IceWM probs....

[lawsonrc]

Does anyone use IceWM?

 

I was messing around with the IcePrefs, and suddenly several things don't function like they should.

 

Problem #1: In MDK9.1 and IceWM, on the taskbar, the Terminal, Emacs, and Mozilla are represented by icons as the default; however, somehow these three buttons are labeled with words instead of their icons. I've gone into IcePrefs and cannot find how to change them back to their icons, as I hate word labels for buttons on the taskbar.

 

Problem #2: According to what is set in IcePrefs for Mouse buttons and clicking on the desktop: first mouse button (i.e. left): show window list menu; second mouse button (i.e. middle): show window list; and third mouse button(i.e. right): show menu.

Even though these are set as such in the IcePrefs, each time I click on the desktop with *any* mouse button, nothing happens!

 

The mouse buttons were working on the desktop earlier today.

 

Problem #3: I would like IceWM to open up with a particular theme of my choosing each time, but everytime it opens up, it opens to its default theme (which I've never figured out which one that is. :roll:)

 

Problem #4: When IceWM opens and I open a window, I'd like as default for the minimized action of the window to be a tray icon (which sits below the clock), rather than a window button on the taskbar. As of this moment, I have to reset this in the Window menu for each open window manually during each session.

 

All help is greatly appreciated! In advance...thanks!

 

Sincerely,

 

Richard L.

[Peep]

try downloading the IceWm Control Panel. It is MUCH better than IcePref. Using the IceMe tool included should solve your menu problems.

 

If that doesn't work, you may need to edit the config files yourself. It's not all that bad, and I had to do it once for exactly the problem you're describing (text rather than icons). This IceWM FAQ describes how to edit the relevant file.

 

I'm not sure why your settings aren't being saved. Hopefully someone else will have insight into that (or it'll get fixed with IceWMCP). Good Luck! :)

[Guest johnKFT]

I use IceWM but you have lost me a bit. However, if it is a help I think you will find that icons disappear when IceWM cannot find them - ie the icon path is missing. It sounds like maybe you have lost your original ~/.icewm folder with all the settings in it. and a new basic one has been produced.

 

I strongly suggest that you learn how to edit the config files as it gives you both great control and understanding of what is happening, and avoids another layer of programming. It is not difficult. Read the manual.

 

There is a setting somewhere to put a themes submenu on the Start menu but I cannot remember where. I just use the one theme and have it installed in my ~/.iceWM/themes folder.

 

Good luck. Sorry I could not be more helpful. IceWM is pretty simple and you should read the various help files.

[Guest bjc]

Thanks Peep for the Ice FAQ reference. I was finally able to make the toolbar the way I wanted it. Have added Gimp and Sylpheed. The Icepref is an easy way to set basic things like preferred theme. Have put Mozilla 101 under 'run'.

[lawsonrc]

Thanks Peep and John for your responses.

 

First off, I've never taken a computer course and have only learned a couple of things to do in a command line in Linux (no experience at all in Dos), so bear with my lack of skills, please. I'm not very technical and have recently come over from Windows to using MDK9.1. So I am still mainly a point and click GUI computer user, which may, as a result, have gotten me into trouble.

 

Peep, I did download the IceWMControl Panel, which is nicer than IcePrefs. It doesn't appear in the Menu , however. But I did figure out I could open it from a command line by running: IceWMCP (I figured this out by doing either "whereis IceWM" or "locate "IceWM", I forget which, and then intuitively just typing IceWMCP when I saw that abbreviation located in some file somewhere). Peep, how do you open up the Control Panel?

 

After messing with IcePrefs and IceWM Control Panel, I then used Konqueror to try to fix these things in IceWM. I went to View and checked "Show hidden files". I then clicked on and opened the .icewm folder which is in my /home/richard directory. Inside I have three files labeled "preferences":

 

The first is a Plain Text file dated 05/04/03 (May 4) 09:41 pm (21.14).

 

The second is "preference~" : which is labled a BackUp File with the same date, but with the earlier time of 05:39 pm (17.39).

 

The third is a plain text file called "preferences.backup-file at 09:41 pm.

 

If my configurations have caused me such a mess, how do I switch back to one of these backup files to get IceWM the way it originally was? Or is this the right approach? I don't remember how I made a backup file unless I went to the file menu and after making a few changes did a "save as...". I really don't remember all the steps I did.

 

So johnKFT, in conclusion, it appears I still have my ~/.icewm folder, but that the changes occurred first in IcePrefs from the IceWM menu, then one of the preferences files by means of using Konqueror and KWrite.

 

I have no way of knowing if it is the "original"~/.icewm folder, but it appears to be in Konqueror.

 

I appreciate everyone's help and patience with me. I'm learning a lot from your support. Thanks!

 

Richard L.

[Guest johnKFT]

I would first rename the current text file to preferences-old or something to stop it being read, then rename the earliest backup file - preferences~ - to preferences. Then restart IceWM and it should read from that file. See what happens.

 

The 0941 backup was presumably made by Konqueror when you edited the preferences file in there, and the earlier one must have been automatically created by your file manager or IcePrefs.

 

I have just browsed through my preferences file and found the setting to put the themes sub-menu on the toolbar main menu. In mine it is line 193. Make it read: ShowThemesMenu=1. Everything in this file preceded by # is ignored. being information for the reader (you and me); Lines without # are acted on, =1 being on and =0 being off. Have a look through it and read the help files. If you always keep a copy of the working preferences file you can change it and try things out. Some are obvious, others not so (as ever).

 

Line 280 onwards lists instructions for the mouse buttons.

 

Line 310 lists the files IceWM will search for icons. Mine reads;

 

# Icon search path (colon separated)

IconPath="/usr/share/icons:/usr/share/icons/mini:/usr/share/icons/locolr/16x16/apps/:/usr/share/icons/hicolor/16x16/apps/:/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/icewm/icons:/usr/share/pixmaps"

 

The tray icon for minimised windows is set in the winoptions file, which is slightly more complex. It has to be set for each window according to its name. This can probably be done in Ice Control Centre (I do not use it), otherwise look in the file for examples and see the Help. To find the name or class of the window open it on the desktop then open a terminal and type xprop. The cursor will turn into a cross. Place the cross on the window you want and left click. A mass of info will appear in the terminal about the window. To get a minimised tray icon I have for xclipboard the following entry:

xclipboard.tray: Minimized

 

xclipboard is the class, which refers to all the different types of window produced by a particular program. Name (Xclipboard) refers to the particular window you have clicked the cross on. Thus an email compose window can be treated the same as or differently from the message view window as they will have the same class but different names.

 

Hope this helps. I had forgotten all that as I rarely fiddle with my setup now. Just shows the benefit of browsing through configuration files.

[Peep]

Peep, how do you open up the Control Panel?

heh, my experience was very similar to yours. I'm not in IceWM right now, but I'll try to explain this from memory. At first I had to open it from the command line (as you described), but once open I added an icon for it in the menu (using IceME, the menu editor on the IceWMCP). At some point I had a problem where that didn't seem to be working and I may have had to add it on the menu using MenuDrake (in the Mandrake Control Center). Sorry I can't be more specific, because I ended up just having to play with both and can't remember which worked better.

 

Can someone else help fill in the blanks and explain (to both of us) which he should use... IceMe or MenuDrake to edit the menus?

[Peep]

Thanks Peep for the Ice FAQ reference. I was finally able to make the toolbar the way I wanted it.

Glad I was able to help 8)

[Guest johnKFT]

I edit the menu by hand in ~/.icewm/menu. It is a bit fiddly till you get the hang of all the brackets but after that it is really quite easy. Have a look inside with a text editor and you will see what I mean.

 

I also found the default theme setting in /preferences - line 368 in mine.

[lawsonrc]

Thanks to both of you again.

 

I have only had the time to rename the preference files, but that didn't get me back to defaults, such as being able to click on the desktop (right-click, i.e. button three to show the start menu) and having the three apps on the taskbar show up as icons instead of words (xterm, emacs, mozilla).

 

When I have more time the next couple of days, I will do more of johnKFT's suggestions, such as icon paths, tray icon default for minimizations, etc.

 

Now my question is: if I totally mess things up further, how do I uninstall IceWM (do I do something with urpme?), and will I have to remove it somehow from the login sessions (how do I do this, too, if needed)? Also, how do I re-install, using the Mandrake 9.1 discs?

 

Thanks again

 

Richard L.

[Guest johnKFT]

I think you will find that uninstalling will leave behind the ~/.icewm configuration folder, which reminds me that there is a global configuration folder in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/icewm which contains preferences, winoptions, themes etc, which are default values - overridden by your ~/.icewm files. So if you rename your ~/.icewm folder so it is not recognised, then restart Icewm it will take its configs from the global files. Try that.

 

You can then fiddle with your home files as I suggested till they are what you want, then reinstate the ~/.icewm folder and restart IceWM.

[lawsonrc]

Thanks, John!

 

I went to KDE, opened Konqueror, and changed the name of the folder to .icewm-old. Then I restarted and logged into IceWM., which took its configuration from the global files as you had stated.

 

Great!

 

Now I know that if I mess up again, I can just do the same as above.

 

I will continue doing your suggestions in earlier threads and get back to let you know my progress.

 

Sincerely,

 

Richard L.

[Guest johnKFT]

Good. Sorry it took me so long to remember that global configuration business. Do you realise that it is not necessary to log out to restart IceWM? Just go to Menu>Logout and in the sub-menu you will see an entry - Restart IceWM. Click on that and it will restart without having to log out and in again. Very handy for config fiddling.

[lawsonrc]

Yes, John. As I was fiddling around, I found that one can just restart IceWM without logging out for most config fiddling (doesn't always work when fiddling with making a default theme, however).

 

I also discovered a handy shortcut for all the options....the old "three finger salute": just press CTRL + ALT + DEL and you get the options to Logout, Restart IceWM, Reboot, Shutdown, Cancel, and Workstation. Faster than going to the Menu and Submenu.

 

You've been a great help! I'll probably have more IceWM questions eventually.

 

Thanks, both to you and Peep!

 

Richard