-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 7
Commit
This commit does not belong to any branch on this repository, and may belong to a fork outside of the repository.
First remove the testimonials page, and add a new why use fvwm page which combines the various reasons why people choose to use fvwm. This seems more useful and a better idea than having random testimonials from fvwm developers. I also finally add the BlankConfig page I have been meaning to for way to long, and moved and updated the WindowManager page. This also felt like a NewToFvwm type info (which did have a small blurb on the why fvwm slant which was extended here).
- Loading branch information
1 parent
c79c774
commit d0072d8
Showing
9 changed files
with
177 additions
and
51 deletions.
There are no files selected for viewing
This file contains bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters.
Learn more about bidirectional Unicode characters
Original file line number | Diff line number | Diff line change |
---|---|---|
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ | ||
--- | ||
layout: wiki | ||
title: Minimal Initial Configuration | ||
--- | ||
|
||
# Minimal Initial Configuration | ||
|
||
Fvwm provides a very minimal set of internal defaults. As most things, | ||
such as window decor, menus, key bindings, panels, all take memory and | ||
resources. This way fvwm starts in a functional but very minimal state, | ||
and allows your custom configuration to only add resources that you | ||
actually want to use. To get an idea of what the minimal configuration | ||
looks and feels like, you can either put a blank (empty) file in | ||
`$HOME/.fvwm/config`, or you can run fvwm as follows: | ||
|
||
``` | ||
fvwm -f /dev/null | ||
``` | ||
|
||
Starting fvwm with a blank configuration file will give nothing | ||
except a black screen and a mouse. If you click on the root window | ||
a minimal menu is presented that can launch can basically launch | ||
an xterm, or load the default config for you. | ||
|
||
![Screen shot of fvwm running a blank config.](min_config_scrot.png){:.m-3 .d-block .mx-auto .img-fluid} | ||
|
||
From this very minimal state, all aspects of fvwm can be configured using | ||
the [fvwm configuration file]({{ "/Config/Fvwm2rc" | prepend: site.wikiurl }}). | ||
As an example check out the [default configuration file]( | ||
{{ "/DefaultConfig" | prepend: site.wikiurl }}) which covers all the | ||
common configuration options. In contrast this shows how minimal or | ||
full of features fvwm can be, with the default-config still be fairly | ||
modest compared to some more complicated fvwm configurations. |
Loading
Sorry, something went wrong. Reload?
Sorry, we cannot display this file.
Sorry, this file is invalid so it cannot be displayed.
This file contains bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters.
Learn more about bidirectional Unicode characters
Original file line number | Diff line number | Diff line change |
---|---|---|
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@ | ||
--- | ||
layout: wiki | ||
title: Why Use Fvwm? | ||
--- | ||
|
||
# Why should I use fvwm? | ||
|
||
Fvwm users continue to use fvwm for many different reasons. | ||
Fvwm is a very old project and at one time was a fairly | ||
popular window manager, and is now a tiny project still used | ||
by lots of core users. What is it about fvwm that users like? | ||
|
||
+ Fvwm is light weight and fast. Fvwm is built on top of X11, | ||
and doesn't use a lot of additional libraries or widget | ||
sets, as such it has a very small foot print on top of | ||
the already running X server, making it quite sleek. | ||
|
||
+ Fvwm is very stable, and preforms its task as a window manager | ||
very well. It is very rare fvwm crashes, and most instability | ||
is the application itself. | ||
|
||
+ Fvwm is extremely configurable, and you can customize almost | ||
every possible aspect of your desktop. Though this does take | ||
a lot of work to both learn how to configure fvwm and how | ||
to put your dream configuration into practice. | ||
|
||
+ Fvwm has the retro Motif look, similar to CDE. But fvwm doesn't | ||
need to look retro, and can be configured to have modern sleek | ||
looks, to fantasy looks. Did I mention fvwm is extremely | ||
configurable? | ||
|
||
+ Fvwm has a wide range of modules that can be used to improve | ||
the experience. These include a pager which shows all the | ||
virtual pages and desktops. And modules to build panels, | ||
and even interactive forums. Even more configurability. | ||
|
||
+ Fvwm's configuration file is a command syntax. Configuration | ||
commands can be sent to the running instance of fvwm at any | ||
time. This allows writing custom scripts that can interact | ||
and control fvwm by sending it the appropriate command. | ||
|
||
+ Due to its configurability, fvwm has been used as the basis | ||
for multiple desktop environments throughout the years. Two | ||
examples are NsCDE which gives a good retro CDE look and feel, | ||
while using modern software, and fvwm-crystal, which gives a | ||
nice sleek look. | ||
|
||
Fvwm is quite versatile, but in order to get the most out of | ||
fvwm, you need to be willing to take the time to learn its | ||
command syntax (which is just the configuration file syntax). | ||
As you learn how to tell fvwm how to handle your windows, | ||
you can tweak fvwm into your own dream window manager. Okay, | ||
there are limits as to what fvwm can do, but within its | ||
structure, there is a lot of power. | ||
|
||
# What are fvwm's weaknesses? | ||
|
||
If fvwm was so great, why isn't everyone using it? And though I | ||
agree with that, the reality is fvwm requires a lot of effort | ||
to understand and use. Configuration files are rarely portable, | ||
as they are tied to peoples' personal images, scripts, software | ||
installed on their system, and so on. | ||
|
||
These days there are some portable configuration files that can | ||
be used as a starting point, such as the [DefaultConfig]( | ||
{{ "/DefaultConfig" | prepend: site.wikiurl }}). But making | ||
changes to fvwm still requires reading through the config file and | ||
understanding what to change. There are no GUI tools for this | ||
(partly because an GUI tool couldn't reasonable hold all the | ||
options fvwm has) and learning what to change can take a little | ||
bit of trial and error. | ||
|
||
Fvwm's isn't built using any modern widget set or frame work, and | ||
though its modules can allow some building of interactive UI elements, | ||
they are a bit primitive and don't contain a lot of modern features. | ||
Though you can build tools using modern frame works that talk to | ||
fvwm. | ||
|
||
Fvwm isn't for everyone, but if a quick, fast, low memory use, and | ||
very customizable window manager sounds good to you, give it a try. | ||
I would start by using the [DefaultConfig]( | ||
{{ "/DefaultConfig" | prepend: site.wikiurl }}), | ||
and then you can either try to modify it to fit your desires, or go | ||
check out all the other fvwm configurations you can find out there. |
This file contains bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters.
Learn more about bidirectional Unicode characters
Original file line number | Diff line number | Diff line change |
---|---|---|
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@ | ||
--- | ||
layout: wiki | ||
title: Window Mangers | ||
--- | ||
|
||
# Window Managers | ||
|
||
* TOC | ||
{:toc} | ||
|
||
## Introduction | ||
|
||
Unlike other windowing systems the X Window System only provides access | ||
to the graphics hardware, and other peripherals your computer uses. It | ||
does not specify how window borders or title bars should be drawn, nor | ||
does it explicitly handle window arrangement or key bindings. Such | ||
implementations are left to special programs known as "Window Managers". | ||
Their primary purpose is to do just that -- manage windows, both usually | ||
in terms of placement, focus, decoration, etc. | ||
|
||
Window managers can tell X11 what windows to see, where to position them, | ||
and give you tools to organize all the running windows. Fvwm provides an | ||
interface in which the user can tell X11 what to do with the running windows, | ||
though both user input from the mouse and keyboard, to responding to | ||
scripts and events. | ||
|
||
In essence, the window manager manages all the running X11 window processes | ||
and is a core tool for building a desktop on X11. A desktop is a window | ||
manager along with configuration tools, panels, and additional software | ||
all integrated and linked together. Fvwm on the other hand is just a window | ||
manager, and the user needs to install and configure fvwm to interact | ||
with the software they want to use. | ||
|
||
## Why fvwm? | ||
|
||
Fvwm provides a configuration/command syntax that can be used to configure | ||
your own desktop, and for a more detailed response see [Why use Fvwm]( | ||
{{ "/NewToFvwm/WhyFvwm" | prepend: site.wikiurl }}). | ||
|
||
Many people ask this question, and of course there is no answer, other | ||
than a very personal and subjective one. For many, FVWM was their first | ||
graphical environment that they used when first installing Linux. For many | ||
years, RedHat used FVWM as their primary "desktop" GUI-frontend, and in 1996, | ||
RedHat launched a competition -- the winner of which was called AnotherLevel. | ||
For me, and others that used RedHat, this was their first taste of FVWM. | ||
For many, it wasn't pleasant. :) Some people like to stick with what | ||
they're used to, it seems. | ||
|
||
But since then, and of late, I myself (ThomasAdam) have noticed a sudden | ||
increase of FVWM users. I attribute this to some sort of 'born-again' effect; | ||
people are waking up as to how they can configure this beast. :) | ||
|
This file contains bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters.
Learn more about bidirectional Unicode characters
This file was deleted.
Oops, something went wrong.
This file contains bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters.
Learn more about bidirectional Unicode characters
This file was deleted.
Oops, something went wrong.
This file contains bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters.
Learn more about bidirectional Unicode characters