a TWMrc for fun

[overthere]

Was just playing with TWM..thought it was interesting.

I added background and screenshot items to the menu along with various programs and empty slots as I am working on it..here is the file...copy to note and save as .twmrc in the home/user dir. then log into twm.

just hold down left mouse button for menu and release on item to execute. Try it, have fun.
Cheers

sample.TWMrc
---------------------------------------------------
BorderWidth            1
ButtonIndent           1
TitleButtonBorderWidth 0
ConstrainedMoveTime    0
DecorateTransients
IconRegion         "800x100+0-0" SOUTH WEST 75 25
#IconRegion        "200x500+0-250" SOUTH WEST 75 25
OpaqueMove
NoGrabServer
#NoHighlight
NoIconManagers
NoRaiseOnMove
NoRaiseOnResize
NoSaveUnders
#NoTitleHighlight
#NoTitleFocus
NoVersion
RandomPlacement
#SqueezeTitle

IconManagerFont "-adobe-helvetica-*-r-*-*-*-140-*-*-*-*-*-*"
ResizeFont   "-adobe-helvetica-*-r-*-*-*-140-*-*-*-*-*-*"
TitleFont       "-adobe-helvetica-bold-o-*-*-*-140-*-*-*-*-*-*"
#ResizeFont     "-adobe-courier-bold-r-*-*-16-100-*-*-*-*-*-*"
MenuFont        "-misc-fixed-medium-r-*-*-20-240-*-*-*-*-*-*"
IconFont        "-misc-fixed-medium-r-*-*-20-240-*-*-*-*-*-*"

#BorderWidth      2
#ButtonIndent      0
#TitleButtonBorderWidth   1
#ConstrainedMoveTime   0

Cursors
{
    Button  "right_ptr"
    Menu    "left_ptr"
    Title   "left_ptr"
    Frame   "left_ptr"
    Icon    "left_ptr"
    Wait    "watch"
    Destroy "pirate" }

Color
{
    DefaultBackground "blue"
    DefaultForeground "lightblue"
    BorderColor "blue"
    TitleBackground "lightblue"
    TitleForeground "black"
    MenuBackground "black"
    MenuForeground "lightblue"
    MenuTitleBackground "blue"
    MenuTitleForeground "black"
    IconBackground "black"
    IconForeground "lightblue"
    IconBorderColor "blue"
    IconManagerBackground "red"
    IconManagerForeground "blue"
}

Monochrome
{
    BorderColor           "white"
    MenuBackground        "white"
    MenuForeground        "black"
    MenuTitleBackground   "white"
    MenuTitleForeground   "black"
    IconManagerHighlight  "black"
}

#MoveDelta 3

Function "move-or-raise" {
    f.move
    f.deltastop
    f.raise
}

Function "move-or-raiselower" {
    f.move
    f.deltastop
    f.raiselower
}

Function "move-or-iconify" {
    f.move
    f.deltastop
    f.iconify
}

# hey, we need these...
Function "next-window" {
}

Function "previous-window" {
}

DefaultFunction f.nop

Button1 =     : title        : f.function "move-or-raiselower"
Button2 =     : title        : f.menu "Title Menu"
Button3 =     : title        : f.resize
Button1 = m   : window|icon  : f.iconify
Button2 = m   : window|icon  : f.function "move-or-raiselower"
Button3 = m   : window|icon  : f.resize
Button1 = c   : title        : f.focus
Button1 = c   : root         : f.unfocus
Button1 =     : root         : f.menu "Bootstrap"
Button2 =     : root         : f.menu "Stuff"
Button3 =     : root         : f.menu "TWM"
Button1 =     : icon         : f.function "move-or-iconify"
"Tab"   = m   : title|window|icon|root : f.warpring "next"
"w"     = m   : title|window|icon|root : f.delete

Icons {
    "Xmh"        "letters"     # from IconDirectory
    "XTerm"      "terminal"    # from IconDirectory
}

UnknownIcon    "icon"

menu "Bootstrap" {
    "Bootstrap"        f.title
    "background" !"/usr/libexec/xscreensaver/rocks -root &"
    "xterm"     !"xterm -fn 10x20 -rv -geometry 65x20 -sl 2048 -sb -e bash --login&"
    "Close"         f.delete
    "Clock"         !"xclock &"
    "Calc"          !"xcalc &"
    "Medit"         !"medit &"
    "Thunar"        !"thunar &"
    "Net"           f.menu "Net"
    "Apps"          f.menu "Apps"
    "Games"         f.menu "Games"
    "screenshot"    !"import -window root screenshot.png"
    "lock"          !"xscreensaver-command -lock &"
    "logout"        f.quit
}
menu "Net" {
    "Net"          f.title
    "Chestnut"      !"chestnut-dialer &"
    "Firefox"       !"firefox &"
    "Opera"         !"opera &"
    "Empty Submenu" f.menu "Submenu"
    "Empty"         !"something &"
    "Empty"         !"something &"
}

menu "Submenu" {
     "Title" f.title
     "Empty"   !"program &"
     "Empty"   !"program &"
     "Empty"   !"program &"
}

menu "Apps" {
    "Apps"          f.title
    "Xmms"          !"xmms &"
    "Gqview"        !"gqview &"
    "Abiword"       !"abiword &"
    "Xpdf"          !"xpdf &"
    "Another Submenu" f.menu "The menu"
    "Empty"         !"something &"
    "Empty"         !"something &"
}
menu "The menu" {
     "Name" f.title
     "something"   !"program &"
     "something"   !"program &"
     "something"   !"program &"
}

menu "Games" {
    "Games"        f.title
    "pysol"          !"pysol &"
    "Empty"          !"somegame &"
    "Empty"          !"somegame &"
    "Empty"          !"somegame &"

}

menu "Stuff" {
    "Stuff"         f.title
    "Release Host"  ! "xhost +"
    "Reclaim Host"  ! "xhost -"
    "Reset Root"    ! "xsetroot -solid grey &"
    "Close"         f.delete
    "Logout"       f.quit
    "Read .twmrc"   f.twmrc
}

menu "TWM" {
    "TWM"            f.title
    "Window ops"     f.menu "Window Ops"
    "Windows"        f.menu "TwmWindows"
    "Refresh"        f.refresh
    "Unfocus"        f.unfocus
    "Show Icon Box"  f.showiconmgr
    "Hide Icon Box"  f.hideiconmgr
    "Version"        f.version
    "Restart"        f.restart
    "Logout"         f.quit
}

menu "Window Ops" {
    "Window Ops"      f.title
    "Full Zoom"       f.fullzoom
    "Move"            f.move
    "Resize"          f.resize
    "Lower"           f.lower
    "Raise"           f.raise
    "Iconify"         f.iconify
    "Deiconify"       f.deiconify
    "Identify"        f.identify
    "Focus"           f.focus
    "Kill"            f.destroy
}

menu "Title Menu" {
    "Lower"           f.lower
    "Raise"           f.raise
    "Resize"          f.resize
    "Move"            f.move
    "Iconify"         f.iconify
    "Identify"        f.identify
    "Focus"           f.focus
    "Kill"            f.destroy
    "Dismiss"         f.delete
}
-----------------------------------------------------

[overthere]

Ya...silly..but I can not remove it...will confine myself to the little blog in future
cheers

[uelsk8s]

nice post Overthere. I had no idea twm was that configurable

[M0E-lnx]

me neither ... what a shame

[overthere]

lol...yes.. I know.. very old..but for me...a learner...I see the functionality of these old ideas
..xmms buttons for example use this press release innovation.
It works best with a minimal list. This list is extreme but extensive. I have modified now for browseing.
The saver as wallpaper so long ago is also intriguing.
I seen somewhere a variation of the minimize to icon as modern color icons also and am searching for it now.
cheers

[tomh38]

radical ... totally cool ... phat?

I'm sorry I don't know the current term that Earth young people are using.

On my first visit to your planet they would have said it was the "cat's pajamas."

[overthere]

well if that's cool imagine useing my fluxbox customization with your finger on a touch sensitive clipboard and voice commands for the program you launched. and further that the hand holding the clipboard has an ipod style thumb scroller for a secondary control menu.
I may be old but not blind to what the near future hold..I did attempt to modify an old laptop screen for this purpose but it ended in soldier h*ll. dsl on a thumb was potential os..all the parts are there. Maybe I could draw it up on this thing

http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20061128/digimemo-clipboard/

.nerds never die, just there ideas
cheers

[tomh38]

overthere

I've been looking at your Fluxbox customizations in your screenshots.  I really like them.  Have you posted the info on how you did those things somewhere, in the VL forums or elsewhere?  Would you mind if I copied your ideas? 

By the way, the DigiMemo looks ... um ... rad swell neat ... good.

Tom

[overthere]

No....I thought no one would be interested, but could not help showing off my screen shots. It's just wmdrawer and a couple of dock apps from dockableapps. the drawer is very customizable, so I added sounds and mount buttons...feel free..if I can help with something let me know. I really like fluxbox on vector as you have discovered.
------------------
adding..
Oh...I see this gets tricky..this just to get drawer top center if you know vector some

Install wmdrawer via gslapt package manager

Copy wmdrawerrc.example    from /usr/doc wmdrawer-0.10.5 to home dir and rename .wmdrawer

Test in terminal-type: wmdrawer ,then hit enter

You will get wmdrawer warning: regarding images, Disregard

The penguin appears bottom right in the fluxbox slit, click to open, click to close. the question marks are icons not yet placed and thus a warning.

close terminal and it all goes away.

open menu, go to /fluxbox/configure/ slit/ placement and choose top center

open user wmdrawerrc and change direction to 0 from 2 for top to bottom opening and save the file.

example:
------------------------------
# Drawer's opening direction [required]
# Top to bottom = 0
# Right to Left = 1
# Bottom to Top = 2
# Left to Right = 3
direction   0
---------------------------------
open user .fluxbox dir and open startup file

add- wmdrawer &
add- # to ~/.fluxbox startwbar &

example:
--------------------------
# Applications you want to run with fluxbox.
# MAKE SURE THAT APPS THAT KEEP RUNNING HAVE AN ''&'' AT THE END.
#
# unclutter -idle 2 &
# wmnd &
# wmsmixer -w &

wmdrawer &

# And last but not least we start fluxbox.
# Because it is the last app you have to run it with ''exec'' before it.
xfce-mcs-manager

#~/.fluxbox/startwbar &

exec /usr/bin/fluxbox
--------------------
log out and log back in to fluxbox and you should have wmdrawer top center.

now open .wmdrawerrc and edit each item.
the first is the icon. if you like the vector icon it is in /usr/share/icons/Vista-inspirate/scalable/apps/go.png

I create a mysys dir in home to hold drawer dir for icons and copy of drawerrc ,snds dir, WP dir,etc  for easy backup reinstall.

Not all the dock apps work. I had no issue with these two: wmix & wmCalClock found here:

http://www.dockapps.org/

Here is a sample .wmdrawerrc, you can try instead of the default.

Just replace the (x) with your program choices, it has the mounts for what they may be worth. and the style from my screenshots.

Try adding your username where username is in the bottom third column item to get a handy button for drawer edits. the center bottom is terminal and the first bottom thunar root.
--------------------------------
---------------------------------
# Config file for wmdrawer
[general]
# Dock's icon [optional]
dock_icon /usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/go.png

# Drawer's opening direction [required]
# Top to bottom = 0
# Right to Left = 1
# Bottom to Top = 2
# Left to Right = 3
direction   0

# Image used for icons' background [optional]
#icons_bg   defaultTile.xpm

# Allow icons' enlargement to fit them to buttons' size [optional, default 1]
# 0 indicate that icons should never be larger than their original size.
icons_expand   0

# Activate the drawer's pseudo-transparency [optional, default 0]
# if you choose transparency, icons_bg will be ignored
transparency   1

# dock's width: min=12, max=128 [optional, default=64]
#dock_width   64

# dock's height: min=12, max=128 [optional, default=64]
#dock_height   64

# buttons' size: min=12, max=128 [optional]
# Useful for the people who want for example to have big icons
# and to define several columns.
btns_size   36

# Icon's highlight type: 0, 1 or 2 [optional, default 2]
# 0 : no highlight
# 1 : target (unavailable if transparency is activated)
# 2 : shading
#highlight   2

# Image used as highlight [optional]
# only used if you choice target type
#highlight_img   highlight.xpm

# Tint icons by a specified color [optional, default #ffffff]
# only used if you choice shading type
#highlight_tint   #ffffff

# Shade icons at a specified level [optional, default 60]
# only used if you choice shading type
#highlight_sh   60

# Display buttons' tooltips [optional, default 1]
tooltips   0

# Tooltips' font [optional, default fixed]
#tooltips_font   fixed

# Drawer's animation speed: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 [optional, default 1]
#animation_speed   1

# Mouse cursor in drawer: 0, 1, ..., 76 [optional, default 30]
#cursor      30

# Auto opening of the drawer: 0, 1 [optional, default 0]
show_on_hover   1

# Auto closing of the drawer: 0, 1 [optional, default 0]
hide_on_out   1

# drawer's hiding timeout in miliseconds [optional, default 1000]
#hide_timeout   1000

# Runs the dockapp in windowed mode: 0, 1 [optional, default 0]
# Useful for AfterStep, Fvwm, Sawfish or KDE users.
#windowed_mode   0

# Instance name so window manager can distinguish between multiple copies
#instance_name   distinguish_name

# Drawer's border size in pixels [optional, default 1]
border_size   0

# Images directories
[images_paths]
/usr/share/pixmaps
/usr/share/icons/
/usr/local/share/pixmaps/
###########################################################################
# A first column with 5 buttons
# Each button must be defined with this syntax:
# (tooltip)  (image)  (command)
[column]

(Mount/hdc)  (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/gnome-cd.png)   (mount /dev/cdrom & thunar /mnt)
(Umount/hdc) (/usr/share/icons/ROX-nuvola/apps/kblackbox.png)   (umount /dev/cdrom)
(Xcalc)        (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/gnome-calculator.png)   (xcalc)
(X)          (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)       (X)
(X)          (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)       (X)
(X)          (/usr/share/icons/ROX-nuvola/apps/kblackbox.png)       (X)
(X)          (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)       (X)
(X)        (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)       (X)
(X)          (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)       (X)
(X)          (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)       (X)

(rootTfm)       (/usr/share/icons/ROX-nuvola/apps/kblackbox.png)  (/sbin/vsuper "thunar /")

##########################################################################
# A second column with 5 buttons
[column]

(Mount floppy)  (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/kfloppy.png) (mount /dev/fd0 & thunar /mnt)
(Umount/fd0) (/usr/share/icons/ROX-nuvola/apps/kblackbox.png)               (umount /dev/fd0)
(files)      (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/file-manager.png) (thunar)

(X)          (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)        (X)
(X)          (/usr/share/icons/ROX-nuvola/apps/kblackbox.png)        (X)
(X)          (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)         (X)
(X)        (/usr/share/icons/ROX-nuvola/apps/kblackbox.png)         (X)
(X)          (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)        (X)
(X)          (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)        (X)

(terminal)   (/usr/share/icons/ROX-nuvola/apps/kblackbox.png)               (terminal)
#########################################################################
# A third column with 5 buttons
[column]

(VL_HOT)     (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/usb.png)        (thunar /mnt/vl-hot)
(vlh-umount) (/usr/share/icons/ROX-nuvola/apps/kblackbox.png)                (vlh-umount)
(Notepad)    (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/kedit.png)        (medit)

(X)          (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)         (X)
(X)        (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)         (X)
(X)        (/usr/share/icons/ROX-nuvola/apps/kblackbox.png)        (X)
(X)        (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)        (X)
(X)          (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/ktip.png)        (X)

(wmedit)  (/usr/share/icons/ROX-nuvola/apps/kblackbox.png)  (mousepad /home/username/.wmdrawerrc)
#
----------------------------------
--------------------------------------

Some additional tips

To add a sound to the button just add the path to a wave file and & in front of the executabe IE: (aplay /path to file/ding.wav & xcalc)
Depending on your snd card perhaps you may find issue playing button sound for example with ardour as it requires the snd card

You can add some styles look here. just unpack and copy to /usr/share/fluxbox/styles..you may need to be root.

http://tenr.de/styles/styles01.php

For rounded corners just open the style file of the particular style you are using and add the needed lines to it:
  menu.roundCorners: TopRight TopLeft BottomRight BottomLeft
  window.roundCorners: TopRight TopLeft BottomRight BottomLeft
  toolbar.shaped: true|false

You can set all corners round or just one or two or three and you can combine them as you like. (e.g. only 'TopLeft BottomRight')

To try a screensaver as wallpaper: In a terminal type: /usr/libexec/xscreensaver/rocks -root &

Replace" rocks" with another if you like.
You can add this effect when you log in by adding the line to your fluxbox startup file under your wmdrawer & addition and #fbsetbg at the top of the page. you do not get transparency with the saver but it can add image to the menu.

example:
--------------
#fbsetbg -f /home/bootstrap/xSystem/wallpaper/VL-rockface.jpg

# Applications you want to run with fluxbox.
# MAKE SURE THAT APPS THAT KEEP RUNNING HAVE AN ''&'' AT THE END.
#
# unclutter -idle 2 &
# wmnd &
# wmsmixer -w &
wmdrawer &

/usr/libexec/xscreensaver/rocks -root &

# And last but not least we start fluxbox.
------------------------------------------------------

You may also toggle screen blanking and saver wallpaper from your menu by adding a sub menu: to do this from home , open fluxbox/ menu and add your items. In this example you need to add the path to the wallpaper

example:
----------------------------------------------------
[begin] (FluxBox) </usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/filesystems/desktop.png>
 
      [submenu] (Background) </usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/gnome-applications.png>
        [exec] (Screen Blank OFF) {xset -dpms & xset s off}
        [exec] (Screen Blank ON) {xset dpms & xset s on}

[separator]
        [exec] (Rocks OFF) {killall rocks & fbsetbg /path to/your wallpaper.jpg}
    [exec] (Rocks ON) {/usr/libexec/xscreensaver/rocks -root &}
[separator]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To get transparency just lower the alpha values. for example from the menu go to fluxbox/configure/transparency and use the mouse buttons to raise lower the menu alpha value. the default is 255 try 100

If this is not clear let me know so I can fix it up, it's my first attempt at a HOW TO.

Hope it adds some fun
cheers

[tomh38]

Hi overthere,

Thanks very much for posting your configuration files and the directions.  I've always liked Fluxbox, for a number of reasons.  It's highly customizable, it doesn't use a lot of resources, there are a lot of themes for it, ... I could go on.

I'll try out what you've posted once I get home later.  I'm really looking forward to it.

Thanks again,
Tom

[rbistolfi]

We should have a window manager flamewar discussion some day. 

[tomh38]

Okay, I'm home now and I'm going to give your modifications of Fluxbox a try, overthere.

rbistolfi:  Yeah, I would really rather have a discussion than a flamewar, since I was in a religious flamewar last night, and when I asked this one person to cite some sources for what he was saying, he responded, "You are gay."  After that I went over to the Slashdot discussion of the modular snake robot, and that was a lot more fun.

Seriously though, I think a discussion about the various advantages and disadvantages of different window managers and desktop environments would be great.  I know there's a lot that I could learn, e.g. the configurability of TWM which overthere has already demonstrated.

Tom

[rbistolfi]

Yep, I am using Awesome WM from a month or so, and I am in love now. Would be cool if some guys post about their favorite wm and some tweaks or advices. I probably will once some work I am on is finished.
Good work Overthere, btw

[overthere]

Even if you prefer the default xfce4 (or other) as your WM I find this config for fluxbox handy.
 -If you have a lot of movies (as .vob for example) on your drive you can make most of the buttons movies and turn on the drawer tooltips for easy selection.
 -Just click the button and watch the movie full screen. With xine you can toggle the controls on and off with a right click and check the show controls item
example:

(xine) (/usr/share/icons/Vista-Inspirate/scalable/apps/movies.png)  (xine -f /path/to/movie.vob)

Log out of your xfce4 (or other) work station and log in to your media station.

Oh.. The beauty of multi window managers on Vector.

tomh38- hope you can understand my fragmented how to, my first attempt

rbistolfi- Awesome does look Awesome.. I would definately need a HOW TO  to add it to vector. was it as hard as it appears? is it just keyboard or is mouse optional? do you have it in the login list?

[rbistolfi]

rbistolfi- Awesome does look Awesome.. I would definately need a HOW TO  to add it to vector. was it as hard as it appears? is it just keyboard or is mouse optional? do you have it in the login list?

Oh I finally got one curious guy! I am using the latest release now, but you can have 2.0 (which is the last stable iirc) with slapt-get:

Code:

slapt-get --install awesome

There is many improvements, the development moves fast, so if you like to compile stuff give it a try to the latest. The default install is ugly and very minimal but if you take a look at the screenshots here, it can look really nice.
The package does put awesome in the login list, but I replaced the start up command with a script to do some stuff (like set a wallpaper, run xbindkeys and such). It is easy to customize if you take a moment to understand the syntax of the .awesomerc file, which is the default configuration file. It is keyboard driven mostly, but it has a very good mouse support, and also good support for floating windows or full screen, which is good if you do gaming. You will appreciate the efficient use of the screen if you have a small monitor like me , no windows decorations as you can see (you close a window with win+c, win+m to maximize, win+f to make it "floating" and win+Button1 for moving it).
That is my quick introduction , I take the commitment for a how to as soon as I can make the time. For those looking for more info, the man page is better than the wiki, which is a bit dated. The site has a good overview and shows what awesome can do pretty well though.