window manager

ematrixxx · 08-25-2003, 12:36 AM

uhhhhh I installed fluxbox from fluxbox.sourceforge.net and I ran the fluxbox-0.1.14-2.tgz but I can't figure out how to install the fluxbox winodws manager even though I ran the tgz xfce still comes up every time, what do I need to change and how do I do this ? Sorry I am the biggest linux noob : ) hehe.

MasterC · 08-25-2003, 12:40 AM

What distro, how to do get into your GUI, and uh, How's it goin?

Cool

ematrixxx · 08-25-2003, 12:42 AM

slackware 9.0, startx, good

: )

MasterC · 08-25-2003, 12:48 AM

Woohoo, good deal.

Create a file in your home directory called .xinitrc (alternatively, use xwmconfig ) and at the end of this file add:
exec fluxbox
OR
Use the command:
whereis fluxbox
To find the location to the executable, then use the full path:
exec /path/to/fluxbox

Here's what my xinitrc looks like if you want an example:

Code:

#!/bin/sh
# $XConsortium: xinitrc.cpp,v 1.4 91/08/22 11:41:34 rws Exp $

userresources=$HOME/.Xresources
usermodmap=$HOME/.Xmodmap
sysresources=/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/.Xresources
sysmodmap=/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/.Xmodmap

# merge in defaults and keymaps

if [ -f $sysresources ]; then
    xrdb -merge $sysresources
fi

if [ -f $sysmodmap ]; then
    xmodmap $sysmodmap
fi

if [ -f $userresources ]; then
    xrdb -merge $userresources
fi

if [ -f $usermodmap ]; then
    xmodmap $usermodmap
fi

# Start the window manager:
Esetroot ~/backgrounds/linux.png &
gkrellm -w &
taglines &
root-tail -g 150x20x15+5 /var/log/messages,yellow /var/log/xferlog,white /var/lo
g/proftpd.log,green /var/log/apache/access_log,blue /mnt/cooler_var/log/everythi
ng/current,purple /mnt/cooler_var/log/apache/curvins.com/access_log,blue /mnt/co
oler_var/log/apache/curvins.com/error_log,red & 
exec /opt/fluxbox/bin/fluxbox

Cool

ematrixxx · 08-25-2003, 12:53 AM

Woaaagghhh.... totally lost lol

is my home directory /root ?

how do i make .xinitrc, mkdir .xinitrc ?

what is xwmconfig

how do I add exec fluxbox if it is a file, i thought you could not gedit, vi, pico, files

what is exec /path/to/fluxbox ? how does it find the executable ?

lol, the next thing looks like alien lanugage, do I need to create a script like that ?

i need it dumbed down a little more ( sorry if I sound like an ass) , if you can show what commands and what they do lol

ematrixxx · 08-25-2003, 01:00 AM

when im in /root here is what i get when i gedit .xinitrc
I have no clue what this does, is this what you want to see ?

#!/bin/sh
#
# xinitrc file for XFce 3 startxfce script

# Install config directory if needed:
if [ ! -d $HOME/.xfce ]; then
/usr/bin/xfce_setup
fi

# Some distro needs to allow even localhost to use the display
# Uncomment this if you experience "Can't open display" when running
# programs from xfce. BEWARE this is considered as a vulnerability !
#
# xhost +$HOSTNAME
#
xsetroot -solid black -cursor_name watch

# Unselect the following line to get a BIG mouse cursor in Xfce :
# xset +fp "/usr/share/xfce/cursors"

# Set up additionnal fonts that ship with Xfce (Change id38121117)
xset fp+ "/usr/share/xfce/fonts"

# Start-up stuff from ~/Desktop/Autostart directory, if it exists
# (as it seems to be the new standard)
if [ -d "$HOME/Desktop/Autostart" ]; then
for i in `ls -1 ${HOME}/Desktop/Autostart/ 2>/dev/null`; do
if [ -x $HOME/Desktop/Autostart/$i ]; then
$HOME/Desktop/Autostart/$i &
fi
done
fi

# Uncomment this if you have xmodmap loading additional keycodes.
# set the XKEYS variable to the correct file

# XKEYS=/etc/X11/xinit/.Xmodmap
# if [ -f $XKEYS ]; then
# xmodmap $XKEYS
# fi

# Uncomment this if you run gkrellm. See http://www.gkrellm.net for
# more info. It will launch gkrellm if it's not already running
# if [ -z $(grep gkrellm ${HOME}/.xfce/xfwm-session) ]; then
# exec `which gkrellm` &
# fi

# Launch xscreensaver (if available)
xscreensaver -no-splash &

# Finally, launch XFce window manager
exec xfwm
xsetroot -solid black

MasterC · 08-25-2003, 01:02 AM

he he he, no problem, I was in Slack mode

You'll know what I mean soon enough

Ok, let's start at the top then:

Quote:

is my home directory /root ?

It shouldn't be. You should only be using root to install things, then log back in as your normal user. Your user's home directory should be something like:
/home/masterc
If your user's name is masterc

Quote:

how do i make .xinitrc, mkdir .xinitrc ?

With a text editor. .xinitrc is a text file, plain text as show above. I suggest vi(m) if you are versed, however pico gedit xedit nano joe... should all be sufficient.

Quote:

what is xwmconfig

A tool that slackware uses to configure the X WindowManagers that are installed using the "slackpacks" such as the one you used. Easier than creating your own

Quote:

how do I add exec fluxbox if it is a file, i thought you could not gedit, vi, pico, files

You would just type that in... exec fluxbox, just like that. As far as using gedit, vi, pico on files, you mean you cannot use it on Binary files. Which, yes, the fluxbox file is, but not your .xinitrc, it's a plain text config file.

Quote:

what is exec /path/to/fluxbox ? how does it find the executable ?

Anything is found by using a set of $PATH's that are set in your /etc/profile file. This $PATH contains the most common location of binaries that get installed using normal parameters to applications. You can view your current path by typing:
echo $PATH
into a terminal.

exec /path/to/fluxbox will be something you'll likely see more and more. /path/to/whatever is an example. It actually means to use the real things in that place. So, if fluxbox, the exectable were located at /usr/bin/fluxbox then you'd put that in where /path/to/fluxbox is:
exec /usr/bin/fluxbox

How would you find out where it's at? The whereis command I showed above will likely find nearly all the executables you have installed:
whereis fluxbox
whereis whereis
whereis bash
whereis pizza
I don't think you'll get much from that last one though

Quote:

lol, the next thing looks like alien lanugage, do I need to create a script like that ?

Yeah, you don't HAVE to, the xwmconfig script will actually create one for you, you can then edit it to your needs if it's not satisfactory or for customization.

HTH

Cool

MasterC · 08-25-2003, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ematrixxx
when im in /root here is what i get when i gedit .xinitrc
I have no clue what this does, is this what you want to see ?

#!/bin/sh
#
# xinitrc file for XFce 3 startxfce script

# Install config directory if needed:
if [ ! -d $HOME/.xfce ]; then
/usr/bin/xfce_setup
fi

# Some distro needs to allow even localhost to use the display
# Uncomment this if you experience "Can't open display" when running
# programs from xfce. BEWARE this is considered as a vulnerability !
#
# xhost +$HOSTNAME
#
xsetroot -solid black -cursor_name watch

# Unselect the following line to get a BIG mouse cursor in Xfce :
# xset +fp "/usr/share/xfce/cursors"

# Set up additionnal fonts that ship with Xfce (Change id38121117)
xset fp+ "/usr/share/xfce/fonts"

# Start-up stuff from ~/Desktop/Autostart directory, if it exists
# (as it seems to be the new standard)
if [ -d "$HOME/Desktop/Autostart" ]; then
for i in `ls -1 ${HOME}/Desktop/Autostart/ 2>/dev/null`; do
if [ -x $HOME/Desktop/Autostart/$i ]; then
$HOME/Desktop/Autostart/$i &
fi
done
fi

# Uncomment this if you have xmodmap loading additional keycodes.
# set the XKEYS variable to the correct file

# XKEYS=/etc/X11/xinit/.Xmodmap
# if [ -f $XKEYS ]; then
# xmodmap $XKEYS
# fi

# Uncomment this if you run gkrellm. See http://www.gkrellm.net for
# more info. It will launch gkrellm if it's not already running
# if [ -z $(grep gkrellm ${HOME}/.xfce/xfwm-session) ]; then
# exec `which gkrellm` &
# fi

# Launch xscreensaver (if available)
xscreensaver -no-splash &

# Finally, launch XFce window manager
exec xfwm
xsetroot -solid black

Notice at the bottom of that file, what I have bolded, that's what you would change to exec fluxbox.

Cool

ematrixxx · 08-25-2003, 01:13 AM

I am in /root and I did the whereis fluxbox and it yeilded:

fluxbox:

That is all it said.

I tried to gedit the last part of .xinitrc and change it to fluxbox instead of xfce and onyl change that but that didn't work , when i tried startx after I logged out it errored so i had to vi edit it and change it back so now it works again. I am really confused though what does that stuff mean. What exactly do i have to do, edit the .xinitrc ? or ???? All I have done is run the .tgz and haven't done anything else.

oh yea and you type really really really fast

hehe

What exactly do i need to change in my .xinitrc to get fluxbox to work ? All I have done is tar xzf fluxbox so far

MasterC · 08-25-2003, 01:19 AM

When you "ran" the fluxbox.tgz what do you mean exactly? And which fluxbox.tgz did you use?

All that stuff is just mumbo jumbo for now, I wouldn't worry much about it until you get a feel for things. If Fluxbox isn't coming up when you type:
xwmconfig
Then it's likely not installed, so I'm gonna see what you have done so far..

Cool

ematrixxx · 08-25-2003, 01:21 AM

fluxbox-0.1.14-2.tgz, fluxbox does not come up on that menu xwmconfig I have no clue to install it : ( all I have done is un tar'd it ???? lol

MasterC · 08-25-2003, 01:24 AM

Can you link me to the exact file, I'm getting the feeling it's a SlackPack, not the source tarball...

Cool

ematrixxx · 08-25-2003, 01:28 AM

which exact file ? If your talking about the .xinitrc the one i posted before is exact.

MasterC · 08-25-2003, 01:35 AM

I mean the file on the fluxbox website. There's one there that's specifically for slackware, and I'm wondering if that's the one you downloaded...

Cool

ematrixxx · 08-25-2003, 01:41 AM

I got it from here http://fluxbox.bottino.com/

where it says: Latest STABLE Slackware 9.0 package is fluxbox-0.1.14-i386-1.tgz.

I downloaded it to /root

the only command i have done to it so far is tar xvf fluxbox-0.1.14-i386-1.tgz

I don't know what to do now

????

can you go on AIM for a minute so we can talk ?