the dock (The icon or line of icons on the right
406 side of the screen by default)
407 ----------------------------------
408 Launch an application. If there is a little icon that pops up in the bottom corner of
409 the screen, drag it over to the dock icon(s). You should see a whiteish square
410 indicating when it is close enough to dock, and where it will be placed. To make
411 sure this application will be there next time you start up windowmaker, exit
412 windowmaker with the "exit session" option.
415 What is the button in the middle of the Clip?
416 ----------------------------------
417 Dan Pascu gives this insightful answer:
419 "Well, it's the power on indicator. To be sure that Clip is working ;)"
421 In 0.15.x, the light now means that the Clip is in its expanded stateto show any
422 appicons attached to it. When collapsed, it expands when you drag an appicon
426 What is the difference between the 'Exit' and 'Exit Session' Options?
427 ----------------------------------
428 Another Answer from Dan Pascu:
430 "'Exit' exits wmaker, but leaves the other apps running, and if wmaker was not
431 the last app launched in the .xinitrc the X server is not closed, until the last app
432 started by .xinitrc is closed.
433 'Exit session' will exit wmaker, but also will close all running apps, thus the X
434 server will be closed."
437 How do I "dock" Icons on the Clip?
438 ----------------------------------
439 Just drag icons near it like you would for the dock. If you are having a problem
440 docking icons, you should try moving the Clip away from the dock.
443 Why do none of my Key Bindings (ie: Alt+#) work in WindowMaker 0.1x.x
444 ----------------------------------
445 If you are using XFree86, make sure scroll lock and numlock are off or no
446 bindings will work (XFree bug). You can try using the XFree86 Numlock Hack by
447 editing the line #undef NUMLOCK_HACK in $WindowMakerdir/src/wconfig.h and
448 changing it to #define NUMLOCK_HACK.
451 How do I rename workspaces?
452 ----------------------------------
453 Right click on the "desktop" (root window) to show the menu (don't hold the
454 button down). Go to the workspaces menu and hold the Control key down and
455 click on the workspace you would like to rename and type the name.
457 If you use the clip, use the "Rename Workspace" command in the clip menu.
460 How can I resize a window if the window is larger than my currect
462 ----------------------------------
463 David Reviejo <dreviejo@arrakis.es> best summed up this answer:
466 Alt+Left click and drag
470 Alt+Right click and drag
471 to resize (by moving the nearest window corner)
473 Another move/resize tip: while you are moving or resizing a window, you
474 can change the move/resize mode by pressing the SHIFT key."
477 When I run xyz (xyz usually = rxvt) from the dock and later quit, the
478 3 dots don't come back and I can't run it again.
479 ----------------------------------
481 You docked xyz using dockit. Dockit does not generate correct application
482 icons most of the time. The only way to get around it is to edit
483 ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMState and set ForcedDock = YES; in the entry for xyz.
484 If you use rxvt, upgrade to rxvt 2.4.6 or newer.
486 There is another better way to dock applications that do not have an appicon,
487 wich is by using the "Emulate Application Icon" option in the
488 "Advanced Options" section of the attributes panel. If you turn this option
489 ON and restart that application, you should get a dockable application icon.
496 What are those files inside my ~/GNUstep directory?
497 ----------------------------------
498 ~/GNUstep/WindowMaker/WindowMaker
500 The main config file. This file controls options such as keybindings, fonts,
501 pixmaps, and focus modes.
504 ~/GNUstep/WindowMaker/WMWindowAttributes
506 The Controls "attributes" for individual applications and appicons. Options
507 such as what icon to use are set here. For the most part, this is now best
508 accessed via a right click on a title bar of an application and selecting
512 ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMState
514 This is the file that is automatically generated and contains the current
515 dock settings. It is not recommended to edit this file by hand.
518 ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMRootMenu
520 This file specifies what file to use as the root menu.
523 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/menu
525 This is the file to edit to change your root menu.
528 How do I enable the normal X sloppy focus mode?
529 ----------------------------------
530 In the ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker, change the following:
535 How do I get my auto-arrange icons to work?
536 ----------------------------------
537 In ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker set AutoArrangeIcons=Yes; and the icons
538 should now auto-arrange.
541 How do I get my Meta-Tab to cycle through windows correctly?
542 ----------------------------------
543 Make sure that these settings are true in your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker
546 CirculateRaise = Yes;
550 How can I define my own Icon for a program? (instead of the Icon the
551 Application Supplies?)
552 ----------------------------------
553 You can right click on the titlebar of the running app and choose the
554 "Attributes..." option, then click on the "Ignore client supplied icon" checkbox.
555 Click "Apply", "Save" and close the Attributes Editor.
557 Another method is to edit ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMWindowAttributes by hand and
558 use the AlwaysUserIcon=YES; option for the app. For example:
560 xmcd = { Icon = "Radio.xpm";
565 How do I get a pixmap background for my appicons (those things in the
567 ----------------------------------
568 You need to change 1 line to your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMakerfile.
570 IconBack = (spixmap, tile.black.xpm, white);
572 IconBack = (tpixmap, tile.black.xpm, white);
574 spixmap will scale the pixmap to fit the tile, tpixmap will tile it as is.
576 As Random@efnet says, The last parameter is the color that fills in any
577 transparent parts of your icon.
580 How do you dock <insert program here> that doesn't have an appicon in
581 the new version of WindowMaker?
582 ----------------------------------
584 Open the window commands menu for the main window of the application
585 (the first window that is opened by the app and also causes the whole
586 application to exit, when it is closed), choose "Attributes..." and
587 go to the "Advanced Options" section. Then, check ON the
588 "Emulate Application Icon" check box.
591 How do I get x11amp to not have a title bar? (or any other program for
593 ----------------------------------
594 Right Click on the title bar and choose "Attributes". Click on Panel 2 and click
595 the the "Disable titlebar" and "Disable resizebar" options. Click "Save", "Apply"
596 and then close the Attributes panel.
598 By Default, to get back to the attributes menu once you've removed the titlebar,
599 hit the key F10 while the window is focused.
601 Here is an example entry in ~/GNUstep/WMWindowAttributes for x11amp.
611 How do I set a pixmap background?
612 ----------------------------------
613 Here is the in depth explanation straight from the NEWS file:
615 wmsetbg now accepts the following options:
616 usage: wmsetbg [-options] image
621 -s scale image (default)
622 -u update WindowMaker domain database
623 -D <domain> update <domain> database
624 -c <cpc> colors per channel to use
626 By default, it will try to guess if dithering is needed or not and proceed
628 Using -d or -m will force it to dither or match colors.
630 Dithering for more than 15bpp is generally not needed, and will only result in a
632 Don't use dithering except when needed, because it is slower. Else rely on
633 wmsetbg which will detect if dithering is needed and use it.
635 -u will update the WorkspaceBack in the default database domain
636 file in ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker, and let WindowMaker
637 refresh the screen. Please note that this option only works under
638 WindowMaker, and will have no effect under other window
639 managers, since it rely on WindowMaker to update the image
640 after it reads the updated defaults database.
642 -D <domain> is same as above, but will update the domain
643 <domain> instead of the default WindowMaker domain.
645 -c <cpc> will set the color per channel to use. Only needed for
646 PseudoColor visuals. WindowMaker will automatically pass the
647 value read from the WindowMaker domain database.
650 The following line is straight from your WindowMaker-0.15.x
651 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/menu file and should all be on one line.
653 "Images" OPEN_MENU BACKGROUNDS_DIR
654 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/Backgrounds WITH wmsetbg -u -t
656 This should give you an idea on how to add other entries for different image
657 directories. See the help info at the top of the
658 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/menu file for more information.
660 If you for some reason would like to set your background image with XV, for
661 instance to use an image format not yet supported by wmsetbg or to use one of
662 XV's special modes, edit the file ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/autostart and
665 xv -root -quit -maxpect ~/background.jpg
667 xv -root -quit -max ~/background.jpg
669 you can also try variations of this to get different tiling and other effects (where X
670 is a number 1-9 I believe):
671 'xv -root -quit -rmodeX ~/background.jpg'
673 If you would like xv functionality in your menu, heres a nice little tip from Alfredo:
675 Add the following line to your ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/menu file. (all on one
678 "More Backgrounds" OPEN_MENU /home/whoever/backgrounds xv -root -maxpect -quit
681 Can I put pixmaps in my root menu and title bars?
682 ----------------------------------
683 With the release of WindowMaker-0.14.1, you can now put pixmaps anywhere
684 you would have either a gradient or a color. This means now that
686 MenuTextBack=(tpixmap, foo.xpm, acolor);
688 in ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker will put the correct pixmap tiled in your menu.
690 FTitleBack = (spixmap, foo.xpm, black);
692 Would have the effect of streching a pixmap to fit the titlebar of the active
694 You can use png, tiff, jpeg and xpm images interchangeably in WindowMaker if
695 you have compiled in support for those formats.
698 How do I get my Minimize Icon to look like the triangle I see in
700 ----------------------------------
701 This involves a minor source tweak. Instructions are available at
702 http://wm.gnu.net/tips.html#titlebar_icons.
703 Example screenshot can be seen at
704 http://wm.gnu.net/images/screenshots/Midnight3.jpg.
707 How do I get superfluous bells and whistles working?
708 ----------------------------------
709 Add Superfluous=YES; to your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/Windowmaker file.
711 This option was added as a runtime option in WindowMaker >= 0.16.1.
714 How do I get the classic NeXT(tm)-like style back?
715 ----------------------------------
716 Add NewStyle=NO; to your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/Windowmaker file.
718 This option was added as a runtime option in WindowMaker >= 0.16.1
726 How do I assign gimp an appicon?
727 ----------------------------------
728 WindowMaker now can assign Icons from within the windowmanager, to do so,
729 right click on the title bar of an app or hit F10 while the desired app is focused,
730 choose "Attributes...", click on the "4" Button, enter the icon file name (make
731 sure this is in your pixmap path, or you can type in the full path without using ~/
732 type path names), click "Update", "Apply", "Save" and then close the Attributes
735 You can also enter the following line in
736 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/WMWindowAttributes:
738 gimp={Icon="gimp.xpm";};
741 How do I get an appicon for XEmacs 20.3+?
742 ----------------------------------
743 Thanks to Michael Hafner <hayfi@rz.fh-augsburg.de> for this answer.
745 You don't need to patch the XEmacs code, just run
747 ./configure --with-session=yes (in addition to any other options you use)
749 in your XEmacs 20.3+ sourcedir and rebuild it. Then XEmacs shows an
750 appicon when running and you can easily dock it.
753 Where do you get that clock program I always see on people's desktops?
754 ----------------------------------
755 Its called asclock. It has been included with every version I've downloaded.
756 Currently it resides in ./WindowMaker-0.xx.x/misc/asclock.tgz and is prepatched to
757 be able to dock. Some other (older) versions you might find on the net don't
761 How do you dock asclock?
762 ----------------------------------
763 asclock -shape -iconic -12 &
765 Drag it from the top right corner of the clock to the dock. Right click on the icon
766 and select autolaunch.
767 You have to drag the appicon by clicking on the edge of the icon, because the
768 actual pixmap belongs to the app itself, and any clicks on the pixmap are
769 interpreted by the app rather than X or the window manager. Therefor, you need
770 to click somewhere on the appicon where the background tile shows through
771 (usually the edges), and drag it that way.
774 How do you dock wmload?
775 ----------------------------------
776 wmload -withdrawn -shape &
778 Then dock it similar to asclock.
781 What other apps exist for the dock?
782 ----------------------------------
783 Several Nice applications are available:
785 wmmixer and wmcd and wmmount
786 http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Vista/2471/linux.htm#xapps
788 ascd,WMRack,asmixer,asmodem, and others
789 ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/wmaker/contrib/srcs/apps/
791 wmavgload, wmmount, and wmload
792 ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/wmaker/contrib/srcs/utils/
794 wmppp-wmifs, wmtime, wmmon and other nifty apps
795 http://windowmaker.mezaway.org/
798 How do I get an appicon for rxvt so I can dock it?
799 ----------------------------------
800 The default rxvt that comes with most distribtions is an outdated version of rxvt.
801 The newest development version of rxvt is availible from
802 ftp://ftp.math.fu-berlin.de/pub/rxvt/devel/. As of the time of this writing, the
803 version is 2.4.6 and it natively produces an appicon without a patch.
805 John Eikenberry has also created an rpm which is available from
806 ftp://ftp.coe.uga.edu/users/jae/windowmaker/
808 As of version 2.4.6, rxvt includes WindowMaker support as well as
809 John Eikenberry's NeXT scrollbar hack.
812 How do I get different icons for rxvt's (or xterms) running different
814 ----------------------------------
815 The simplest way is to run each rxvt with a different -name parameter.
817 For example, I want to run an rxvt for irc and one for mail. This is an example of
821 rxvt -name "irc" -e "irc"
824 rxvt -name "mail" -e "pine"
826 This would result in each rxvt now having the instance and class of irc.Xterm and
827 mail.Xterm respectively, so that WindowMaker can now set Attributes for them
831 How do I allow Alt+# to work in an rxvt session? (with irc for example)
832 ----------------------------------
833 First, Launch a unique instance of rxvt or xterm.
834 This can be done using the -name option of rxvt.
837 rxvt -name foo -e irc
839 Then, go to the Attributes menu (right click on titlebar (or hit Control+Esc
840 and choose 'Attributes...')
841 Then choose 'Advanced Options' from the listbox and enable 'Don't Bind
843 Click 'Save' and 'Apply' and you should be able to run your session without the
852 How do I get a normal X application to produce an appicon?
853 ----------------------------------
854 Another insightful answer from who else but Dan Pascu.
856 "You must define the WM_CLASS (XSetClassHint()) and the CLIENT_LEADER
857 or XWMHints.window_group properties, which are automatically set by most
858 applications that use Xt (Motif, Athena ...), but if you use plain Xlib you must set
861 Also you must make a call to XSetCommand(dpy, leader, argv, argc);
863 Take a look at WindowMaker-0.1x.x/test/test.c that is an example for writing
864 such an app (which also have an app menu)."
867 How do I get my tcl/tk application to produce an appicon?
868 ----------------------------------
871 The main window (normally this is called '.' [dot] in tk) should use the following
874 wm command . [concat $argv0 $argv]
877 All child windows attached to the same app-icon should use:
882 where .child should be replaced by the actual window path.
884 Replace '.' with the actual main-window path and 'wm group .child .' should be
885 added for each 'toplevel .child' call.
889 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
890 Miscellaneous Questions:
891 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
893 Is there a pager for WindowMaker?
894 ----------------------------------
895 Not at the moment because there is not a pressing need for a pager. The
896 concept of multiple desktops does exist and there are currently 3 ways to
899 First, the Alt+Number combination will switch between desktops. The
900 Workspaces menu will also let you switch workspaces. Lastly, the Clip will also
901 scroll one through workspaces.
903 For those that would like to send an application to a specific workspace, either
904 drag it to an edge of the desktop onto the next workspace or you can right click
905 on the titlebar, choose "Move to..." and choose the appropriate workspace.
908 Can I have folders like in AfterStep?
909 ----------------------------------
910 No. WindowMaker does however support the collapsable Clip per desktop for a
911 similar functionality.
914 What exactly are themes?
915 ----------------------------------
916 Themes are a great aspect of WindowMaker allowing a user to simply save the
917 entire 'look' of their desktop in a Archive to distribute freely among friends, fellow
918 users and/or the whole net in general. :)
920 See the topic "How do I make a Theme?" below for an in-depth walk-through on
921 making a Theme archive.
924 How do I install a Theme?
925 ----------------------------------
926 This should be as simple as untarring the Theme.tar.gz into one of two places.
927 You can untar it to the global /usr/local/share/WindowMaker/* directory, and have it
928 be accessable to all users, or you can untar it to your own
929 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/ directory for your own personal use.
931 Use your favorite variation of the following:
933 gzip -dc "Theme.tar.gz" | tar xvf -
935 *(directory may differ on some systems)
938 How do I make a Theme?
939 ----------------------------------
940 In this walk-through when I use WindowMaker/, it can refer to the global
941 /usr/local/share/WindowMaker/ directory or the users own
942 ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/ directory.
944 To make a Theme.tar.gz, these are the steps I take:
946 1.Optionally create a README for your theme in WindowMaker/, call it
947 something like "ThemeName.txt"
949 2.Use the following command to add the Theme files to your .tar file.
951 tar cvf ThemeName.tar ThemeName.txt Themes/ThemeName
952 Backgrounds/ThemeNameBG.jpg Backgrounds/ThemeNameTile.xpm
954 You can add as many more images as you need from the appropriate
955 directories under WindowMaker/ following that general idea. You can even
956 optionally add an IconSets/ThemeName.iconset and it's associated icons to
957 your theme in the same manner. This should be stated in your README
958 if you decide to include these.
960 3.Then gzip your .tar file to make your ThemeName.tar.gz file with this
963 gzip -9 ThemeName.tar
965 4.Now give it to your friends!
970 Why don't you distribute {normal diff,xdelta} patches?
971 ------------------------------------------------------------
973 Whenever possible plain diff patches are distributed. If the new
974 version has new binary files, normal diff won't be able to handle
975 them, so a patch package is distributed, instead. We don't use
977 - most systems do not have xdelta installed;
978 - xdelta is picky and require the file to be patched to be
979 exactly the same as the one used to make the patch. The patch package
980 scheme used is much more flexible.
982 We do not distribute a simple diff with the binary files separately
983 (and variations, like uuencoding the binary files) because:
984 - it is more complicated and error prone to require the user to manually
985 move the files to the correct places;
986 - the current patch package scheme *does* distribute the binary files
987 and diff files separately. If the user wants to install everything by
988 hand, nobody will object to that;
989 - sooner or later someone will certainly ask for a script to automate the
992 So we hacked a script (mkpatch) that automatically creates a patch package
993 with the normal text diff file, a list of removed files and the binary files
994 that have changed or been added, plus a script that does the patching
995 automatically. If you don't like the script, you can apply the patch and
996 move the files manually. Or download the whole distribution.