I want only one desktop

pingu · 06-07-2005, 06:43 AM

... not 4 as is default.
Having searched all X-related textfiles I could find, none had any setting for amount of desktops?

The computer in question runs Libranet 2.8, only epiphany is to be used, wm is Icewm.
Kde and Gnome are not installed (well, some gnome to get ice running)

sohmc · 06-07-2005, 07:08 AM

You don't need to edit any X files...you want to edit the wm files. Having never worked with gnome or ice, I'd suggest poking around your home directory. I think ~/.gnome or ~/.ice should suffice.

pingu · 06-07-2005, 07:49 AM

Can't find anything there either.
Well I disabled shortcuts for desktop-switching, and don't show desktops on taskbar so effectively user can't change desktop.
I would like to disable the extra desktops completely though?

oneandoneis2 · 06-07-2005, 08:09 AM

Mind if I ask why? Multiple desktops are one of my favourite Linux features. . .

pingu · 06-07-2005, 08:18 AM

... and one of my favourite features too!

Well, this is at a school, we have 3 computers in the library which are only to be used for searching books at a specific URL. So 'epiphany' is the only app in the menu, and I don't want several instances of it running. Also I don't want students to get confused when they accidentally switch desktop.
It's not a big thing really, it works fine as it is - but I still would like to know where it's controlled from?

theYinYeti · 06-07-2005, 09:45 AM

In this case, why not run this computer kiosk-like? You may want to invastigate into the Matchbox window manager.

Yves.

samael26 · 06-07-2005, 10:33 AM

Hi,

/etc/X11/icewm/preferences

WORKSPACES

# Workspace switches by moving mouse to left/right screen edge
# EdgeSwitch=0 # 0/1

# Workspace switches by moving mouse to left/right screen edge
# HorizontalEdgeSwitch=0 # 0/1

# Workspace switches by moving mouse to top/bottom screen edge
# VerticalEdgeSwitch=0 # 0/1

# Workspace switches continuously when moving mouse to screen edge
# ContinuousEdgeSwitch=1 # 0/1

Taskbar

TaskBarShowWorkspaces = 1

Show workspace switching buttons on task bar.

Nothing about the reducing of 4 to 1. I would also be happy to have a tweak to
reduce to 2 the workspaces. If any icewm guru could help us...

Harmaa Kettu · 06-07-2005, 10:54 AM

Quote:

I would also be happy to have a tweak to reduce to 2 the workspaces. If any icewm guru could help us...

This is easy:

Code:

WorkspaceNames=" 1 ", " 2 "

Quote:

/etc/X11/icewm/preferences

Every distro seems to put that in different place. The standard-compliant location is /usr/share/icewm. Anyway, don't edit the global configuration files, but copy them to ~/.icewm/ and make changes to these copies.

charlescpc · 06-07-2005, 11:02 PM

If I understand you right you just want to have one desktop to choose from.
You can right click over the desktops in Mandriva and change the number of active desktops to one.
This isn't a permanent change but as long as the users aren't aware of how to change this it should stay that way.

I'm not sure how to make the permanent change.

pingu · 06-08-2005, 01:31 AM

theYinYeti Kiosk-like??
Never heard of that, nor of Matchbox. Took a quick look at Matchbox now, interresting! Will try it out during the summer, thanks for that!

Harmaa Kettu "WorkspaceNames" ! I saw it, but didn't realize it actually turned unnamed desktops off!
So problem is solved, and got some extra ideas as well!
Thanks, folks!

pingu · 06-08-2005, 03:57 AM

... problem is not completely solved...
Or rather, I forgot one related thing: It is still possible to switch to a terminal with <ctrl><alt><F#>
Disabling these terminals in /etc/inittab only means they can't be used - all you get is a blinking cursor on a black screen, students will believe computer crashed!
So I need to block that, locking users to graphical desktop. Any ideas - maybe that "kiosk" or Matchbox, but I'm pretty short of time right now.

Harmaa Kettu · 06-08-2005, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Or rather, I forgot one related thing: It is still possible to switch to a terminal with <ctrl><alt><F#>

That can be disabled in the X configuration file:

Code:

Section "ServerFlags"
  Option "DontVTSwitch" "1"
EndSection

pingu · 06-08-2005, 04:40 AM

Thanks!
Haven't had time to search a solution myself yet, I really appreciate your help!

What I have been busy with is ... you don't happen to know why shutdown/logout/reboot doesn't work?
In /home/linne/.icewm/preferences I have:

#Command to reboot the system
RebootCommand="/sbin/shutdown -r now"

From terminal, as user linne, '/sbin/shutdown -r now' works fine (shutdown is x for all, and suid)
so I believe menu-choice "Reboot" isn't properly related to that preferences-setting.
I added the same line to /etc/icewm/preferences too, no luck. I can't find where that menu-choice "Logout" is defined? Not in any text-file in /etc/icewm /usr/share/icewm /home/linne/.icewm

Maybe I'll do a quick fix, just add a menuentry with these commands...

Harmaa Kettu · 06-09-2005, 01:09 AM

Code:

#  Command to start logout 
# LogoutCommand=""

If you have something in this, the command is run instead of the normal icewm logout procedure. So, if the command does not kill icewm, it disables logout. Shutdown and reboot do a logout first, so they get disabled as well.

This looks like a bug or misfeature. It would be more logical to use the exit status of LogoutCommand to decide whether or not to quit icewm.

pingu · 06-09-2005, 05:03 AM

I did change that, tried both "logout" and "exit", but didn't disable it...
Anyway, I fixed it by removing "Logout" from menu and write my own menu-entry.
Now it runs as I want, a nice Debian-picture on the only desktop, one application plus logout on menu.
These 3 computers are running W2K until now, they haven't worked well at all. So the library-staff will be pleased!

Thanks a lot for your help!