Fvwm version 1.21c available
Robert Nation
sunsite.unc.edu as file /pub/Linux/Incoming/fvwm-1.21c-source.tar.z.
Fvwm is a just another window manager, which provides a simple virtual
desktop, a 3-D look for windows decorations, and shaped, color icons.
It can be configured to use far less memory than twm, or to give a very
good emulation of mwm. A nice button-bar can be used to provide convenient
access to frequently used functions or programs.
There are approximately 55 entries in the ChangeLog since version 1.20b, so
I'll only hit the high points here:
1. Added the ability to recognize and parse mwm-hints
regarding functions and decorations. Input mode hints
are not recognized, since I couldn't figure out what
they do.
2. General speed improvements
3. Renamed all files to 14 or less characters. Not likely
to have a lot of impact on Linux or BSD users, but it was needed
for some other Unices.
4. Colormap handling is finally ICCCM compliant.
5. Focus control can be ICCCM compliant, if you really want
that. Most people don't because a lot of applications have
problems with it. If you select ICCCM focus control, Fvwm
is fully ICCCM compliant, as far as I can tell.
6. Enhanced multi-desktop control. Users can specify the
desktop on which an application should start, and switching
to that desktop is automatic when an appropriate window is
mapped.
7. Improved complex functions (macros) a bit.
Can now bind actions to clicks or double clicks in the
root window, and can now do raise-before-move instead of
the old move-before-raise macro. Detection of motion-click-
double click is improved to void unneeded delays.
8. Added resize-on-window-placement support, using either
the twm-style button 3 to resize or the mwm-style shift-button 1
9. Now compatible with Sun's Wabi, at least when running on
solaris 2.
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There is now a mailing list for fvwm:
To subscribe:
mail to majo...@shrug.org with the body of the message:
subscribe fvwm
That's all there is to it. To send to the list, mail to fv...@shrug.org,
or to get me (mailing list administrator) direclty mail to
fvwm-r...@shrug.org
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I believe that the module interface is a good way to extend the
functionality of Fvwm, without adversely affecting the integrity of the
window manager itself, and without adding unnecessary software bloat. Modules
are programs that have special access to fvwm's internal data structures,
and can provide many of the same services as built in functions.
I would like to put out a call for module ideas and donated modules. Ideas
questions, etc should be discussed on the fvwm mailing list, mentioned above.
Here are some ideas which should be feasible:
1. An improved pager. Supports multiple desktops better than the
current built-in pager.
2. A WindowList module. Could replace the current Window-list, and provide
a permanantly displayed Window-list, which would make an excellent
icon manager.
3. Tear-off menus, like the olwm pushpins provide.
Let your imagination go! Read the documentation, fvwm/documentation/modules.tex
and then discuss your ideas.
It should be possible to design modules using the toolkit of your
choice, and possibly even using Tcl/Tk.
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Note: If you want to use color icons, you will need to get the Xpm libraries
from sunsite.unc.edu:
/pub/X11/contrib/xpm-3.3.tar.gz for the Xpm library, or
/pub/Linux/X11/libs, file libXpm-3.3.tar.gz. for a pre-compiled shared
library of libXpm for Linux (it was still in /pub
/Linux/Incoming last I checked).
You may also want these from sunsite.unc.edu:
/pub/X11/contrib/xpm3icons.tar.Z, sample icons
/pub/X11/contrib/ctwm-3.0.tar.Z, pull out the icons. ctwm has really nice
color icons.
and this from ftp.x.org:
/contrib/SunDesk???, lots of sample icons, which, unfortunately, have
very undescriptive file names. Apparantly there is
another version of this file with descriptive names,
also on ftp.x.org.
and this,
hplyot.obspm.circe.fr /fvwm/hobbes-icons-xpm3.tar.gz
lots of icons.
Rob Nation
(nat...@rocket.sanders.lockheed.com)