LinuxQuestions.org
Review your favorite Linux distribution.
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - General
User Name
Password
Linux - General This Linux forum is for general Linux questions and discussion.
If it is Linux Related and doesn't seem to fit in any other forum then this is the place.

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 08-17-2004, 01:52 AM   #1
BlueKnight
Member
 
Registered: Jul 2004
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 32

Rep: Reputation: 15
Question Window managers and Hummingbird Exceed


Hi all,

I've just started using Hummingbird Exceed 7.1 and I'äm using it at home in a LAN to connect to (XDMCP) a Slackware 10 server. Everything works great and it is really a good piece of software. However, there are some open questions though. I have been fiddling about with the settings in Exceed to see what each of them do, so I have some idea what can be done in there.

Well, the problem is this that I would like to use fvwm and cdemu-theme (http://www.xs4all.nl/~josvanr/fvwm.html), but I cannot get it working. I have been customizing the default DM as this is very easy in Gnome: just download a theme and click some install buttons and there it is. Well, you all know how this works.

I know that you can choose fvwm at the login screen, but when I do this all I get is a small window down right with the desktops and a couple of buttons beneath that. Is this the default fvwm (or fvwm2) theme or what you call it? If it is - from where does fvwm get these settings? I downloaded the cdemu theme from freshmeat and followed the installation notes, but no luck with that or I'm just missing something.

Briefly, the installation was just to copy some stuff from the cdemu directory to the path (binaries) and some theme-specific files to the home directory. Then, you should just put some exec cdemu --start into .xinitrc and it should work. At least I do not think my .xinitrc is used when I remotely log into linux. Or is it? Could someone please explain which files are read when I connect with Exceed? There are a couple of them..xinitrc, xsexxion etc.

Please ask if something was left in the dark or if I explained something badly! I would really like to know how these DMs work, because I really dislike using GUIs for editing config files and such.

Thank you in advance!
 
Old 08-17-2004, 06:12 AM   #2
mhearn
LQ Guru
 
Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Durham, England
Distribution: Fedora Core 4
Posts: 1,565

Rep: Reputation: 57
That sounds like the default FVWM layout yes. I wasn't even aware FVWM had themes, it's not used much anymore except by the very old-skool.
 
Old 08-17-2004, 06:36 AM   #3
BlueKnight
Member
 
Registered: Jul 2004
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 32

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 15
Well, I don't know if you call them 'themes' or something else, but if you take a look at the link you maybe know what I mean. The problem is that I cannot get it all working and therefore I would like to know what config files actually are read as I use the machinie remotely. Anyone?
 
Old 08-23-2004, 07:31 AM   #4
BlueKnight
Member
 
Registered: Jul 2004
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 32

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 15
Hasn't anyone been modifying fvwm or trying cdemu thing I would like to use? Of course you have! I erally would appreciate it if someone could give me some details how to start modifying fvwm or how to correct the problem I am experiencing. Thanks in advance!
 
Old 08-23-2004, 09:36 AM   #5
Mephisto
Member
 
Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Washington D.C, USA
Distribution: Slack 12, Etch, Gutsy
Posts: 453

Rep: Reputation: 31
Well I know nothing about cdemu, but I do use FVWM and have done some customizations to it. http://waddayawant.org/screen.jpg

if you want to customize FVWM2, the config document would be under ~/.fvwm/.fvw2rc chances are you are still launching the default FVWM config http://waddayawant.org/screen2.jpg

So chances are you are either missing the config or launching FVWM without specifying an alternate config location, not sure which method cdemu uses.


(Does this mean I qualify as "old school"? Cool!!!)
 
Old 08-23-2004, 10:43 AM   #6
Mephisto
Member
 
Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Washington D.C, USA
Distribution: Slack 12, Etch, Gutsy
Posts: 453

Rep: Reputation: 31
Just a quick note, I took a look through the cdemu stuff and it uses colorsets. this is fine but it won't work with the FVWM that comes with Slackware. I would suggest you grab FVWM 2.5.10 from linuxpackages.net, which is what I use. It is very stable so no worries there.

When I get off work I might look a little deeper and see if there is an easier way to launch. Can't spend too much time on it at work though. (Curiosity got the better of me.)
 
Old 08-23-2004, 04:01 PM   #7
Mephisto
Member
 
Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Washington D.C, USA
Distribution: Slack 12, Etch, Gutsy
Posts: 453

Rep: Reputation: 31
I looked cdemu over briefly. The easiest way will be to add it to your Xsession. You'll need to do 2 things

First add a cdemu.desktop to /etc/X11/dm/Sessions Just copy one and change the line that says

Exec=/etc/X11/xdm/Xsession <window manager>

to

Exec=/etc/X11/xdm/Xsession cdemu

and other Window manager specific lines to suit

Then in /etx/X11/xdm/Xsession add:

Code:
cdemu)
	exec cdemu --start
	;;
to the case with the other WMs.

Of course I prefer to build my own WM configuration (and mine is simple compared to some) but it does require some patience. If you are interested in more visually appealing configs let me know and I can point you to a few. I like AIX and am used to CDE, but I don't want my Linux desktop looking like it.
 
Old 08-24-2004, 01:50 AM   #8
BlueKnight
Member
 
Registered: Jul 2004
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 32

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 15
Thank you very much for explaining in such detail and taking your time to check cdemu. This is much appreciated!

Quote:
chances are you are still launching the default FVWM config http://waddayawant.org/screen2.jpg
Yes, this is exactly the one I get, so I guess it is not finding the cdemu stuff as it is started.

Quote:
Just a quick note, I took a look through the cdemu stuff and it uses colorsets. this is fine but it won't work with the FVWM that comes with Slackware. I would suggest you grab FVWM 2.5.10 from linuxpackages.net, which is what I use. It is very stable so no worries there.
Hm, well I am a bit embarassed to admit that I didn't try to upgrade to the newer version. I thought I would install it later if I found out it was required, but as it said "tested with" and not "required" I left it.

I've not yet had time to test what you have explained as I have been very busy with other things, but later today when I get home I will do it. I have a couple of things I would like to sort out, just out of curiosity.

Let's say I have installed the "theme" (I'm still not sure if it is a theme or what it should be called) according to the README-files, which came with the cdemu-package. Ok, now I have some files in my home directory plus some binaries in the path to launch the theme with. What I now would like to know are three things:

1) If I type startx which files will be checked and run? I browsed through the startx-script, but it ended with a call to xinit, which in turn got alot of arguments, i.e. xinitrc, which was said to start the WM. Hm. Well, what if every user wants to specify a different WM (as is the normal case)? Then there was a mention of Xresources. Where should this file be and what is it contained? As far as I understand this startx collects some stuff i.e. xinitrc, which is system-global, and Xresources, which is user-specific. Are there other files as well which contain X-specific or WM-specific stuff? As the startx script is run it will use xinitrc, which in turn should check some user specific files (which files?) to know which WM to start; then there is a call to xinit which starts X and all should be well now.

2) If I run X remotely by logging in to a graphical UI using XDMCP what will be used now? The same files as in question 1) or something else?

3) Can I specify several different setups and just choose the one I want to use as I start X? I know there is some kind of WM chooser in the graphical login screen, but if I use text-only? Is it even possible to accomplish?

I hope the questions aren't too difficult to understand, but I can only say that this is how I feel right now: a lot of files and no explanations whatsoever about what goes where and what it should look like.

As I said, I will test the things you said later when I get home. Thank you!

Last edited by BlueKnight; 08-24-2004 at 01:53 AM.
 
Old 08-24-2004, 08:38 AM   #9
Mephisto
Member
 
Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Washington D.C, USA
Distribution: Slack 12, Etch, Gutsy
Posts: 453

Rep: Reputation: 31
Quote:
Originally posted by BlueKnight

1) If I type startx which files will be checked and run?

2) If I run X remotely by logging in to a graphical UI using XDMCP what will be used now? The same files as in question 1) or something else?

3) Can I specify several different setups and just choose the one I want to use as I start X? I know there is some kind of WM chooser in the graphical login screen, but if I use text-only? Is it even possible to accomplish?
1) Short answer .xinitrc, if .xinitrc does not exist then the default configuration for the install.

2) When I have connected to a box remotely via XDMCP either xdm, gdm, or kdm were running to receive the connection. I thought X11 had to be running in order to connect to, though I may be mistaken. If when you are connecting to the box you get a graphical login, one of the three above is running, gdm by default in Slack I believe. If that is the case then create the desktop entry in the xdm folder and modify Xsession as I mentioned earlier. (There may be an easier way but that is how I have done it.)

3) For text login you have two options. First use xwmconfig (since you are using Slack) to change your WM before calling startx. Second you could pass a parameter on the commandline to startx, but in order for this to work you would need to do a bit of bash scripting. Not really sure what all would need to be done since I never bothered to try, but it is doable.
 
Old 08-24-2004, 01:19 PM   #10
BlueKnight
Member
 
Registered: Jul 2004
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 32

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 15
Well, I have done as you said and the new session is now available in the graphical login. I have thus added a new file to /etc/X11/dm/Sessions/cdemu.desktop and edited the relevant lines. Moreover, I have edited the Xsession-script to contain the cdemu)-case. When I choose the cdemu session in the graphical login I can enter my name and password, but as I try to confirm and login it just returns to the XDMCP-chooser or what it could be called. The X is not loaded. I would guess it crashes or something. Have you got any idea what it could be?
 
Old 08-24-2004, 04:05 PM   #11
Mephisto
Member
 
Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Washington D.C, USA
Distribution: Slack 12, Etch, Gutsy
Posts: 453

Rep: Reputation: 31
Quote:
Have you got any idea what it could be?
Not really based on the info at hand. Can you check your logs and see if there is anything in there?
 
  


Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
suggestion about X window emulator(like Exceed) swmok Linux - Software 11 04-01-2013 02:32 PM
Window Managers vs Window Shell Environments DJOtaku Linux - General 7 08-09-2005 12:43 PM
Fedora and Hummingbird Exceed ganninu Linux - General 0 03-27-2004 01:37 PM
Window Managers vs. Desktop Managers mikeshn Linux - General 4 02-11-2004 11:31 AM
Puzzling Xwindows problem with Fedora and Hummingbird Exceed arm Fedora 0 12-30-2003 12:58 AM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - General

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:27 PM.

Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration