mirror of https://github.com/tLDP/LDP
2106 lines
86 KiB
Plaintext
2106 lines
86 KiB
Plaintext
<!doctype linuxdoc system>
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<article>
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<title>AfterStep FAQ
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<author>Andrew Sullivan (<tt/asullivan@sprint.ca/)
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<date>v.00, 22 November 1998
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<abstract>
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This is the AfterStep Window Manager FAQ (mostly with answers) file.
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Copyright © 1996-1998, Frank Fejes, Jonathan B. Leffert, Kragen Sittler,
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Diego Zamboni, Guylhem Aznar & Andrew Sullivan.
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Freely redistributable under the terms of LDP license, Version 2, January 1998.
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</abstract>
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<toc>
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<sect>General information
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<p>
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<sect1>What is X, and what is a window manager?
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<p> "X" is common shorthand for The X Window System. It is the basis for
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building some graphical user interfaces (GUIs). These are most often found
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on UNIX-type systems, although there are implementations for other
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platforms. Notice that X <em>is not</em> the interface itself. For more
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information, please see <url url="http://www.X.org/" name="The X Window
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System">.
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A window manager (briefly) is a program which controls the way various
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windows interact during an X session. AfterStep is one such window manager.
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<sect1>What is AfterStep?
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<p>
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AfterStep is a Window Manager for X which started by emulating the NEXTSTEP
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look and feel, but which has been significantly altered according to the
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requests of various users. Many adepts will tell you that NEXTSTEP is not only
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the most visually pleasant interface, but also one of the most functional and
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intuitive out there. AfterStep aims to incorporate the advantages of the
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NEXTSTEP interface, and add additional useful features.
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The developers of AfterStep have also worked very hard to ensure stability
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and a small program footprint. Without giving up too many features,
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AfterStep still works nicely in environments where memory is at a premium.
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<sect1>What is its history?
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<p>
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What follows is drawn from the AfterStep man page:
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AfterStep originated as a continuation of the BowMan window manager,
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originally developed by Bo Yang. BowMan was based on fvwm, which was
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written by Robert Nation. In turn, fvwm was based on twm. And so on. Open
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Source / Free (please pick your preferred term, without prejudice) software
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works exactly because of these sorts of traditions. Yay!
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The changes which led to AfterStep were originally part of BowMan development.
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As the desire for simple emulation was superseded by a desire to improve,
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the designers decided to change the name, and the AfterStep project was
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born.
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Many of the earlier developers of AfterStep subsequently decided to move to
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the Window Maker (originally WindowMaker) project, under the leadership of
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Alfredo Kojima (<tt/kojima@windowmaker.org/). Window Maker (which, as of
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this writing, may yet receive another name change: gswm for "GNUstep Window
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Manager") is committed to emulating closely the NEXTSTEP(tm) look and feel.
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As a result of all that, Guylhem Aznar
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(<tt/ciguylhem@barberouge.linux.lmm.com/) took over
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development of AfterStep. Though he had help from several able developers
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(check the "TEAM" file for a list of the wonderful programmers responsible
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for AfterStep), and obviously built on the previous efforts of other
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excellent programmers, new and current users of AfterStep owe a special debt
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to Mr Aznar. Without his work, AfterStep would never have approached its
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current stability, flexibility, or functionality.
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<sect1> What are AfterStep's main features?
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<p>
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<enum>
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<item> NEXTSTEP-similar title bar, title buttons, borders and corners.
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<item> The AfterStep Wharf, which is a much worked-out version of GoodStuff. To
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avoid copyright complications it is not called a `dock'.
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<item> NEXTSTEP style menus. The menus are not, however, controlled by
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applications; they are more like pop-up service lists on the root
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window.
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<item> NEXTSTEP style icons. The default icons are consistent with those
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in the NEXTSTEP interface, but they are configurable.
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<item> Pixmapped Pager with desktop pixmapping.
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<item> Easy-to-use look files, which allow you to share you desktop appearance with your friends.
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<item> Start menu entries in a hierarchy of directories.
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<item> WinList, a tasklist which can be horizontal or vertical.
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<item> Many modules & as-apps to make your X window station look great.
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</enum>
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The flexibility of fvwm has not been traded off. Initiation files recognize
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most of the fvwm 1.24r commands. Virtual screens and the pager are still
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intact. Modules for fvwm-1.x should work just fine.
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<sect1>Is it compatible with fvwm-2?
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<p> Compatibility with fvwm-2 & Enlightenment <em>modules</em> is planned
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for an upcoming version, but support is not yet available. Some
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Enlightenment-based items will work well with AfterStep, however. In
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particular, support for Eterm is now available.
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<sect1>Is it available for Microsoft Windows-based machines?
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<p> Not really, unless the Windows machine has an X server installed. If
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you want to take that approach, look at <url
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url="http://www.alfheim.net/aswin32/" name="Running AfterStep under
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Win32!">. But there is an AfterStep-alike program called LiteSTEP, which
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gives Windows machines an AfterStep-ish appearance. As of this writing,
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LiteSTEP development versions are available at <url
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url="http://dev.litestep.net">, while some screen shots are available at
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<url url="http://litestep.computerheaven.net/">. Keep in mind, however,
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that these programs <em>are not</em> versions of AfterStep. Please do not
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send questions about LiteSTEP to the AfterStep mail list.
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If you want to make AfterStep work under any version of Windows, you are
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welcome to try following the instructions at the Web sites listed above, and
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every last bit of associated documentation. Please do not contact Andrew
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Sullivan for help, however, as he cannot help you: he does not use AfterStep
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with Windows.
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<sect1>Where can I get this FAQ?
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<p> The latest version is always available at <url
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url="http://lowrent.org/asfaq/">. That is the official home page of the
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AfterStep FAQ, and offers links to several mirror sites as well.
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The latest version is also usually available from <url
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url="ftp://ftp.afterstep.org/pub/">. The AfterStep FTP site has found a new
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home courtesy of Red Hat; please see the section on the FTP site for
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details. One can also always find the latest version of the FAQ through the
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AfterStep web site. What's more, there are sites whose sysadmins have been
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generous in offering mirrors of the FAQ. Here are the mirrors:
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<p> <url url="http://the-site.dyn.ml.org/Linux/AfterStep/FAQ/">, hosted by
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David Mihm.
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<p> <url url="http://www.davidv.net/~ajsulliv/">, hosted by David Vondrasek.
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<p> <url url="http://optera.net/~contramac/">, hosted by Nathan Widmyer.
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<p> <url url="http://www.ticnet.com/azenomei/as/start.html">, hosted by
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Peter Booth.
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Ce document est aussi disponible en français, à <url
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url="http://amberlab.net/rone/afterstep/">.
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Please note that the version numbering system of the FAQ has changed. The
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FAQ version number used to follow roughly the same protocol as the version
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numbering of AfterStep. This led to confusion, because the number of the
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FAQ and the number of AfterStep tended to get out of synch. The FAQ version
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number is now the date of its release, according to the ISO data format:
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{Arabic numeral of year}-{Arabic numeral of month number}-{Arabic numeral of
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day of month}. For example, a FAQ released on 31 October 1998 would be
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called "as-faq.1998-10-31", with the appropriate extension for the file
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format.
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<sect1>Who contributes to this FAQ?
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<p> The initial version of the FAQ was written by Frank Fejes
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(<tt/frank@ssax.com/) and Jonathan B. Leffert (<tt/j-leffert@uchicago.edu/).
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Major additions were made by Kragen Sittler (<tt/kragen@tcsi.com/). Diego
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Zamboni (<tt/zamboni@cs.purdue.edu/) maintained the file until Guylhem Aznar
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(<tt/ciguylhem@barberouge.linux.lmm.com/) took over with the release of AS
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1.4. The file is now maintained by Andrew Sullivan
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(<tt/asullivan@sprint.ca/), with contributions from Tomas Duewiger
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(<tt/td@music-satellite.de/). Naturally, the FAQ is prepared in
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co-operation with the program developers; but any errors or omissions are
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now Andrew Sullivan's responsibility, so you should contact him to complain.
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Most of the questions and answers have been provided by the people
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participating in the AfterStep mailing lists. If you have a suggestion
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about this file or, better yet, an answer to an unanswered question in this
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file, please send an e-mail to Mr Sullivan, or to the main AfterStep list;
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see the next question for more information on the list.
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<sect1>What is the AfterStep-related mailing list?
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<p>
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This question used to read, "What <em>are</em> the AfterStep-related mailing
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lists?" Due to some changes in hosting, things have changed:
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<descrip>
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<tag/AfterStep-Announce/
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This list is no longer functioning.
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<tag/AfterStep/
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The purpose of this list is to provide a forum in which users of
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the AfterStep X11 window manager can discuss issues related to
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to using AfterStep. Appropriate topics include, but are not
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limited to, the installation and configuration of AfterStep and
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related modules and applications. Developers should also subscribe
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to, and work through, this list, as no other list is active as of
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this writing.
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<tag/AfterStep-Digest/
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This list contains the same messages as the AfterStep mailing
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list. The messages are saved up (not transmitted
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individually) and sent out as a bundle. This decreases the
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number of separate messages received from the list, but makes it
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more difficult to reply to a specific message.
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<tag/AfterStep-Dev/
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This list is no longer functioning.
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<tag/AfterStep-Dev-Digest/
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This list is no longer functioning.
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</descrip>
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For information on subscribing to any of these lists, or more information,
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please see <url
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url="http://www.calderasystems.com/linuxcenter/forums/afterstep.html">. A
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re-instated searchable archive of the list is planned by Ed Orcutt; Mr
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Orcutt is also the owner of the AfterStep lists. His employer, Caldera,
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has been generous in donating server and web space for the mailing
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lists.
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<sect>Getting and installing AfterStep
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<p>
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<sect1>Where do I get AfterStep?
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<p>
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The main AfterStep resources on the net are below.
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<itemize>
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<item>WWW Page
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<p>
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The official WWW page is at <url url="http://www.afterstep.org">
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The web site has again lost its home, and may not be currently available to
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the public. It should be under new administration soon.
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<item>FTP Site
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<p> The FTP site, <url url="ftp://ftp.afterstep.org/pub/">, is the
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best place to get AfterStep. It also supports uploads: <url
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url="ftp://ftp.afterstep.org/incoming/">. Please read the instructions
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about uploads before asking why your upload is not immediately available.
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Some links to the FTP site are provided from the Web site.
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Please note that the FTP site has moved to a new server under new
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administration. Any questions about the current status of the FTP site
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should be directed first to the mailing list.
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<item> Developers' sites.
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<p>
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There are several sites which have been generous enough to act as
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developers' sites. Note that you can expect development-level support for
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development-level programs. That means that if you aren't willing to fix it
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yourself, you mustn't complain! (You are, of course, encouraged to make
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<em>detailed</em> bug reports.) You can find links to the development sites
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from the main AfterStep WWW site. That site is accessible through lynx, so
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anyone with a UNIX-type networked system should be able to get AfterStep.
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Here is the list of developers' sites:
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<p>
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<url url="http://http.the-site.dyn.ml.org/Linux/AfterStep/"
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name="the-SITE: Linux: AfterStep Page">
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<p>
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<url url="ftp://fuf.sh.cvut.cz/pub/AfterStep/"
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name="ftp://fuf.sh.cvut.cz/pub/AfterStep/">
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<p>
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<url url="http://members.xoom.com/sashav/afterstep.html"
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name="AfterStep window manager">
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<p>
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<url url="http://bewoner.dma.be/Albert/afterstep/"
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name="AfterStep applets">
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<item>Other Web Resources:
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<p> There are also some useful things to be found on the following pages.
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The first is the current, official AfterStep Customization Page; it includes
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a web-based BBS with helpful suggestions. It was originally designed around
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AfterStep v. 1.4.x; but the remarks are, on the whole, applicable to v.
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1.5.x. The second is a page offering help to new users, maintained by Tomas
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Duewiger (<tt/td@music-satellite.de/). It is, again, designed around v.
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1.4.x, but is nevertheless useful for users who have v. 1.5.x. The last is
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a page which centres around AfterStep-Classic, but which will still no doubt
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offer help even to people who are working under AfterStep v. > 1.0. It is
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important to note that any one of these may offer information which is not
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perfectly current with the present development of AfterStep: for the very
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latest, official word, subscribe to the AfterStep mailing list. Still, any
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one of these sites will be a helpful resource to any AfterStep user:
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<p>
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<url url="http://www.via.ayuda.com/~smw/afterstep/"
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name="AfterStep Customization Page">
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<p>
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<url url="http://www.music-satellite.de/spearhead/"
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name="AfterStep and some tricks">
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<p>
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<url url="http://the-labs.com/AfterStep/" name="Kiwi's AfterStep Page">
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<item>AfterStep IRC channel:
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<p>
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AfterStep has a presence on IRC, through EFnet. The channel is #afterstep.
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If you need to find a server, try irc.txdirect.net.
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</itemize>
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<sect1> What is the latest version of AfterStep?
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<p> The latest official version is 1.4.5, released in April 1998.
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A development release, 1.4.5.55N6, was widely considered to be a true
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stable release; it has, in fact, fewer bugs than 1.4.5.
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Version 1.5.0 should be available by the time you read this. If you are
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contemplating installing a version of AfterStep, it is worth either waiting
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for the release of version 1.5.0, or installing the latest beta version of
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1.5. Any version of the 1.5 series is a significant improvement over any
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1.4.x release.
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There is also a current development effort around the old version of
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AfterStep (v. 1.0). This effort is called AfterStepClassic. It is
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primarily directed towards fixing bugs in the old 1.0 release of AfterStep,
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and is not always compatible with new developments in AfterStep. It uses
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<em>only</em> the .steprc-style configuration, so if you are looking for
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information on how to configure AfterStepClassic, you should assume that the
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information about versions < 1.2 apply to you. The lead developer for
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AfterStepClassic is Stephen Ma (<tt/stephen_ma@mindlink.bc.ca/).
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<sect1>What do I need to install AfterStep?
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<p> AfterStep is an X window manager. So, you need to have an X
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workstation. It will apparently compile against, and work with, X11R5, but
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for optimal performance, it is preferable that you use X11R6. In order to
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compile AfterStep from the source, you need (apart from a C compiler, like
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gcc) the X developers' libraries on your system. The most common problem
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that people have in compiling AfterStep is as a result of not having the
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required libraries on their system. In particular, XFree86 lists the
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necessary libraries as an "optional" package. As a result, many people do
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not install them, and so cannot compile AfterStep. You should be able to
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get the libraries wherever you got your distribution of XFree86.
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AfterStep is known to run on Linux, FreeBSD (not all modules work), HP-UX,
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and Solaris. For the latter two, you should read the relevant READMEs
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before trying to compile.
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X, and hence AfterStep, is really designed with an eye to the assumptions of
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multiuser systems like UNIX or VMS. If you are using X on some other
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platform, and particularly, if you are trying to run X atop any version of
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Windows, you will have to do much of the porting work yourself. There is a
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link above offering advice on getting AfterStep to work under Windows; but
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this practice is not encouraged. You are likely to get greater ease of use
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by using LiteSTEP.
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<sect1>I receive the message: Cannot open display. What should I do?
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<p>
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AfterStep is an X window manager and cannot be run from the terminal.
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It must be run through X. The easiest way to do that is to create (or
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edit) your own .xinitrc file (which contains a list of the programs you
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wish to load upon startup) and to add the line exec afterstep to the end.
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This last exec'd line is significant in that it says to shut down X when
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that program is terminated. Now that you have that file, simply startup X
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in your customary manner (most likely by issuing "startx" or "xinit").
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Now you're off and running. Good luck!
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If you are using xdm, you will need to put the call to afterstep in your
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.xsessions file.
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<sect1>How can I install AfterStep without being root?
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<p>
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This is fairly easy, but you must be sensitive to the version you
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are using.
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You will have to install all the files under your home directory. The
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usual recommendation is to use the same directories as suggested in the
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installation procedure, but replacing /usr/share, usr/local, or whatever
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you like by your home directory. For example, if you home directory is
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/home/blah you would use directories like /home/blah/bin, /home/blah/etc,
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/home/blah/lib, and the like.
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Compile AfterStep following the standard installation procedure (i.e the
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one described in the README) until the install step. Then, do the
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following (make sure to create the destination directories first if they
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don't exist. All the source paths are relative to the AfterStep source
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directory):
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<enum>
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<item> Copy afterstep/afterstep to $HOME/bin/.
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<item> Copy modules/*/(binaries) to $HOME/bin/.
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<item> Copy apps/*/(binaries) to $HOME/bin/.
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<item> Copy GNUstep/ to $HOME/.
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<item> Edit $HOME/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep/base.* to reflect the above paths
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in the lines starting with ModulePath and PixmapPath.
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<item> Put $HOME/bin in your path.
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</enum>
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You should be set. Feel free to modify this procedure according to
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your particular needs or the particular setup of your machine/account.
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You should note that, during the 1.4.5.x series, the source paths changed.
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If the changes are not transparent to you, you should probably move to the
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1.5 series anyway. The 1.5 series includes an install script that allows
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you to set the install directories to whatever you want. Even though the
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instructions say you should have root access, you can install AS under your
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home directory. The trick here is to specify only directories to which
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you have write permissions. <em>Importantly, you must specify the full
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path</em> on most systems. Otherwise, there is a good chance that something
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will not read correctly; this will affect your installation of AfterStep.
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On some systems, you may also have to add the new subdirectories to your
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".profile", ".cshrc", ".xsessions", or other such file. If you don't know
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what this means, you should either contact your system administrator, or read
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a good book about your operating system or X windowing system.
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<sect1>Why do I keep getting compile errors?
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<p>
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The most common reason for problems compiling is that you do not have all
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the necessary libraries and headers available on your system. This often
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happens to people who have recently upgraded their distribution of XFree86.
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The necessary libraries are included in an "optional" file which matches the
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version of XFree86 in question; the most recent of these is X332prog.tgz
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(for XFree86 3.3.2). You should be able to find the file you need wherever
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you obtained your distribution of X.
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<sect1>Why do I keep getting an error referring to sgmltools?
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|
|
<p>
|
|
|
|
This FAQ file is maintained in SGML according to the Linuxdoc DTD; some
|
|
version of the FAQ is included with every AfterStep distribution. In order
|
|
to make it easily readable, a program called sgml2html (part of sgmltools)
|
|
converts the file to HTML. A script, afterstepdoc (by default, the first
|
|
button on the Wharf), should open a browser and allow you to read the FAQ.
|
|
Unfortunately, not everyone has sgmltools; and even if they are installed,
|
|
they are not detected correctly at install time. As a result, the HTML
|
|
version of the FAQ is now shipped with the latest versions of AfterStep.
|
|
The SGML source is still included with the AfterStep source, however, so if
|
|
you want other versions of this FAQ -- dvi, PostScript, or even plain text
|
|
-- just use the sgmltools package to convert the SGML source to whatever
|
|
format you like.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Why can't I get AfterStep to compile on SGI or SCO?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
The problem here was tracked down and reported by Benjamin J. Tracy
|
|
(<tt/tracy@wsicorp.com/) and (independently) John Koch
|
|
(<tt/JKOCH1@Tandy.com/). The ordering of the libraries in the link command
|
|
is wrong. Just make sure that the afterstep library appears <em>before</em>
|
|
the -lX11 argument on the link command line (in the Makefile). Everything
|
|
should work after that.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Will AfterStep compile correctly on FreeBSD?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
AfterStep itself works fine on FreeBSD, but some as-apps will not work. In
|
|
particular, there are some that depend upon a Linux-type /proc filesystem.
|
|
That filesystem is very different on BSD-type system.
|
|
|
|
<sect>Problems After Installation
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I just upgraded to version 1.5, but I don't see any difference. Why?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
|
|
By default, version 1.5 installs in different directories than versions
|
|
< 1.5. The binary names are the same, unfortunately, so if the earlier
|
|
binaries are "earlier" in your path than the new binaries, you will not get
|
|
the new binaries.
|
|
|
|
One trick is to use the new, version 1.5 install script to place the new
|
|
binaries wherever the old binaries are. Another possibility is to track
|
|
down the old binaries, and remove them from the system. By default,
|
|
AfterStep used to install in /usr/X11R6/bin. Version 1.5 installs, by
|
|
default, in /usr/local/bin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I don't want so many desktops in version 1.4.x or later; I want to
|
|
change feature xyz in version 1.4.x or later.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Just edit the relevant file under &tilde/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep. See the
|
|
section on configuration for details.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>The desktop is bigger than my pager indicates.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
This is/was a known bug. The problem is that the pager is at least three
|
|
screens in at least one dimension. There have been reports of getting the
|
|
pager to work correctly if the desktop size is set to 3X3 or 3X2. (For more
|
|
information on how to configure the Pager, see the section on Modules,
|
|
below.)
|
|
|
|
Albert Dorofeev (<tt/albert@mail.dma.be/) reports that the following changes
|
|
to src/functions.c will fix the problem in AfterStep 1.4; I do not know
|
|
whether these will work for other versions. In src/functions.c, change the
|
|
lines
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
|
|
if (newx > Scr.VxMax)
|
|
newx = Scr.VxMax;
|
|
if (newy > Scr.VyMax)
|
|
newy = Scr.VyMax;
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
to
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
|
|
if (newx >= (Scr.VxMax - Scr.MyDisplayWidth) )
|
|
newx = Scr.VxMax - Scr.MyDisplayWidth;
|
|
if (newy >= (Scr.VyMax - Scr.MyDisplayHeight) )
|
|
newy = Scr.VyMax - Scr.MyDisplayHeight;
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
This change apparently leaves a bug whereby the mouse pointer "jumps" on the
|
|
right-hand border; but at least your pager will correspond to the desktop.
|
|
|
|
The bug is fixed as of AfterStep 1.4.5.x, so if it really annoys you, please
|
|
upgrade. In the 1.4.5 and later series, the virtual desktop is set up in
|
|
the base.{yourbppnumber}bpp file, <em>and not</em> the pager configuration
|
|
file. Please edit the correct file according to your configuration.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I'm running Solaris, and have had problems with the alphasort()
|
|
function.
|
|
|
|
<p> There are ever-fewer problems with AfterStep and Solaris; this one has
|
|
been patched in version 1.4.4 and later. You should upgrade to the latest
|
|
version. You should also check the information in the README.Solaris file,
|
|
and see the following site: <url
|
|
url="http://www.primate.wisc.edu/software/imake-stuff/">.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I reduced the number of buttons in my titlebars, and now AS crashes.
|
|
|
|
<p> Depending on which version you are using, you may need to edit your feel
|
|
file, as well. Look at the section on looks and feels.
|
|
|
|
<sect>AfterStep Configuration
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
<sect1>What's a .steprc, and why do I need it anyway?
|
|
|
|
<p> In versions of AfterStep prior to version 1.2 (including current
|
|
versions of AfterStepClassic), all configuration is handled in a single
|
|
file. This is the .steprc file; it should be in your home directory if
|
|
you're running any of these versions. These files are generally
|
|
well-commented, and can be edited easily to change the defaults. The
|
|
default file from version 1.0 included several major sections:
|
|
|
|
<itemize>
|
|
<item>Distinctive Look and Feel
|
|
<item>Window Placement
|
|
<item>Miscellaneous Settings
|
|
<item>Pager and Virtual Desktop
|
|
<item>Common Paths
|
|
<item>Animated Iconize Customization
|
|
<item>Wharf Customization
|
|
<item>Icon Selector
|
|
<item>Initialization Function
|
|
<item>Functions
|
|
<item>Menus (which does not include bindings!)
|
|
<item>Mouse Bindings
|
|
<item>Keyboard Shortcuts
|
|
<item>Module Definitions
|
|
</itemize>
|
|
|
|
New versions of AfterStep don't use this file, preferring the
|
|
GNUstep/Library standard instead. The settings for looks and feels, for
|
|
instance, have been broken out into separate files, and the configurations of
|
|
Wharf, Pager, and other modules and applications have been placed in their
|
|
own files. See below.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I'm using AfterStep 1.2 or later, and I can't find the .steprc. Why?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
AfterStep now uses a directory structure to handle desktop customization.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>OK, so how do I customize non-.steprc versions?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
This depends on the version you have.
|
|
|
|
Versions through 1.4.4 need a full set of directories in each user's home
|
|
directory. In other words, you need to copy everything in
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
{AfterStepPath}/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep/
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
to
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
&tilde/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep/
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
There were several changes to this directory structure between version 1.4.0
|
|
and 1.4.4. A full outline of these changes is beyond the scope of this
|
|
document, but there are some general remarks on particularly common problems
|
|
below. For more help configuring 1.4.4, see <url
|
|
url="http://www.via.ayuda.com/~smw/afterstep/configs/index.html"> or <url
|
|
url="http://www.music-satellite.de/spearhead/">.
|
|
|
|
In particular, you should note that the &tilde/G/L/A/ directories <em>are
|
|
not compatible</em> between versions 1.4.0 and 1.4.4. You must copy the
|
|
full {AS install}/G/L/A/ directory (including all sub-directories) into your
|
|
home directory, even if you are only upgrading from 1.4.0 to 1.4.4.
|
|
|
|
The &tilde/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep arrangement is, admittedly, somewhat
|
|
inefficient, because there are always at least two copies of everything on
|
|
any system running AfterStep. As of versions post-1.4.5, it is possible to
|
|
add only those files which you have changed to the directory structure in
|
|
your home directory; everything else will use the default installation in
|
|
/usr/share/afterstep or /usr/local/share/afterstep (this location varies
|
|
among versions; the latter is the default in version 1.5).
|
|
<em>Nevertheless</em>, there are some subtle differences among the
|
|
configuration files of each version. If you have upgraded, and you
|
|
suddenly have problems, your first impulse should be to try renaming your
|
|
&tilde/G/L/A/ directory, and starting AfterStep. If the problem disappears,
|
|
you can reasonably presume that it has something to do with your
|
|
configuration files. That doesn't mean that the answer will be obvious, but
|
|
it does mean that you'll know where to start looking.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I just upgraded versions, and now nothing works.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
First, determine whether you have upgraded from a ".steprc version" to a
|
|
"non-.steprc version". Versions after 1.2 do not (by default) use the
|
|
.steprc file, so your old customization will not be invoked by default if
|
|
you have moved from, say, 1.0 to 1.4.5.
|
|
|
|
If you have changed from 1.4.0 to a later version, you need to remove your
|
|
old version of the &tilde/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep directory structure.
|
|
Version 1.4.4 introduced the "configurable" and "non-configurable"
|
|
distinction, and so several items have moved. See the previous question.
|
|
|
|
Subtle changes have been introduced between versions; this is even true
|
|
between, say, 1.4.4 and 1.4.5.3. In particular, several modules have had
|
|
their configuration files changed to be in keeping with Wharf style. The
|
|
practical effect of this is apparently inexplicable problems which develop
|
|
after an upgrade. If you suddenly have problems after an upgrade, and
|
|
especially if some modules suddenly do not work, try replacing your
|
|
configuration with the default configuration. If that works, you can edit
|
|
the new configuration to reflect your previous customization.
|
|
|
|
It is also important to note that the syntax for looks and feels changed
|
|
again in version 1.5. Several of these changes have been as a result of
|
|
requested features or (more often) improvements in the efficiency or ease of
|
|
use of the overall program. These changes, of course, entail some
|
|
frustration; but before you ask, "What happened?" you should <em>always</em>
|
|
try renaming your &tilde/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep directory, and
|
|
re-starting. If this solves the problem, you should try customizing the new
|
|
version, using your old customization as a model. You are likely to be able
|
|
to re-use most of your old configuration files as they are.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>How do I change my startmenu?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
In versions before 1.2, edit the appropriate section of the .steprc. In
|
|
later versions, you need to adjust the necessary parts of the
|
|
&tilde/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep/start directory structure. The start
|
|
directory includes sub-directories for every sub-menu. It also has a file
|
|
corresponding to every entry on a menu. Each file should contain a single
|
|
line to invoke the desired program. So, if you wanted an entry in your main
|
|
startmenu which said
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
xiterm (pixmap)
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
your &tilde/G/L/A/start directory would contain a file:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
xiterm\ (pixmap)
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
That file would contain a single line:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
xiterm -pixmap [path_to_pixmap.xpm] &
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
(you would, of course, adjust the command-line options to reflect your
|
|
intentions).
|
|
|
|
By default, the sort order of the start menu is determined at compile time.
|
|
It is usually sorted alphabetically or chronologically (according to the
|
|
creation date of the file). This has the disadvantage of forcing a sort
|
|
order which one might not like. As a result, version 1.5 offers a new
|
|
(completely-worked-out) way to sort menu items.
|
|
|
|
In version 1.5, the startmenu can be sorted numerically. Suppose you have
|
|
three files you want to sort in your startmenu, named "a", "b", and "c".
|
|
You could sort these in reverse alphabetical order in your startmenu by
|
|
naming them "0_c", "1_b", and "2_c".
|
|
|
|
You can specify a startmenu name which is different from the filename, by
|
|
including that startmenu name in quotes in the file which is associated with
|
|
the startmenu name. For instance, a file named 8_xitermtransparent would be
|
|
the 8th file in the startmenu. If the contents of the file were as follows,
|
|
then it would be named "X terminal ˜transparent":
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
Exec "X terminal ~transparent" exec xiterm -pixmap
|
|
~/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep/non-configurable/0_background -sl 500 -vb &
|
|
MiniPixmap "mini-app.xpm"
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
(Note that this command should all be on one line in the actual file!) In
|
|
this case, the xiterm window comes up with the current background of the
|
|
first desktop in AfterStep; this simulates a "transparent" xterm. For more
|
|
on "transparent" xterms, please see the section on as-apps.
|
|
|
|
The sorting of items in the startmenu always puts directories (which are
|
|
equivalent to sub-menus) first. Directories, however, are themselves sorted
|
|
according to the same scheme as are files, except that there is no mechanism
|
|
for naming a sub-menu something other than the directory name.
|
|
|
|
From version 1.4.5, you also have to read the new startmenu into your
|
|
configuration. On the startmenu, under "Desktop" (1.5 or later) or "Quit"
|
|
(< 1.5), is an option, "update startmenu". Choose this item, and your new
|
|
startmenu will appear.
|
|
|
|
People who have Red Hat Linux 5.1 have had another problem with the
|
|
startmenu updating: all changes are lost after exiting. This is because of
|
|
the way that Red Hat has modified the startup of AfterStep. The version of
|
|
AfterStep included in Red Hat 5.1 includes an m4 preprocessing routine
|
|
which, among other things, re-writes the
|
|
&tilde/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep/start directory every time AfterStep
|
|
starts. As a bit of editorial, I (Andrew) might point out that I don't know
|
|
what this does, nor why Red Hat used it. I also don't intend to learn. If
|
|
you can't get Red Hat to explain to you what they did, my suggestion is to
|
|
remove the RPM, and compile and install the official version. David Mihm
|
|
(<tt/davemann@ionet.net/), however, suggests that you can get around the m4
|
|
preprocessing this way:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
echo "exec afterstep" >~/.xinitrc
|
|
echo "exec afterstep" >~/.xsessions
|
|
chmod 700 ~/.xsessions
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
It has been suggested (by Ian Hay, <tt/ian.hay@sympatico.ca/) that the m4
|
|
preprocessing was an attempt on Red Hat's part to make the use of AfterStep
|
|
more friendly to new users: this preprocessing apparently ensures that new
|
|
apps get added to the start menu after they've been installed. Matteo
|
|
Lunardi (<tt/matteo.lunardi@usa.net/) has offered a work-around, at least in
|
|
some versions. In the xinit-1.4.2.noarch.rpm, he edited the file
|
|
/etc/X11/xinit/Xclients, this way:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
if [ -f $HOME/.wm_style ] ; then
|
|
WMSTYLE=Cat $HOME/.wm_style case "$WMSTYLE" in
|
|
Afterstep*|AfterStep*)
|
|
# we have to start up afterstep
|
|
if [ -x /usr/X11R6/bin/afterstep -a -f
|
|
/usr/share/afterstep/wmconfig.conf ] ; then
|
|
# if [ ! -d $HOME/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep ]; then
|
|
mkdir -p $HOME/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep
|
|
wmconfig --output=afterstep --directories \
|
|
/usr/share/afterstep/wmconfig.conf 2>/dev/null
|
|
# fi
|
|
env > "$HOME"/Xrootenv.0
|
|
# if this works, we stop here
|
|
eval "exec /usr/X11R6/bin/afterstep" >
|
|
"$HOME"/.AfterStep-errors 2>&1
|
|
fi
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
In this case, the change was to add comment marks ("#") to the "if" lines
|
|
(not the one where it says, "if this works, we stop here"). Apparently,
|
|
however, it also works to add the comment marks to the "mkdir" and
|
|
"wmconfig" lines.
|
|
|
|
As an alternative, Kai Puolamaki (<tt/Kai.Puolamaki@iki.fi/) suggests that
|
|
you configure your wmconfig utility to make things work better. This is
|
|
likely the best way to make these adjustments. Red Hat's wmconfig utility
|
|
relies on a system-wide directory, /etc/X11/wmconfig, but is adjustable by
|
|
users through an individual directory, &tilde/.wmconfig. So, if you wanted
|
|
a menu item, "Mail", containing both mutt and elm, you would add two files:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
~/.wmconfig/mutt
|
|
~/.wmconfig/elm
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
The file "mutt" would contain the following:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
mutt name "Mutt"
|
|
mutt description "Mutt email client"
|
|
mutt group Mail
|
|
mutt exec "xterm -e mutt &"
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
The file "elm" would be similar:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
elm name "Elm"
|
|
elm description "Elm email client"
|
|
elm group Mail
|
|
elm exec "xterm -e elm &"
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
More information is available from the wmconfig manpage. Note that there is
|
|
an additional advantage to this syntax: it ensures that your menu changes
|
|
are also available if you change window managers.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Where did the "Decorations" item go in version 1.5?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
The "Decorations" menu has been re-named to "Desktop".
|
|
|
|
<sect1>What are "look", "feel", "desktop", etc. files?
|
|
|
|
<p> In versions that do not use a .steprc, the various elements of the
|
|
desktop have been separated out, in order that they can each be customized
|
|
independently. Look files and feel files allow you to customize the desktop
|
|
in almost an infinite number of ways. Note that any functional changes you
|
|
make in a look file (like adjusting the number of buttons that appear on a
|
|
window titlebar) may need to be reflected in a corresponding feel file: the
|
|
"feel" handles how you interact with windows, while the "look" controls
|
|
their appearance. This is handy if you want your windows always to respond
|
|
in more or less the same way, but want them to look differently depending on
|
|
the task you're performing, the machine you're on, or whatever.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Can I have differently-sized buttons on the titlebar?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Yes, but not in every version. It is reported that version 1.5 handles
|
|
differently-sized titlebar buttons with no difficulty. If you want this
|
|
functionality, please move to version 1.5.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Fine, but how do I reduce the number of buttons on the titlebar?
|
|
|
|
<p> This depends upon what version you are using. Version 1.5 allows you
|
|
simply to change the look file to reflect the buttons you want. Any version
|
|
before 1.5 requires a change both to the look and to the feel. The trick
|
|
here is to understand the difference between a look and a feel. A look file
|
|
simply determines how elements of the screen will appear. It does not
|
|
determine how the elements will interact: that's what a feel file does. So,
|
|
if you want to reduce the number of buttons on a titlebar, you need to
|
|
adjust both the look and feel files. The look file must define the
|
|
appearance of <em>exactly</em> the number of buttons for which there are
|
|
functions in the feel file; and each button defined in the feel file must
|
|
have a reference in the look file.
|
|
|
|
To see how this works, consider a look file with the following definitions:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
# TitleButtons : [1] [3] [5] [7] [9] (title) [0] [8] [6] [4] [2]
|
|
#
|
|
TitleButton 1 b1.xpm b1-pressed.xpm
|
|
TitleButton 2 b2.xpm b2-pressed.xpm
|
|
TitleButton 3 b3.xpm b3-pressed.xpm
|
|
TitleButton 4 b4.xpm b4-pressed.xpm
|
|
TitleButton 6 b6.xpm b6-pressed.xpm
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
Now, this defines the appearance of two buttons on the left of each titlebar
|
|
(TitleButton 1 and TitleButton3), and three buttons on the right of each
|
|
titlebar (TitleButton 2, TitleButton 4, and TitleButton 6). For each
|
|
definition, the first XPM mentioned defines the appearance of the button
|
|
when it is not pressed; the second XPM defines the way the button looks
|
|
when it is pressed. <em>The numbering of these buttons is hard-coded</em>,
|
|
so you cannot just number your buttons in any order at all. Follow the
|
|
"boilerplate" numbering scheme (above the TitleButton pixmap definitions in
|
|
our example).
|
|
|
|
In order to make this look function correctly, each titlebar button needs to
|
|
have its function defined in the feel file. So, the feel file might include
|
|
something which looks like this (this one is taken from the feel.DEFAULT
|
|
file in 1.4.5.55N6):
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
Mouse 1 1 A ChangeWindowUp
|
|
Mouse 2 1 A GetHelp
|
|
Mouse 3 1 A ChangeWindowDown
|
|
Mouse 1 2 A Delete
|
|
Mouse 2 2 A Destroy
|
|
Mouse 3 2 A Destroy
|
|
Mouse 1 3 A PopUp "Window"
|
|
Mouse 2 3 A WindowList 2
|
|
Mouse 3 3 A WindowList 2
|
|
Mouse 1 4 A Shade
|
|
Mouse 2 4 A Stick
|
|
Mouse 3 4 A Stick
|
|
Mouse 1 6 A Iconify
|
|
Mouse 2 6 A Maximize
|
|
Mouse 3 6 A Maximize
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
The first column defines what action causes the desired behaviour; so,
|
|
"Mouse 1" means "mouse button one is pressed". The second column defines
|
|
where the behaviour is to have its desired effect: in our list, we have
|
|
definitions for all five (TitleButton 1, TitleButton 2, TitleButton 3,
|
|
TitleButton 4, and TitleButton 6) of the buttons defined in the look file.
|
|
Notice that each button gets a definition for every mouse button, so there
|
|
is never an undefined action on any TitleButton. The third column specifies
|
|
the context for the action. In this case, the context is "Any" (actually
|
|
any context except in the TitleBar); you can also specify modifications
|
|
(e.g. by adding "C" for "Control"). The final column specifies the
|
|
behaviour which attaches to the action. So, in the last row, we define that
|
|
clicking the third mouse button on the innermost TitleButton on the
|
|
right-hand side of a window will Maximize that window.
|
|
|
|
Other functions get defined in the same list in every feel file, so you will
|
|
have to look carefully to ensure you define everything correctly.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Why does some key not work as I expect?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
There are two possibilities here. One is that you are having problems with
|
|
your "delete" or "backspace" key. This is a generic X problem, and you
|
|
should investigate it by reading the relevant documentation for xmodmap.
|
|
Try issuing "man xmodmap" at the command prompt.
|
|
|
|
The second possibility is that you have a set of keypresses which work in
|
|
another X window manager, but which do not work under your recent
|
|
installation of AfterStep. In that case, you need to edit the "feel" file.
|
|
Before you go on, go back and read the previous question about mouse
|
|
bindings. Done that? Good. Now, keybindings work just the same. So, in
|
|
your feel file, you might have the following keybinding:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
Key Left A C Scroll -100 0
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
This says that if you press "Control" (3d column) and the left cursor
|
|
key (1st column) while anywhere on the screen, AfterStep will scroll one
|
|
page to the left. If you want to get the functionality of "Ctrl-left" back,
|
|
in order to use it in some other X application, then you'll need to remove
|
|
this keybinding from your feel file.
|
|
|
|
You can avoid having <em>any</em> keybinding defined by AfterStep by using
|
|
one of the included feels: feel.ICCCM. Just select it from the
|
|
Desktop/Feels (v. 1.5) or Decorations/Feels (v. < 1.5) menu under your
|
|
startmenu.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Why can't I have my .steprc in version 1.4.x or later?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
You can. Use the -f switch to force AfterStep to read from a file. Please
|
|
notice that not everything will work with your old .steprc file "right out
|
|
of the box"; but if you like the old version that much, why upgrade anyway?
|
|
|
|
That said, version 1.5 has worked out almost all the incompatibility issues.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I'm using Red Hat, and I can't find the configuration files you've
|
|
mentioned.
|
|
|
|
<p> Red Hat apparently used to include a look-alike to AfterStep which is
|
|
actually a hack of fvwm-2. <em>It is not AfterStep</em>, although some Red
|
|
Hat distributions also contain the real AfterStep. Red Hat has changed the
|
|
name of their "hacked" version, in order to reduce confusion.
|
|
|
|
A "real" version of AfterStep is included in Red Hat Linux 5.1. It uses m4
|
|
preprocessing for configuration, however, so not all configuration remarks
|
|
in this document will be useful to Red Hat users. If you want to configure
|
|
the AfterStep included in Red Hat, you should ask Red Hat how to do it, or
|
|
read the documentation for m4, or both. There is some discussion of the Red
|
|
Hat preprocessing under the startmenu section, above.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>What is the database file?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
The database file allows you to adjust certain features of the desktop. It
|
|
allows you to define icons for minimized programs, allows you to force
|
|
certain programs (like Pager or Wharf, for instance) to stay on top, and
|
|
other such options. Have a look at the default database file, back it up,
|
|
and play with some of the settings; it's pretty self-explanatory, but it
|
|
takes a little fooling to make it work as you want.
|
|
|
|
Items in the database file follow the "Style" conventions from fvwm and
|
|
AfterStep. So, each item is listed this way:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
Style "WM_CLASS" {comma-separated list of options}
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
You can learn the value of "WM_CLASS" by using the Ident module included
|
|
with AfterStep. Ethan Fischer (<tt/allanon@crystaltokyo.com/) offers the
|
|
following account of what the various options do:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
In general, these options have both an "on" and an "off" keyword (like
|
|
"Title" and "NoTitle", for instance). This allows a general style (like
|
|
the "*" style), to be overridden by a later style. For example:
|
|
|
|
Style "*" NoButton 1, BorderWidth 2
|
|
Style "xterm" Button 1, NoHandles
|
|
|
|
will hide the leftmost button on the titlebar for any window except xterm
|
|
windows. It will turn off resize handles for xterm windows. It will also
|
|
give a 2-pixel border to xterm windows - note that BorderWidth only affects
|
|
windows with NoHandles (this is in the manpage), so all other windows will
|
|
receive the normal 1-pixel border.
|
|
|
|
Here's a list of options, along with what they do. For each group, the
|
|
default is listed first.
|
|
|
|
Icon {icon.xpm}
|
|
NoIcon
|
|
Specifies the icon pixmap, if the app doesn't supply its own. NoIcon
|
|
turns this off.
|
|
|
|
Title
|
|
NoTitle
|
|
Give the window a titlebar. NoTitle removes the window titlebar.
|
|
|
|
IconTitle
|
|
NoIconTitle
|
|
Display the icon name along with the icon. NoIconTitle turns this off.
|
|
|
|
Handles
|
|
NoHandles
|
|
Give the window resize handles, also called the "lowbar". NoHandles
|
|
turns this off.
|
|
|
|
Button {button}
|
|
NoButton
|
|
Allow a titlebar button to be shown. It will still not be shown if it
|
|
is disallowed by Motif WM hints, or there is no pixmap specified for it
|
|
in the look file. NoButton disallows a button.
|
|
|
|
WindowListHit
|
|
WindowListSkip
|
|
List the window in the window list. WindowListSkip removes the window
|
|
from the window list.
|
|
|
|
CirculateHit
|
|
CirculateSkip
|
|
Circulating (also called warping or alt-tabbing) will stop at this
|
|
window. CirculateSkip prevents circulating to this window.
|
|
|
|
StartNormal
|
|
StartIconic
|
|
Start as a normal window. StartIconic starts the window as an icon.
|
|
|
|
StaysPut
|
|
StaysOnTop
|
|
StaysOnBack
|
|
Don't put a window anywhere special in the stacking order. StaysOnTop
|
|
windows are placed above all other windows except menus. StaysOnBack
|
|
windows are placed behind all other windows.
|
|
|
|
StartsAnywhere
|
|
StartsOnDesk {desk}
|
|
Start the window on the current desk. StartsOnDesk will force the
|
|
window to start on a specific desk.
|
|
|
|
Color {forecolor} {backcolor}
|
|
ForeColor {color}
|
|
BackColor {color}
|
|
Change both the foreground (text) color, and the background color for
|
|
this window. ForeColor changes only the foreground color. BackColor
|
|
changes only the background color.
|
|
|
|
NoFocus
|
|
This window will refuse to take the input focus.
|
|
|
|
Slippery, Sticky
|
|
This window will remain on whatever desk it started on, unless the user
|
|
moves it. Sticky will cause the window to move to whatever desk is
|
|
currently shown.
|
|
|
|
BorderWidth {width}
|
|
If NoHandles was also specified, set the border width of this window.
|
|
Note that the border is an X border and not special to AS (unlike the
|
|
titlebar or lowbar).
|
|
|
|
HandleWidth {width}
|
|
Set the width of the resize handles on the lowbar.
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
<sect1>What is the base.{yourbpp}bpp file?
|
|
|
|
<p> The "base" files define the path to pixmaps and the like for each
|
|
bits-per-pixel X ColorDepth setting. The number of colors your X session
|
|
can use at any one time is limited by the number of bits per pixel that are
|
|
allowed by your video hardware, and by your X configuration. The file,
|
|
base.{yourbpp}.bpp, is automatically selected by AfterStep upon startup,
|
|
according to what your X configuration allows. For more information about
|
|
ColorDepth, read your X documentation, as well as the section on colormap
|
|
issues, below.
|
|
|
|
The base files also define the size and scale of your desktop(s).
|
|
|
|
<sect1>How do I get apps to minimize to a different place?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
When an application minimizes, the icon shows up in a predictable place on
|
|
the desktop. This is the icon box. In versions that use a .steprc, this is
|
|
defined in the .steprc. In later versions, the icon box is found in the
|
|
look file. (Naturally, this means that if you change looks, the icon box
|
|
may move!) You can specify any location you like for the icon box, using
|
|
standard X geometry.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I keep losing my icons, or I can't stand having them follow me.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Even though these are opposites, they amount to the same question. Icon
|
|
behaviour in this case is controlled in the feel. StickyIcons ensures that
|
|
the icon will follow you from one desktop to another. StubbornIcons
|
|
iconifies an application to its original place. You can back up your feel,
|
|
and play with it to see what you can do.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Suddenly, some windows stay always on top. Why?
|
|
|
|
<p> With the default, double-clicking (latest versions) or triple-clicking
|
|
(earlier versions) on a window titlebar toggles a window's always-on-top
|
|
state. Double/Triple-click again to remove it. If you want to remove this
|
|
feature, locate the lines in your feel file that look like this (there are
|
|
several of them):
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
PutOnTop "TripleClick"
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
and comment them out.
|
|
|
|
It is also possible that you have inadvertently changed your feel.
|
|
Predictably enough, different feel files define functions differently. So,
|
|
for instance, one of them may automatically move a window to the top as soon
|
|
as your pointer is atop that window, while another may require that you
|
|
click on the titlebar in order to bring a window to the top. You might like
|
|
to read through the various feel files on your system, in order to get an
|
|
idea of how they can be customized.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Can I make or install a "theme" for AfterStep?
|
|
|
|
<p> There is a new set of scripts available to work through themes. It is
|
|
still in the early stages of development, but several people have already
|
|
reported success. The scripts come from Doug Alcorn
|
|
(<tt/alcornd@earthlink.net/), and are available from <url
|
|
url="http://home.earthlink.net/~alcornd/" name="his page,
|
|
http://home.earthlink.net/~alcornd/"> as well as from the AfterStep FTP
|
|
site, under /themes.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I want to do xyz with {some application under X}. How do I do it?
|
|
|
|
<p> Yes, this is a generic question, because the generic answer is always
|
|
the same: please read the relevant man pages and README files. That said,
|
|
there are several applications which are included with AfterStep. Some (not
|
|
all!) of these are discussed in another section (below, after the Modules
|
|
section). If you're really perplexed, and you're having a problem peculiar
|
|
to AfterStep, and you have read every relevant thing (<em>that really means
|
|
everything!</em>), a question to the regular list would not be out of place.
|
|
|
|
<sect>Icons, graphics and pixmaps
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
<sect1>Icons staying put
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
In old versions of AfterStep, an icon to be used in Wharf must contain
|
|
at least one transparent pixel; otherwise the symptoms you've
|
|
mentioned will turn up. Simply add a transparent pixel and
|
|
everything should work flawlessly.
|
|
|
|
Newer versions of AfterStep fix this problem, allowing you to use icons
|
|
without transparent pixels in the Wharf. You should really upgrade to the
|
|
latest version.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Colormap issues
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Yes, I (Andrew) know that "colour" is spelled incorrectly here. I can't
|
|
help it that those who set up X and Linux spell incorrectly.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
<sect2>When I run AfterStep some of the icons on the button bar don't show up.
|
|
If I load them at the top they show up, but then the other ones don't. Also,
|
|
when I use Netscape, the colors get wacky. What's wrong?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Odds are you are using a 256 color (8bit) display. A quick explanation is that
|
|
you can only have 256 colors on the screen at the same time, and the more
|
|
colors you use in Wharf (the button bar), the fewer you can use for other
|
|
applications and icons. I would suggest upgrading your video hardware or using
|
|
more conservative (less colorful) icons. For netscape, an option is to run it
|
|
with the 'netscape -install' command. This will ensure that netscape gets a
|
|
good deal of the color that it wants. It will, however, also result in the
|
|
colors flashing whenever you move the mouse in or out the Netscape window. You
|
|
decide whether you can live with that.
|
|
|
|
One trick, it seems, is to run AfterStep without a Wharf. That reduces the
|
|
number of colors used at any one time.
|
|
|
|
You might want to use low-color icons, as well; you can find a good collection
|
|
of low-color icons (all of them together use only 21 colors) at
|
|
<url url="http://the-labs.com/AfterStep/">.
|
|
|
|
If you are using asclock, you can configure it to use fewer colors. See below.
|
|
|
|
After version 1.4, AfterStep uses config. files ending with "8bpp" for 8 bit
|
|
displays, and low-color icons from icon/8bpp. You can modify these files to
|
|
use fewer colors.
|
|
|
|
<sect2>I am having trouble under AS while using xscreensaver with its own
|
|
colormap.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
So far, no solution has surfaced to this problem. It appears that AfterStep
|
|
is not handing over control of the display. There seem to be other related
|
|
problems of this nature, mostly on Suns. Any additional information would be
|
|
appreciated: Gerhard den Hollander (<tt/gerhard@jason.nl/) is working on this
|
|
problem.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Icons disappear from Wharf. What's wrong?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
You are most likely running out of colors. Either upgrade your hardware, switch
|
|
to a higher color depth (i.e. 16 bpp or higher), or use icons that contain
|
|
fewer colors.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>How do I create an icon with a transparent pixel?
|
|
|
|
<p> You don't really need to do this any more: the preferred method here is
|
|
to upgrade your AS version. Still, if you don't want to download, you can
|
|
fix your problem easily. An xpm is a simple text file. Therefore, the only
|
|
image manipulation software you will need is vi (or some other text editor).
|
|
If you edit your xpm, you will become aware of its beauty and simplicity. At
|
|
the bottom you will notice a character representation of your image. At the
|
|
top there is a color listing corresponding to each pixel of the character
|
|
representation.
|
|
|
|
You have two options to create a transparent pixel:
|
|
|
|
<enum>
|
|
<item>Change an existing pixel color to transparent:
|
|
|
|
Simply find the pixel character(s) you wish to become
|
|
transparent, then go back up top and find that character in the
|
|
listing. Change the color code (number beginning with a #) to
|
|
None. Save, and you're all tootin'.
|
|
|
|
<item>Create a new transparent pixel:
|
|
|
|
Edit the line near the top corresponding to the
|
|
height/width/number of colors/chars per pixel. Increment the
|
|
number of colors (third value) by one. Then in the list of
|
|
pixels and color values add the line:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
c None
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
Where `c' should be a character that is not being used by any other
|
|
color. From there save and take off.
|
|
</enum>
|
|
|
|
If you're the slightest bit unsure, take a look at one of the xpm files in the
|
|
AfterStep distribution's icons directory.
|
|
|
|
The `correct' size for a Wharf icon is 48x48 pixels. However, if you use bigger
|
|
icons, they will display correctly, up to 64x64, which is the default size for
|
|
the Wharf buttons.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>How do I make my own XPMs?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
See the previous question. Or, if you're trying to convert a compressed
|
|
file to an xpm, try using an image-manipulation tool like xv or the GIMP.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Where can I find some cool pixmaps for the Wharf or desktop?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
There are dozens of sites scattered around the Internet which will provide
|
|
you with useful graphics. Some good links to start with can be found on the
|
|
official AfterStep home page.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Why doesn't program `xyz' work in 16bpp?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Several 8bpp programs don't work on displays without a PseudoColor
|
|
visual available. Several PC X servers don't support PseudoColor
|
|
visuals on displays running in TrueColor mode. You should buy an SGI.
|
|
Or run two simultaneous X servers, if you're on Linux.
|
|
|
|
Note for SGI users willing to play with their bpp :
|
|
|
|
One has to tweak the arguments to X in /usr/lib/X11/xdm/Xservers.
|
|
The following worked for Tim Buller (<tt/buller@math.ukans.edu/)
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
:0 secure /usr/bin/X11/X -bs -c -nobitscale -visid 0x34
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
Where Visual ID 0x34 (reported by xdpyinfo) is:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
visual: visual id: 0x34
|
|
class: TrueColor
|
|
depth: 24 planes
|
|
available colormap entries: 256 per subfield
|
|
red, green, blue masks: 0xff, 0xff00, 0xff0000
|
|
significant bits in color specification: 8 bits
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Why doesn't xv do xyz in 16bpp?
|
|
|
|
<p> xv doesn't cope well with 16bpp in three ways. First, it can't grab
|
|
pieces of the screen. Second, if you grab pieces of the screen with xwd and
|
|
try to display them with xv, it doesn't work well. xwud works. Third, if you
|
|
display a 24bpp picture, it doesn't bother to dither it down to 16bpp,
|
|
resulting in bad pictures. You might want to consider using the GIMP, or
|
|
xli.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Why don't icon names change when the application changes it?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Sorry, but icon names change since AfterStep 1.1. Upgrade.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Why does application xyz not have an icon?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
You need to define an icon for your program in your database file. It's a
|
|
good idea to define a default icon for all "unknown" programs. In the
|
|
latest versions of AfterStep, you do this in the database file:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
Style "*" Icon Unknown.xpm
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Why do I get bad behaviour with backgrounds?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
In earlier versions of AfterStep, background loading was handled at start-up
|
|
by invoking another program in the .steprc. While version 1.4 allowed the use of
|
|
XPMs only, 1.4.4 restored the ability to load jpegs (or whatever) with
|
|
another program. The catch is that the auxiliary program is defined in
|
|
configure.h at compile time. Edit the configuration to reflect the accurate
|
|
path to your favourite image viewing program, and then re-compile AfterStep.
|
|
|
|
The default program to use is xli. Many people don't have this on their
|
|
system, and prefer to use xv instead. This choice is still a compile-time
|
|
option. Moreover, the Pager code is broken in some distributions, so that
|
|
the jpeg handling doesn't always work.
|
|
|
|
The loading of backgrounds is handled by the Pager module. If you're not
|
|
using the Pager, then the backgrounds won't get loaded. In that case, you
|
|
can make the call to the background-loading program in your autoexec file.
|
|
|
|
As of this writing, the Pager module is being re-coded to include (native)
|
|
support for background jpegs. This new pager is included in a patch to
|
|
version 1.5 beta 4. Version 1.5 will include native support for jpegs.
|
|
|
|
Note that jpegs don't take any less memory while loaded; they only take less
|
|
disk space!
|
|
|
|
<sect>Modules
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
<sect1>How do I get multiple Wharfs/Pagers on the screen?
|
|
|
|
<p> It's pretty easy. You just have to have the Wharf exist under several
|
|
different names, and then configure each of them using its name. For
|
|
example, if you make a link to Wharf called MyWharf (type "man ln" at a
|
|
command prompt if you don't know how to make links), you would add extra
|
|
lines to the Wharf configuration file (or new section in a .steprc) for the
|
|
new binary name: &tilde/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep/mywharf. The file would
|
|
then include lines like this:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
*MyWharfAnimate
|
|
*MyWharf "label" Icon.xpm Exec "something" something
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
Same for the Pager. Note that the default pager file includes several
|
|
additional lines already, for *WPager, *XPager, *YPager, and *Zpager. Use
|
|
links with those names to use the defaults (and remove the comment marks
|
|
from the relevant lines).
|
|
|
|
In the newest versions, you'll also need to edit the database file: mirror
|
|
the Wharf appearance with the new name.
|
|
|
|
Note: Apparently, due to the way the Wharf configuration file parser works,
|
|
links with names like Wharf2 (i.e. the same original name with characters
|
|
appended to it) will not work: the parser will think you are referring to the
|
|
original module and will get confused. You have to give each link a
|
|
distinctive name. Try, for instance, MyWharf.
|
|
|
|
In the latest versions of AfterStep, there is also a different version of
|
|
GoodStuff included with AfterStep; this is called Zharf. It allows
|
|
variable-sized buttons, and it includes names for the icons. You can start
|
|
it up with the default configuration from your startmenu (look under
|
|
"Modules"). Configuration is basically the same as for Wharf.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>How can I get asclock to appear properly in Wharf?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
First, you need AfterStep 0.98 beta 4 or later. These version have the
|
|
MaxSwallow option. Then, add a command such as this to the wharf file or line
|
|
(depending on whether you use .steprc):
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
*Wharf asclock nil MaxSwallow "asclock" asclock -12 -shape &
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
You must replace the `-12' with '-24' to display 24 hour time.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>How do I configure asclock to use fewer colors?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
When installing, after executing configure, asclock configure should be launched
|
|
by default. Otherwise, go to the modules/asclock directory and do the
|
|
following:
|
|
<enum>
|
|
<item> Execute sh configure
|
|
<item> Several menus will appear, asking for the default language for dates
|
|
(yes, you can change it!) and the number of colors used. There is one option
|
|
to use 2-bit color, resulting in an asclock that uses only 4 colors, but still
|
|
looks pretty good.
|
|
<item> Done. Now go and compile asclock as usual.
|
|
</enum>
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Why does asclock show the wrong time?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
This happens most often on Red Hat Linux installations. There's a broken
|
|
link; this is a fairly well-known problem. Just make a link between
|
|
/usr/lib/zoneinfo and /usr/share/zoneinfo. If you don't know about links,
|
|
try typing 'man ln' at a command prompt.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Why does my latest version of MaxSwallow do odd stuff?
|
|
|
|
<p> In the newest versions of AfterStep (i.e. starting with the 1.4.5 series
|
|
of patches), the Wharf underwent some re-working, in order to allow the use
|
|
of some newer programs (designed for Window Maker). As a result, different
|
|
patches turned up for the Wharf.
|
|
|
|
The final result of this work can be seen in version 1.5. The old
|
|
"MaxSwallow" has been removed, and replaced with "Swallow". The older
|
|
"Swallow", with its size limitation, is gone. The "MaxSwallow" keyword now
|
|
re-sizes the button to fit the app being swallowed. There is also a "Size"
|
|
keyword, to resize the buttons, and ignore any other size determination.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>What's wrong with WharfAnimate?
|
|
|
|
<p> There are really two questions here.
|
|
|
|
First, in 1.4.4, WharfAnimate was broken. This was fixed in 1.4.5.0.
|
|
|
|
Second, some people complain that Animate is too slow. This is defined at
|
|
compile time. You should adjust the three animate lines in configure.h to a
|
|
lower number; that will speed up the animation. Version 1.5 includes three
|
|
new configuration options: WharfAnimateSteps, WharfAnimateStepsMain,
|
|
WharfAnimateDelay. These are defined in the wharf configuration file, and
|
|
control the animation of Wharf. The old compile-time configuration is also
|
|
still available, but these new options will hopefully make things easier.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Can you add xyz to the Wharf?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
|
|
<tscreen>
|
|
You know, it would be really nice if the Wharf supported text titles/cascading
|
|
menus/tabs on the side/plug-in modules/swallowing running applications in
|
|
folders/scrollbars on folders/starting applications only if they're not already
|
|
running. Why doesn't someone do it?
|
|
</tscreen>
|
|
|
|
This is a holy war. You will be crucified at dawn. Unless you implement it
|
|
yourself and post a patch.
|
|
|
|
No, seriously, there has been a lot of discussion about these topics.
|
|
|
|
Many people believed that AfterStep should be kept as close as possible to the
|
|
original NEXTSTEP interface, while others thought it should be extended and be
|
|
made as configurable as possible.
|
|
|
|
Now Window Maker is following the original NEXTSTEP interface, while AfterStep
|
|
is going its own way. Extensive configurability is one of these "own ways".
|
|
|
|
So please send a message to one of the relevant lists saying exactly what
|
|
you'd like to be implemented; or, even better, do it yourself and send a
|
|
patch.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Can I have swallowed apps under a folder?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
You can have this only if you have version 1.4.5.55N2 or later.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Can I have a folder within a folder?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Yes. In version 1.5, folders can be nested. Just nest the sub-folder
|
|
specification within the main folder specification.
|
|
|
|
In versions prior to 1.5, you could not nest folders. Thadeu Penna
|
|
(<tt/tjppenna@aol.com/) cleverly worked around this limitation by creating a
|
|
folder which calls another Wharf:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
My dirty solution was: one of the Wharf's buttons is a call
|
|
to Pier (a secondary Wharf). In this way, I got one additional level. The
|
|
main disadvantage is for each button in the Pier, you have to write a small
|
|
script that calls the program and after to kill the Pier. The geometry was
|
|
quite easy to evaluate. I have used, for the first button of the Pier, the
|
|
same icon as in the Wharf, therefore it seems as a Folder with an additional
|
|
level. It is a little slower than Wharf itself.
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Can I have two columns in my Wharf?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Yes, in version 1.5. Use WharfColumns. WharfColumns was broken, but it's
|
|
fixed now.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Why can't I find the man page for Wharf?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Spell it "Wharf" and not "wharf".
|
|
|
|
<sect1>What's wrong with the mouse buttons in the pager?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
In 1.4.5.55, the left and middle mouse button bindings were reversed,
|
|
because of a request from Red Hat. Several users have expressed
|
|
dissatisfaction with this arrangement, however, so it will not be
|
|
maintained. Version 1.5 is back to the old style.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>How can I have more/fewer/larger desktops?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
The Pager module in the latest AfterStep versions is highly flexible. It
|
|
can be configured to show several desktops, each with several screens, and
|
|
it can be placed just about anywhere you like it.
|
|
|
|
To change the size of the desktop, edit the base.{your bitdepth}bpp file to
|
|
reflect the size of the desktop that you want. "2x2" means "two panes wide
|
|
by two panes high".
|
|
|
|
To change the number of desktops, you need to do two things. First, you
|
|
need to change the call to pager in your autoexec file. The syntax for
|
|
starting Pager is "Pager {1st desktop} {last desktop}", where the first
|
|
desktop is always 0. So, if you wanted to have two desktops, you would add
|
|
the following line to your autoexec file:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
Module "I" Pager 0 1
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
You should also then comment out or remove the definitions for the extra
|
|
desktops in your pager configuration file.
|
|
|
|
The Pager can be placed anywhere on the desktop, by editing the value of
|
|
"*PagerGeometry". This uses the standard X geometry values.
|
|
|
|
Pager can also be displayed vertically and horizontally. Just adjust the
|
|
values of "*PagerRows" and "*PagerColumns".
|
|
|
|
Notice, also, that the pager configuration file has changed in version 1.5,
|
|
in order to allow the new functionality. Do not recycle your old pager
|
|
configuration, but use the new default as the basis for new customization.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Fine, but how do I get the pager off the desk entirely?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
You can get rid of the pager by removing it from the autoexec file.
|
|
|
|
Pager can be swallowed in the Wharf. In version 1.5, it is also possible
|
|
to do this under a Wharf folder. Use "MaxSwallowModule".
|
|
|
|
<sect1>How do I enable sound in AfterStep?
|
|
|
|
<p> First, make sure you have the necessary hardware, and have a kernel
|
|
compiled with sound support. You can check that your sound actually works
|
|
by trying the following at a command prompt:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
cat [some au file] > /dev/audio
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
Then, edit the &tilde/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep/audio file. You should see
|
|
lines like these (if you don't, add them):
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
*AudioPlayCmd /usr/bin/showaudio
|
|
*AudioDir /usr/local/share/afterstep/desktop/sounds
|
|
*AudioDelay 1
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
|
|
Again, if these aren't there, add them. Verify that the AudioPlayCmd is a
|
|
valid program and that the sounds you want to play are in
|
|
/usr/local/share/afterstep/desktop/sounds/ (or set it to the appropriate
|
|
directory).
|
|
|
|
Below that section, you should see many lines like this:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
#*Audio startup gong.au
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
Simply remove the comment (#) from the beginning of the line and if
|
|
you wish, set the startup event to some other au file. The format is:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
*Audio [event] [sound]
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
Do that for the rest of the Audio events, and as one AfterStepper put it,
|
|
you'll literally add new bells and whistles to AfterStep.
|
|
|
|
In some versions of AfterStep, sound is disabled by default. You can get
|
|
the audio module to work in two ways. The first is to open the "Start"
|
|
menu, click on "Modules", and then click on "Audio". The other is to start
|
|
the Audio module in your autoexec file. Just add the line
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
Module "I" Audio
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
to your autoexec file.
|
|
|
|
The Audio module was apparently broken in some versions, but nobody seems to
|
|
know why. You should make sure you have the latest version of AfterStep
|
|
before asking why your Audio module does not work: all current versions seem
|
|
to be functioning correctly. If you are still having trouble, <em>and
|
|
you've read this and followed the instructions carefully</em>, you might
|
|
want to ask questions on the mailing list.
|
|
|
|
You should also be aware that the configuration of the Audio module has
|
|
undergone some changes. So, if you've changed your version of AfterStep,
|
|
and Audio is suddenly not working for you, check that you removed your old
|
|
configuration before asking what is wrong.
|
|
|
|
Finally, if you are getting errors complaining about an incorrect path,
|
|
check your base.{yourbppnumber}bpp file. The AudioPath used to be set in
|
|
the base file, but it is now set in the configuration file for the Audio
|
|
module. This change affects versions since 1.4.5.0; but 1.4.5.0 was
|
|
accidentally released with the AudioPath configured in the base file. Fix
|
|
the definition, and the problem will go away.
|
|
|
|
<sect>AfterStep Application ("as-apps") configuration.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
|
|
<sect1>What's the difference between as-apps and modules?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Modules are part of AfterStep, and need to be called by AfterStep. They
|
|
cannot be run alone. As-apps, on the other hand, can be used by other
|
|
window managers as well.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I want to add a pixmap to the background of xiterm
|
|
|
|
<p> The first thing you must ensure is that you compiled xiterm to allow
|
|
this. The default configuration of xiterm does not permit the addition of
|
|
pixmaps. You need to edit xiterm.h (you'll find it in xiterm/src/) before
|
|
compiling in order enable the feature: change the line
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
/*#define XPM_BACKGROUND*/
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
to
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><code>
|
|
#define XPM_BACKGROUND
|
|
</code></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
Once you're sure you've compiled and installed xiterm correctly, simply add
|
|
the switch "-pixmap {path-to-pixmap}".
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I want xiterm to start as the login shell.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
In order for this to work correctly, you need to adjust the compile-time
|
|
settings for UTMP_SUPPORT. The relevant section is near the end of
|
|
xiterm.h. The exact changes you need to make vary from system to system;
|
|
just read the comments carefully, and make the correct adjustments.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>How do I get that cool transparent xiterm?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
You can't. There is no such thing. The "transparent" effect you are
|
|
looking for is actually just a *term program (xiterm, rxvt, whatever) with a
|
|
background pixmap identical to the desktop. The user carefully lined up the
|
|
*term so that the pixmaps appeared to be the same ones.
|
|
|
|
Apparently, the newest version of Eterm has a "transparency" option. If you
|
|
decide to use it, I hope you have a couple of million extra CPU cycles lying
|
|
around! The transparent Eterm actually just reads the current background,
|
|
than then tries to keep the Eterm background lined up correctly. In order
|
|
to make this work, you will need to use esetroot, or use the new pager
|
|
introduced with the 1.5 series. The new pager offers support for Eterm.
|
|
You will still need to get all the necessary libraries for Eterm, however.
|
|
|
|
There is also a program called roottail, which allows you to tail messages
|
|
onto the root window. This is useful, for instance, if you want to view
|
|
/var/log/messages without having an extra xterm open all the time.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I am having trouble with asmix or asmixer and Wharf
|
|
|
|
<p> This appeared in AS 1.4.4. That release included only asmix, and not
|
|
asmixer. You can either get asmixer and install it, or use asmix. If you
|
|
use asmix, make sure you are invoking in correctly in the Wharf. In
|
|
particular, you must be consistent in your invocation: it is labelled
|
|
"asMix" in the Wharf file, even though the name of the file is "asmix".
|
|
|
|
The latest version fixed this, so you can use "asmix" in the Wharf file.
|
|
The class name, however, is still "asMix", so you have to use "asMix" in the
|
|
database file, if you have any options you want to configure particularly
|
|
for asmix.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I upgraded AfterStep, and now my as-apps look funny in the Wharf.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
This is because of some changes to the "Swallow" and "MaxSwallow" keywords
|
|
in the Wharf configuration. Have a look at the section on Wharf, above.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>How do I use asmail?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Asmail checks for your mail. You configure it using the asmail
|
|
configuration file, which can be found with the rest of your AfterStep
|
|
configuration files. (On version 1.5, this is /usr/local/share/afterstep.)
|
|
The configuration is pretty self-explanatory.
|
|
|
|
Note that asmail checks for mail on the local system. If you are connected
|
|
to another system, and are using NFS, you can check your mail on that
|
|
system. If you are connected across a PPP or SLIP link, you may want to use
|
|
a program such as fetchmail to retrieve your mail. Then, asmail will report
|
|
when you have received mail.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>What is ascp?
|
|
|
|
<p> Ascp stands for `AfterStep Control Panel', and is a program that allows
|
|
you to configure AfterStep while imitating the NEXTSTEP control panel look
|
|
and feel. It makes it really easy to configure AfterStep without manually
|
|
fiddling with the configuration file(s). There is more information about
|
|
how to get it below. Make sure you read it carefully.
|
|
|
|
Versions of ascp before version 0.9 used Tcl/Tk and TkStep, and would write
|
|
.only to a steprc file. Starting with version 0.9, ascp has abandoned the
|
|
Tcl-based approach. The new ascp is based entirely upon GTK+. The very
|
|
latest version is dependent upon having (at least) version 1.1.1 of GTK+,
|
|
and glib version 1.1.2.
|
|
|
|
WARNING: AfterStep doesn't use .steprc since version 1.2, so if you use the
|
|
older Tcl-based ascp , you will have to run AfterStep in 'compatibility'
|
|
mode:
|
|
|
|
<tscreen><verb>
|
|
afterstep -f {yeoldsteprc}
|
|
</verb></tscreen>
|
|
|
|
<sect1>I tried to install TkStep, but it doesn't work with TkStep and Tcl7.6
|
|
|
|
<p> There is a version of TkStep which is supposed to work with Tk 7.6, but
|
|
it does not seem to work for everyone. The best approach is probably to
|
|
upgrade: the latest version of TkStep works
|
|
with Tk8.0; see below for more information about TkStep.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Why doesn't ascp run on my system?
|
|
|
|
<p> This depends on which version of ascp you are talking about. The old
|
|
ascp needed TkStep. TkStep is a version of Tk implemented by Alfredo Kojima
|
|
(<tt/kojima@inf.ufrgs.br/), and now maintained by Oliver Graf
|
|
(<tt/ograf@fga.de/) and Steve Murray (<tt/stevem@eng.uts.edu.au/); it gives
|
|
Tk the NEXTSTEP look-and-feel, and implements a few new widgets, like font
|
|
and color choosers. You can download it from <url
|
|
url="http://www.fga.de/~ograf/TkStep.shtml"> or <url
|
|
url="http://touchwood.ee.uts.edu.au/TkSTEP/TkSTEP.html">. These versions of
|
|
ascp do not work with the new configurations anyway (i.e. post 1.2), so you
|
|
might not need to worry about this. To use the Tcl/Tk based ascp versions
|
|
with the latest version of TkStep, you need a patch. You can get the patch
|
|
from Steve Murray's site: <url
|
|
url="http://touchwood.ee.uts.edu.au/TkSTEP/fixes.html">. These patches only
|
|
work for versions 0.8 and 0.8-SE, but <em>not</em> for 0.8.4. You must
|
|
patch ascp before using it with Tk 8.0, or your .steprc file will be
|
|
corrupted.
|
|
|
|
A new version of ascp which does not depend on TkStep is now available. This
|
|
is ascp 0.9, also known as gtk+-ascp. The new version only supports the
|
|
new-style (non-.steprc) configuration. The latest version of this depends
|
|
upon GTK+. You can get this version from <url
|
|
url="http://hubble.colorado.edu/~nwanua/htmldir/ascp.html">. Both the
|
|
program and the site are maintained by Nwanua Elumeze
|
|
(<tt/nwanua@colorado.edu/). The ascp home page also tells you what version
|
|
of GTK+ you will need for the current version of ascp, and provides a link
|
|
for you to find it.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Can I use Window Maker applets in AfterStep?
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Yes. It was always more or less possible, except that WM apps tended not to
|
|
display correctly in the Wharf. The changes to the Swallow and MaxSwallow
|
|
functions in Wharf have made it possible to use any Window Maker applet in
|
|
Wharf.
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<sect>General usage, features and bugs
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<p>
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<sect1>Why does XFree86 crash as I'm starting?
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<p>
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There are many reasons why this might happen, but one bug in particular has
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surfaced which might be important. Apparently, XFree86 has some bugs in the
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shaped windows handling code. The effect of these bugs is that, if you are
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using an as-app, and another window overlaps that as-app's window while the
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app is starting, X will crash. This usually happens at startup time in
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AfterStep, during the time when Wharf is starting.
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The best way to avoid this, it seems, is to add a "Wait" line in the
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autoexec file for every Wharf, like this:
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<tscreen><code>
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Module "I" Wharf
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Wait "I" Wharf
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</code></tscreen>
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Also, avoid putting a menu in the upper left corner when starting up.
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<sect1>Why does AfterStep get slower and slower until I restart it?
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<p>
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Apparently there was a bug in versions up to 1.0pre3 (probably a
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memory leak) that caused this behaviour. We know that setting your
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TextureMaxColors to something small, like `16 16 16 16' or `32 32 32
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32', will stop this problem. It also seems to happen only with XFree86
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in 32-bpp mode (or 16? Please give me confirmation), and if you're in
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8-bpp or a different X server, it doesn't seem to cause a problem.
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This problem was solved in 1.0pre4, as far as we know. Upgrade!
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Unfortunately, some new memory leaks appeared during the 1.4.x series. The
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most serious of these appear to have been fixed in the 1.5 series.
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<sect1>Click-to-focus dies
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<p>
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<tscreen>
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Sometimes, after I've been running AfterStep for a while in click-to-focus
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mode, I can't shift the focus from one window to another by clicking. I have
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to iconify and deiconify the window to shift focus, or pick it from the popup
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list. Why?
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</tscreen>
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This is a strange bug, that is (sometimes at least) caused by having the
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NumLock key activated. It is present up to 1.0pre4, so check your NumLock key.
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This problem is solved in 1.0pre5, so you should upgrade if you're still having
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this problem.
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Some people have recently reported that this bug has re-surfaced. If the
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problem appears on your system, please send a message to the list to report
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it.
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<sect1>What is this `Shade' thing?
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<p>
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Shade is a window function that is often seen on the Macintosh system. In
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theory, it makes a window disappear except for the title bar. For example, an
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Xterm normally looks like this:
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<verb>
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|------------------------------|
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| Xterm |
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|------------------------------|
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|------------------------------|
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</verb>
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When shade takes effect, the Xterm looks like this:
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<verb>
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|------------------------------|
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| Xterm |
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|------------------------------|
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</verb>
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This is nice for saving desktop space and for window management purposes. Some
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prefer it to iconifying the windows.
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Up to 1.0pre3, Shade didn't work correctly, because it worked by resizing the
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window to a height of 0 pixels, which some applications didn't like.
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In 1.0pre4 and later versions, shade works by making the application
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think that it is being iconified, so it works with all applications again.
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It has the problem, though, that shaded windows become `sticky' and appear
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in all the pages in the virtual desktop. Unlike sticky icons, this is not
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behaviour that can be changed. This is a bug.
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The "sticky-shade" bug has been fixed in the 1.5 series.
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<sect1>When I restart AfterStep, it kills X. What gives?
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<p>
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This was a bug that occurred in AfterStep betas. If you experience this bug, you
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are running an old release of AfterStep. Upgrade to v1.0pre4 or later to fix
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this. This is, incidentally, something you should probably do anyway,
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considering the wealth of features you are missing.
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<sect1>What is swallow-exec?
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<p>
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It's a feature introduced in the distribution in 1.0pre4 (it previously existed
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as a separate patch) that allows you to associate an action to an entry in the
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Wharf corresponding to a swallowed application. So for example you can have
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asmail in the Wharf, and have it configured so that when you click on it, it
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warps to your email reading window. If your email reader is exmh, the required
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lines would be:
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<tscreen><verb>
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*Wharf "asmail" nil Swallow "asmail" asmail &
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*Wharf "asmail" nil Warp "-" exmh
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</verb></tscreen>
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Note how both lines have the same label `asmail', which tells Wharf that those
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two go together. You can use any AfterStep function instead of `Warp'. For
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example, if you want the xload icon to fire a top window when clicked, you can
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have something like this:
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<tscreen><verb>
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*Wharf "xload" nil Swallow "xload" xload -geometry 48x48-1-1 &
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*Wharf "xload" nil Exec "Top" xterm +sb -T Top -n Top -e top &
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</verb></tscreen>
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By the way, this feature is responsible for a strange bug. See the next
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question.
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Also note that this feature does not appear always to work in later
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versions. Many asapps, however, will automatically start another program
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when clicked, if given the correct arguments. For instance, asmail allows
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you to specify the program to start when the asmail button is left-clicked;
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this is determined in the asmail configuration file. Similarly, asload
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accepts a command line option, "-exe", which allows you to specify a program
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to start upon a left-click.
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<sect1>I upgraded to 1.0pre4 or later, and now the Wharf doesn't work. What
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happens?
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<p>
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This is not a bug, it's a feature :-). No, really, this behaviour was introduced
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due to the introduction of the `Swallow-exec' capability in 1.0pre4. To fix it,
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do the following:
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<enum>
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<item> In your .steprc, locate the lines that start with
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<tscreen><verb>
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*Wharf "" ...
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</verb></tscreen>
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<item> This could also be nil, or any other label that is the same for all
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the Wharf entries. These repeated labels are the ones causing the trouble.
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You have to give each Wharf entry a unique label there, like `xload',
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`asmail', `Pager', etc.
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<item> Restart and it should be fixed.
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</enum>
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Of course, the better answer is to upgrade to 1.4.x or later, and re-configure
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your Wharf.
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<sect1>Why doesn't my workspace save when I exit?
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<p> In early 1.4.x versions, there was a file called .workspace_state which
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was automatically written when you exited. This saved your desktop when you
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exited, so that it looked the same way when you came back. This behaviour
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was enabled by default in those versions.
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In version 1.4.5.55N6, this behaviour is disabled by default. You can
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change configure.h to restore this feature before compiling if you want to.
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You can also manually create the .workspace_state in your
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&tilde/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep/ directory. It is just a plain-text file
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which invokes the program you want to appear on start-up, including the
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geometry (with positioning) of the window. This file will be read at
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start-up if it exists, but it will only be re-written if you
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selected the relevant flag at compile time.
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The .workspace_state behaviour is one of the options at compile time for
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version 1.5.x.
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<sect1>My start menu no longer updates upon restarting. Why?
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<p> You should select "Desktop/Update startmenu" (version 1.5) or
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"Quit/Update" (< 1.5) on your startmenu. That will fix your problem.
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<sect>Miscellany
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<p>
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<sect1>How do I use Microsoft Windows (tm) True Type fonts ?
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<p>
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Information from David Mihm (<tt/davemann@ionet.net/), posted in the AfterStep
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mailing list:
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You are looking for a server for True Type fonts. A blurb about one
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of the few programs to provide this server to any WM:
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<tscreen>
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Xfstt means "X11 Font Server for TT fonts" TT
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fonts are generally regarded to be the best
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scalable fonts for low resolution devices like
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screens.
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</tscreen>
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This server can be obtained from sunsite: <url
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url="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/X11/fonts/">
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You might want to check freshmeat to see if there are newer versions.
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According to F. Nicolaas Benders (<tt/benders@slackworks.com/), there may be
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difficulties with the server:
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<tscreen><verb>
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I've been running the 0.97 version and it works well with one major problem.
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Whenever I start it, it automatically slams my CPU and won't let go until it's
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killed. I refuse to believe that a font server should need more than 50% of my
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processor time constantly, has anyone else had any experience with this?
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</verb></tscreen>
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Naturally, if anyone has had such experiences, we would be glad to hear of it!
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<sect1>What is this Window Maker I keep hearing about?
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<p> WindowMaker -- now Window Maker -- is a new NeXT-like window manager
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that is being developed by Alfredo Kojima (<tt/kojima@inf.ufrgs.br/) with
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the support of a lot of other people. It will support many
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OpenStep/GNUStep-ish features, and there is talk that it may be the
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"next-generation _asnl", and even the window manager of choice for GNUstep.
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You can download it from <url url="http://www.windowmaker.org">
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However, be advised that WindowMaker is still in an early stage of
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development. It is advancing very fast, though, so you may also want to
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take a good look at it.
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<sect>Other AfterStep-unrelated applications
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<p>
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<sect1>I have a problem with program xyz.
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<p>
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Please, please, don't post questions unrelated to AfterStep to the mailing
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lists. If you have a problem with some application not running, and you think
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AfterStep is the culprit, first try the following:
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<enum>
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<item> Read the documentation (man pages, etc.) for the program.
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<item> Find out about its configuration parameters (not only command line, but
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also options in .Xdefaults, config files, etc.).
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<item> Ask other people who know about that specific program. Find a mailing
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list about that program and ask there.
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<item> Try running the program under some other window manager. If it doesn't
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work there either, it is not an AfterStep problem.
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</enum>
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If you are very confident that it is an AfterStep problem, then send it to
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the mailing list, but try to give as much information as possible. Questions
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like `Why doesn't blig-graphics work on my system?' do not contain any
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useful information that may help others in diagnosing your problem; you run
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the risk of getting a nasty answer if you send such a message to the list.
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Some data you may have to include is:
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<enum>
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<item> AfterStep version you are using.
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<item> Operating system version, machine architecture.
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<item> System configuration (color depth, memory, anything you think may help).
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<item> Problematic program.
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<item> Environment information (other programs running at the same time, etc.)
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<item> A detailed description of the problem. What happens (error messages,
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etc.), how replicable it is, how to replicate it, etc.
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</enum>
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The more information you provide, the easier it will be for others to find a
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solution.
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A good reason to suppose that the problem lies in AfterStep is to test the
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same program with an AS-compatible window manager. This means that a
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failure of a program which works perfectly on Enlightenment is not a failure
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in AS terms; but a failure of an fvwm-1 program is something of concern for
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AfterSteppers.
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</article>
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