wmaker/FAQ

WindowMaker FAQ
====================================================================
the latest info can be found at
http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~grapeape/wmfaq.html or
http://wm.gnu.net/wmfaq/
--------------------------

This version was slightly modified by me (Alfredo). Chris, I enclosed
my changes with "###". Please add the changes to your official version.


Summary of Contents:
Introduction 
 - What is WindowMaker? 
 - Where can I get WindowMaker? 
 - Where are the mailing list archives? 
 - Where is there more documentation on configuring WindowMaker? 

Installation 
 - Where can I get proplist.h? 
 - Why do no icons show up after installing WindowMaker 0.15.0 when I've
   followed all the directions? 
 - How do I get libtiff to work? 
 - How do I get libjpeg to work? 
 - How do I get libpng to work? 
 - Does wmsound work with 0.1x.x? 
 - Can I use WindowMaker with KDE or GNOME or CDE?
 - How do I switch CDE's windowmanager to use WindowMaker?
 - Do I need to rerun wmaker.inst with every new version of WindowMaker? 
 - When I run wmaker it quits complaing about something __register_frame_info.
 - The libxyz image format library is not detected.

Usage 
 - What is an appicon? 
 - How do I get new apps on the dock (The line of pixmaps on the right side
   of the screen by default) 
 - What is the difference between the Exit and Exit Session Option? 
 - How do I "dock" Icons on the Clip? 
 - Why do none of my Key Bindings work in WindowMaker 0.1x.x 
 - How do I rename workspaces? 
 - How can I resize a window if the window is larger than my currect
   desktop?
 - When I run xyz (xyz usually = rxvt) from the dock and later quit, the
   3 dots don't come back and I can't run it again.

Configuration 
 - What are those files inside my ~/GNUstep directory? 
 - How do I enable the normal X sloppy focus mode? 
 - How do I get my auto-arrange icons to work? 
 - How do I get my Meta-Tab to cycle through windows correctly? 
 - How can I define my own Icon for a program? (instead of the Icon the
   Application Supplies?) 
 - How do I get a pixmap background for my appicons (those things in the
   dock)? 
 - How do you dock <insert program here> that doesn't have an appicon in
   the new version of WindowMaker? 
 - How do I get x11amp to not have a title bar? (or any other program for that
   matter?) 
 - How do I set a pixmap background? 
 - Can I put pixmaps in my root menu and title bars? 
 - How do I get my Minimize Icon to look like the triangle I see in
   screenshots? 
 - How do I get superfluous bells and whistles working? 
 - How do I get my oldstyle back? 
 - How can I set dock/clip to use single click to launch applications,
   instead of double click?

Other Applications 
 - How do I assign gimp an appicon? 
 - How do I get an appicon for XEmacs 20.3+? 
 - Where do you get that clock program I always see on people's desktops?
 - How do you dock asclock? 
 - How do you dock wmload? 
 - What other apps exist for the dock? 
 - How do I get an appicon for rxvt so I can dock it? 
 - How do I get different icons for rxvt's (or xterms) running different
   programs? 
 - How do I allow Alt+# to work in an rxvt session? (with irc for example) 
 - When I use Netscape with Window Maker it crashes.

Programming 
 - How do I get a normal X application to produce an appicon? 
 - How do I get my tcl/tk application to produce an appicon? 

Miscellaneous Questions 
 - Is there a pager for WindowMaker? 
 - Can I have folders like in AfterStep?
 - What exactly are Themes? 
 - How do I install a Theme? 
 - How do I make a Theme?
 - Why don't you distribute {normal diff,xdelta} patches?


========================================================================

-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Introduction:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-

What is WindowMaker? 
----------------------------------
WindowMaker is an elegant X11 window manger that emulates the OpenStep
desktop with some noticeable enhancements. Look at
http://wm.gnu.net/screenshots.html for example screenshots. 


Where can I get WindowMaker? 
----------------------------------
The official site to get new developmental versions from is
ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/beta/srcs/. 

NOTE: WindowMaker-0.16.1.tar.gz is the newest stable release, for some
reason it has not been moved into the release directory. You should
DEFINATELY go with 0.16.1 rather than 0.6.3. 

WindowMaker-0.17.5 is the newest development release. This will be the last
release with new features until 1.0 is released. Work from now until 1.0 will
focus on bug fixes, so keep testing and report those bugs! 

The development versions are usually very stable themselves, so if you want to
have all the newest features, you can rather safetly go with the development
versions. Just remember to save any unsaved data before you go playing
around with the config files. Also, remember they are developmental versions,
so your mileage may vary, don't get angry if they crash. 


Where are the mailing list archives? 
----------------------------------
UPDATE: Ed has moved to Utah to work for Caldera, so the list has moved.
The new address is http://www.caldera.com/linuxcenter/forums/wmaker.html 

The archives should come online again when Ed gets all moved in and comfy in
about 2 weeks or so. (around mid-august or so) Please be patient until then.
Thanks! 


Where is there more documentation on configuring WindowMaker? 
----------------------------------
Besides the mailing list archives, there are nice documents in
ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/docs/ 



-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Installation:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Where can I get proplist.h? 
----------------------------------
My first hint would be to look through the documentation a little more closely.
libPropList.tar.gz is located in the root of the WindowMaker distribution source
tree. Untar libproplist, compile and install it so that the it will be available to
compile WindowMaker. 


Why do no icons show up after installing WindowMaker >= 0.15.x when
I've followed all the directions? 
----------------------------------
According to Dan Pascu should not happen because WindowMaker should
detect if libtiff is going to be compiled in and then it will make the default theme
based around .xpm instead of .tif. 

As of WindowMaker version 0.15.0, the default setup includes .tiff icons which
require you to have compiled WindowMaker with libtiff support. For some help
on compiling with libtiff, at the libtiff section of this FAQ. 


How do I get libtiff to work? 
----------------------------------
The whole key to getting libtiff working for me was to upgrade to >=
tiff-v3.4beta037-tar.gz availible at ftp.sgi.com. 

Rerun ./configure and make and it should work. I had previously been using
tiff-v3.4-tar.gz instead so the library was there just not working. A note to keep in
mind, is that the tiff libs are versioned rather oddly, version tiff-v3.4beta037 is
actually newer than tiff-v3.4. 

Make sure to rm config.cache and rerun ./configure before attempting to compile
again. 

Also, make sure to use gnu-make for the WindowMaker compile. 


How do I get libjpeg to work? 
----------------------------------
The newest jpeg libs are availible at ftp://ftp.uu.net/graphics/jpeg/. 

How many of you have seen that darned "lib reports 62 caller expects 61" type of
error?
Well, I have more than once, and here are some answers to possibly help you
out. 

First things first. As always, make sure there are not older copies of libjpeg
floating around on your system. By default my Slackware distribution came with
an old libjpeg.so.1 in the /usr/X11R6/lib/ directory. This can simply be deleted. Or
if something complains after you delete it, recompile it if you can to look for the
new lib in the right place, or if that fails, as a last resort, you might add a symlink
to the new lib like so:
ln -s /usr/local/lib/libjpeg.so.6.0.2 libjpeg.so.1 

Now on to the error.
This is basically caused by your application having been compiled to
dynamically use the libjpeg.so shared library. When you install a new lib and then
try to run your program again, it expects the lib it was compiled against, in this
case the older libjpeg.so.6.0.1 and instead finds libjpeg.so.6.0.2 and reports the
error. 

The fix is actually rather simple. Along with adding a libjpeg.so.6 symlink like so
(just in case):
ln -s libjpeg.so.6.0.2 libjpeg.so.6
where you installed your new lib, you simply need to recompile your app to link it
against the new library. :) 

Make sure to rm config.cache and rerun ./configure before attempting to compile
again. 

Also, make sure to use gnu-make for the WindowMaker compile. 


How do I get libpng to work? 
----------------------------------
The newest png libs are availible at
http://www.cdrom.com/pub/png/pngcode.html.
You should also get the newest zlib libs from
http://www.cdrom.com/pub/infozip/zlib/. 

I had a few problems with this lib as well, basically I had an old libz.so in my
/usr/X11R6/lib/ directory which configure was finding first, and which failed the test,
being an older lib. 

Generally the same applies here as with libjpeg, make sure there are no older
versions of the necessary libs floating around on your system, then try and
configure and make again. 

Make sure to rm config.cache and rerun ./configure before attempting to compile
again. 

Also, make sure to use gnu-make for the WindowMaker compile. 


Does wmsound work with 0.1x.x? 
----------------------------------
As of WindowMaker 0.15.x, sound is now included by default but requires the
authors sound server. For more information, read the NEWS file in the
WindowMaker distribution. 

The author Anthony Quinn has released a version that works with
WindowMaker >= 0.15.x. It is available from it's home page at
http://www.frontiernet.net/~southgat/wmsound/ 
or at
http://wm.gnu.net/files.html#wmsound 



### New, possibly with some errors

Can I use WindowMaker with KDE or GNOME or CDE?
----------------------------------

Contrary to a lot of people thinks, KDE is NOT a window manager. KDE is
a suite of various applications that includes a custom window manager.
The same is true for CDE. 

Now, answering the question: Yes, you can use WindowMaker in these
environments. To use WindowMaker with GNOME, you don't need to do anything
special. To use it with CDE, read the answer for "How do I switch CDE's
windowmanager to use WindowMaker?" 

To use it with KDE, read it's documentation to get rid of kwm (and possibly
kpanel) and replace it with wmaker. Then, start WPrefs.app, go to "Mouse
Preferences" and set the "Disable mouse actions" check box. You will need to
restart WindowMaker to make this change take effect. The "Disable mouse
actions" change is needed to allow you to use krootwm, wich enables you to
use kfm's desktop icons, but will prevent you from accessing WindowMaker's
Applications and Window List menus with the mouse.

###


How do I switch CDE's window-manager to use WindowMaker? 
----------------------------------
Method 1: 

Peter Ilberg <peter.ilberg@natinst.com> gives us this answer: 

Install WM wherever you want it, mine is in /opt/WindowMaker-0.16.0
(eg. use ./configure --prefix=/opt/WindowMaker-0.16.0).
Run the install script wmaker.inst in your home directory. 

Add the following two lines to .dtprofile in your home directory: 

SESSIONTYPE=xdm; export SESSIONTYPE
PATH=:/usr/contrib/bin/X11:$PATH:.; export PATH 

This tells CDE to go looking for an .xinitrc/.xsession instead of using the default
environment. 

Make your .xsession/.xinitrc executable (VERY IMPORTANT, wmaker.inst did NOT
do this automatically for me) using eg. 

chmod ugo+x .xsession 

Your .xsession/.xinitrc should look something like this: 

#!/bin/sh
<some other init stuff that you want/need>
exec wmaker 

Things to try if it doesn't work: (somewhat fuzzy and random) 

This should do it although I did have problems sometimes initially which I fixed
by randomly trying absolute pathes for wmaker in .xsession/.xinitrc and/or making
the dtprofile/.xinitrc/etc executable. It helps logging in on the console (select from
CDE login screen) and start X manually using 'X'.
If it works that way it should work when logging into the CDE environment.
Remember to Check your paths! 

If it doesn't work, you can also substitute some other window manager for
wmaker in the .xinitrc and see if that works. If it does you know at least that .xinitrc
is getting called/executed, so your WM path is wrong or not set. 


Method 2: 

Thomas Hanselman gave this alternative answer (via Peter Ilberg): 

Build and install WM wherever you want, as described in Method 1. You can
install and run WM just fine from your home directory. That's what I'm doing,
since I don't have root access at work :(. Then, in your .Xdefaults file in your
home directory, add the following line: 

Dtsession*wmStartupCommand: <path to WindowMaker executable> 

Then, log out, and log back in, and, unless I've forgotten a step (or this is a
custom Nortel thing), you should be in WindowMaker heaven ;). 

Difference between the methods: (according to Thomas) 

I've been told that the difference between setting the resource and Peter's
method is that if you override the window manager with the resouce, you still get
the CDE resources read into the resource database (so you still have your color
settings & such from CDE), whereas with Peter's, the CDE resource don't get
read into the database. I don't know if this is true or not, however. Also, another
thing to note with WindowMaker and HP-UX 10.20 -- if you select "Exit Session"
from the WM root menu, WindowMaker and all of your applications are killed,
but you may not be logged out. Again, this might be an artifact from my work
environment, or the way I start WindowMaker. 

Owen Stenseth <iplenergy.com> adds: 

When using this method it is possible to exit WindowMaker cleanly by using the
dtaction command. I use the following in my WindowMaker menu: 

"Exit Session"      EXEC dtaction ExitSession 

The only problem I have at the moment is I seem to get multiple copies of
asclock running when I log in again. 


### New
You can also use the normal "Exit Session" command from the WM root menu
and place additional commands required to shutdown CDE in
~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/exitscript 

So, if you add "dtaction ExitSession" in that file, the command to
shutdown CDE will be automatically executed when you exit WindowMaker.
###


Do I need to rerun wmaker.inst with every new version of WindowMaker?
----------------------------------
Dan Pascu reveals the answer: 

When the user will need to run wmaker.inst again in a new release of wmaker,
we will write that down in the NEWS file.
(as I've done in 0.15.0). 

The way domain files are read beginning from 0.15.0 makes this redundant. The
user config files are merged with the global ones in
/usr/local/share/WindowMaker/Defaults.
So even if new options are added, they will reflect in the user configuration. 

Only if user wishes to change the default behavior, he needs to add that option
to the config file. 

### New
When I run wmaker it quits complaing about something __register_frame_info.
-----------------------------------------------------------

This seems to be related to pgcc, gcc-2.8.0 or something. Try using gcc
2.7.x to compile wmaker.


The libxyz image format library is not detected.
------------------------------------------------

Always look at config.log and see why configure isn't detecting the library.
If that doens't help you much, check the following:

- if there is only one set of libraries in your system (look in
/usr/openwin/lib, check if you have different versions of the library etc)
- if the header file(s) of that library are installed (make sure you
have installed the devel packages of that library)
- supply the path of that library to configure: 
	./configure --with-gfx-libs=/the/path/to/the/lib


###

-=-=-=-
Usage:
-=-=-=-

What is an appicon? 
----------------------------------
An appicon is the icon (without the tiny titlebar a minimized application icon has)
produced by most applications that initially is in the bottom left corner of the
screen while an application is running. For an example, run xterm and notice the
icon in the corner. (Make sure that you use xterm and not a default older rxvt
because older versions of rxvt do not properly set their window attributes.) 


How do I get new apps on the dock (The icon or line of icons on the right
side of the screen by default) 
----------------------------------
Launch an application. If there is a little icon that pops up in the bottom corner of
the screen, drag it over to the dock icon(s). You should see a whiteish square
indicating when it is close enough to dock, and where it will be placed. To make
sure this application will be there next time you start up windowmaker, exit
windowmaker with the "exit session" option. 

What is the difference between the 'Exit' and 'Exit Session' Options? 
----------------------------------
Another Answer from Dan Pascu: 

"'Exit' exits wmaker, but leaves the other apps running, and if wmaker was not
the last app launched in the .xinitrc the X server is not closed, until the last app
started by .xinitrc is closed.
'Exit session' will exit wmaker, but also will close all running apps, thus the X
server will be closed." 


How do I "dock" Icons on the Clip? 
----------------------------------
Just drag icons near it like you would for the dock. If you are having a problem
docking icons, you should try moving the Clip away from the dock. 


Why do none of my Key Bindings (ie: Alt+#) work in WindowMaker 0.1x.x 
----------------------------------
If you are using XFree86, make sure scroll lock and numlock are off or no
bindings will work (XFree bug). You can try using the XFree86 Numlock Hack by
editing the line #undef NUMLOCK_HACK in $WindowMakerdir/src/wconfig.h and
changing it to #define NUMLOCK_HACK. 


How do I rename workspaces? 
----------------------------------
Right click on the "desktop" (root window) to show the menu (don't hold the
button down). Go to the workspaces menu and hold the Control key down and
click on the workspace you would like to rename and type the name. 
### New
If you use the clip, use the "Rename Workspace" command in the clip menu.
###

How can I resize a window if the window is larger than my currect
desktop? 
----------------------------------
David Reviejo <dreviejo@arrakis.es> best summed up this answer: 

     "Maybe you know:
     Alt+Left click and drag
     to move the window. 

     Try this:
     Alt+Right click and drag
     to resize (by moving the nearest window corner) 

     Another move/resize tip: while you are moving or resizing a window, you
     can change the move/resize mode by pressing the SHIFT key." 


When I run xyz (xyz usually = rxvt) from the dock and later quit, the
3 dots don't come back and I can't run it again.
----------------------------------

You docked xyz using dockit. Dockit does not generate correct application
icons most of the time. The only way to get around it is to edit
~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMState and set ForcedDock = YES; in the entry for xyz.
If you use rxvt, upgrade to rxvt 2.4.6 or newer.
### New
There is another better way to dock applications that do not have an appicon,
wich is by using the "Emulate Application Icon" option in the 
"Advanced Options" section of the attributes panel. If you turn this option 
ON and restart that application, you should get a dockable application icon.
###

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Configuration:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

What are those files inside my ~/GNUstep directory? 
----------------------------------
~/GNUstep/WindowMaker/WindowMaker 

     The main config file. This file controls options such as keybindings, fonts,
     pixmaps, and focus modes. 


~/GNUstep/WindowMaker/WMWindowAttributes 

     The Controls "attributes" for individual applications and appicons. Options
     such as what icon to use are set here. For the most part, this is now best
     accessed via a right click on a title bar of an application and selecting
     "Attributes" 


~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMState 

     This is the file that is automatically generated and contains the current
     dock settings. It is not recommended to edit this file by hand. 


~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMRootMenu 

     This file specifies what file to use as the root menu. 


~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/menu 

     This is the file to edit to change your root menu. 


How do I enable the normal X sloppy focus mode? 
----------------------------------
In the ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker, change the following: 

FocusMode = sloppy; 


How do I get my auto-arrange icons to work? 
----------------------------------
In ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker set AutoArrangeIcons=Yes; and the icons
should now auto-arrange. 


How do I get my Meta-Tab to cycle through windows correctly? 
----------------------------------
Make sure that these settings are true in your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker
file: 

CirculateRaise = Yes;
RaiseDelay = 1;


How can I define my own Icon for a program? (instead of the Icon the
Application Supplies?) 
----------------------------------
You can right click on the titlebar of the running app and choose the
"Attributes..." option, then click on the "Ignore client supplied icon" checkbox.
Click "Apply", "Save" and close the Attributes Editor. 

Another method is to edit ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMWindowAttributes by hand and
use the AlwaysUserIcon=YES; option for the app. For example: 

xmcd = { Icon = "Radio.xpm";
AlwaysUserIcon=Yes;
}; 


How do I get a pixmap background for my appicons (those things in the
dock)? 
----------------------------------
You need to change 1 line to your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMakerfile. 

IconBack = (spixmap, tile.black.xpm, white);
or
IconBack = (tpixmap, tile.black.xpm, white); 

spixmap will scale the pixmap to fit the tile, tpixmap will tile it as is. 

As Random@efnet says, The last parameter is the color that fills in any
transparent parts of your icon. 


How do you dock <insert program here> that doesn't have an appicon in
the new version of WindowMaker? 
----------------------------------
### Updated
Open the window commands menu for the main window of the application
(the first window that is opened by the app and also causes the whole
application to exit, when it is closed), choose "Attributes..." and
go to the "Advanced Options" section. Then, check ON the 
"Emulate Application Icon" check box.
###

How do I get x11amp to not have a title bar? (or any other program for
that matter?) 
----------------------------------
Right Click on the title bar and choose "Attributes". Click on Panel 2 and click
the the "Disable titlebar" and "Disable resizebar" options. Click "Save", "Apply"
and then close the Attributes panel. 

By Default, to get back to the attributes menu once you've removed the titlebar,
hit the key F10 while the window is focused. 

Here is an example entry in ~/GNUstep/WMWindowAttributes for x11amp. 

x11amp={
Icon="x11amp.xpm";
NoTitlebar=Yes;
NoResizebar=Yes;
NoAppIcon=Yes;
}; 


How do I set a pixmap background? 
----------------------------------
Here is the in depth explanation straight from the NEWS file: 

wmsetbg now accepts the following options: 
usage: wmsetbg [-options] image 
options: 
-d                dither image
-m                match colors
-t                tile image
-s                scale image (default)
-u                update WindowMaker domain database
-D <domain>       update <domain> database
-c <cpc>          colors per channel to use

By default, it will try to guess if dithering is needed or not and proceed
accordingly.
Using -d or -m will force it to dither or match colors. 

Dithering for more than 15bpp is generally not needed, and will only result in a
slower processing.
Don't use dithering except when needed, because it is slower. Else rely on
wmsetbg which will detect if dithering is needed and use it. 

-u will update the WorkspaceBack in the default database domain
   file in ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker, and let WindowMaker
   refresh the screen. Please note that this option only works under
   WindowMaker, and will have no effect under other window
   managers, since it rely on WindowMaker to update the image
   after it reads the updated defaults database.

-D <domain> is same as above, but will update the domain
   <domain> instead of the default WindowMaker domain.

-c <cpc> will set the color per channel to use. Only needed for
   PseudoColor visuals. WindowMaker will automatically pass the
   value read from the WindowMaker domain database.


The following line is straight from your WindowMaker-0.15.x
~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/menu file and should all be on one line. 

"Images" OPEN_MENU BACKGROUNDS_DIR
~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/Backgrounds WITH wmsetbg -u -t 

This should give you an idea on how to add other entries for different image
directories. See the help info at the top of the
~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/menu file for more information. 

If you for some reason would like to set your background image with XV, for
instance to use an image format not yet supported by wmsetbg or to use one of
XV's special modes, edit the file ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/autostart and
insert the line 

xv -root -quit -maxpect ~/background.jpg
or
xv -root -quit -max ~/background.jpg 

you can also try variations of this to get different tiling and other effects (where X
is a number 1-9 I believe):
'xv -root -quit -rmodeX ~/background.jpg' 

If you would like xv functionality in your menu, heres a nice little tip from Alfredo: 

Add the following line to your ~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/menu file. (all on one
line) 

"More Backgrounds" OPEN_MENU /home/whoever/backgrounds xv -root -maxpect -quit 


Can I put pixmaps in my root menu and title bars? 
----------------------------------
With the release of WindowMaker-0.14.1, you can now put pixmaps anywhere
you would have either a gradient or a color. This means now that 

MenuTextBack=(tpixmap, foo.xpm, acolor); 

in ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker will put the correct pixmap tiled in your menu. 

FTitleBack = (spixmap, foo.xpm, black); 

Would have the effect of streching a pixmap to fit the titlebar of the active
window.
You can use png, tiff, jpeg and xpm images interchangeably in WindowMaker if
you have compiled in support for those formats. 


How do I get my Minimize Icon to look like the triangle I see in
screenshots? 
----------------------------------
This involves a minor source tweak. Instructions are available at 
http://wm.gnu.net/tips.html#titlebar_icons. 
Example screenshot can be seen at 
http://wm.gnu.net/images/screenshots/Midnight3.jpg. 


How do I get superfluous bells and whistles working? 
----------------------------------
Add Superfluous=YES; to your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/Windowmaker file. 

This option was added as a runtime option in WindowMaker >= 0.16.1. 


How do I get the classic NeXT(tm)-like style back? 
----------------------------------
Add NewStyle=NO; to your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/Windowmaker file. 

This option was added as a runtime option in WindowMaker >= 0.16.1 


How can I set dock/clip to use single click to launch applications, instead
of double click?
----------------------------------
You cannot do this. This is because single click is used to select app-icons,
or to raise/lower the app-icon or the dock/clip.
If this is impelmented then you will be unable to select or raise/lower
dock/clip or app-icons, without also launching the application it represents.

So don't ask for this to be implemented, because it will not be. Double
click is used for a reason, is not just some weird idea we got in a morning
when we wake up too early.



-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Other Applications:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

How do I assign gimp an appicon? 
----------------------------------
WindowMaker now can assign Icons from within the windowmanager, to do so,
right click on the title bar of an app or hit F10 while the desired app is focused,
choose "Attributes...", click on the "4" Button, enter the icon file name (make
sure this is in your pixmap path, or you can type in the full path without using ~/
type path names), click "Update", "Apply", "Save" and then close the Attributes
Editor. 

You can also enter the following line in
~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/WMWindowAttributes: 

gimp={Icon="gimp.xpm";}; 


How do I get an appicon for XEmacs 20.3+? 
----------------------------------
Thanks to Michael Hafner <hayfi@rz.fh-augsburg.de> for this answer. 

You don't need to patch the XEmacs code, just run 

./configure --with-session=yes (in addition to any other options you use) 

in your XEmacs 20.3+ sourcedir and rebuild it. Then XEmacs shows an
appicon when running and you can easily dock it. 


Where do you get that clock program I always see on people's desktops? 
----------------------------------
Its called asclock. It has been included with every version I've downloaded.
Currently it resides in ./WindowMaker-0.xx.x/misc/asclock.tgz and is prepatched to
be able to dock. Some other (older) versions you might find on the net don't
dock. 


How do you dock asclock? 
----------------------------------
asclock -shape -iconic -12 & 

Drag it from the top right corner of the clock to the dock. Right click on the icon
and select autolaunch.
You have to drag the appicon by clicking on the edge of the icon, because the
actual pixmap belongs to the app itself, and any clicks on the pixmap are
interpreted by the app rather than X or the window manager. Therefor, you need
to click somewhere on the appicon where the background tile shows through
(usually the edges), and drag it that way. 


How do you dock wmload? 
----------------------------------
wmload -withdrawn -shape & 

Then dock it similar to asclock. 


What other apps exist for the dock? 
----------------------------------
Several Nice applications are available: 

     wmmixer and wmcd and wmmount
       http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Vista/2471/linux.htm#xapps

     ascd,WMRack,asmixer,asmodem, and others
       ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/wmaker/contrib/srcs/apps/

     wmavgload, wmmount, and wmload
       ftp://ftp.windowmaker.org/pub/wmaker/contrib/srcs/utils/

     wmppp-wmifs, wmtime, wmmon and other nifty apps 
       http://windowmaker.mezaway.org/


How do I get an appicon for rxvt so I can dock it? 
----------------------------------
The default rxvt that comes with most distribtions is an outdated version of rxvt.
The newest development version of rxvt is availible from
ftp://ftp.math.fu-berlin.de/pub/rxvt/devel/. As of the time of this writing, the
version is 2.4.6 and it natively produces an appicon without a patch. 

John Eikenberry has also created an rpm which is available from
ftp://ftp.coe.uga.edu/users/jae/windowmaker/ 

As of version 2.4.6, rxvt includes WindowMaker support as well as 
John Eikenberry's NeXT scrollbar hack. 


How do I get different icons for rxvt's (or xterms) running different
programs? 
----------------------------------
The simplest way is to run each rxvt with a different -name parameter. 

For example, I want to run an rxvt for irc and one for mail. This is an example of
what I'd do: 

for the irc rxvt:
rxvt -name "irc" -e "irc" 

for the mail rxvt:
rxvt -name "mail" -e "pine" 

This would result in each rxvt now having the instance and class of irc.Xterm and
mail.Xterm respectively, so that WindowMaker can now set Attributes for them
individually. 


How do I allow Alt+# to work in an rxvt session? (with irc for example) 
----------------------------------
First, Launch a unique instance of rxvt or xterm.
This can be done using the -name option of rxvt.
For example: 

rxvt -name foo -e irc 

Then, go to the Attributes menu (right click on titlebar (or hit Control+Esc
and choose 'Attributes...')
Then choose 'Advanced Options' from the listbox and enable 'Don't Bind
Keyboard shortcuts'.
Click 'Save' and 'Apply' and you should be able to run your session without the
shortcuts. 


When I use Netscape with Window Maker it crashes
------------------------------------------------

(the problem where you get a message with something like _MOTIF_DRAG_WINDOW
was deleted or something)

You are probably are running a glibc system and using libc5 version of
Netscape. To solve this, upgrade Netscape to a glibc version.

BTW: blaming wmaker for something like this is nonsensical. It makes as 
much sense as blaming the pizza you ate yesterday for a disentery
your dog is having.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Programming:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-

How do I get a normal X application to produce an appicon? 
----------------------------------
Another insightful answer from who else but Dan Pascu. 

"You must define the WM_CLASS (XSetClassHint()) and the CLIENT_LEADER
or XWMHints.window_group properties, which are automatically set by most
applications that use Xt (Motif, Athena ...), but if you use plain Xlib you must set
them by hand. 

Also you must make a call to XSetCommand(dpy, leader, argv, argc); 

Take a look at WindowMaker-0.1x.x/test/test.c that is an example for writing
such an app (which also have an app menu)." 


How do I get my tcl/tk application to produce an appicon? 
----------------------------------
Oliver Graf writes: 

The main window (normally this is called '.' [dot] in tk) should use the following
lines: 

wm command . [concat $argv0 $argv] 
wm group . . 

All child windows attached to the same app-icon should use: 

toplevel .child
wm group .child . 

where .child should be replaced by the actual window path. 

Replace '.' with the actual main-window path and 'wm group .child .' should be
added for each 'toplevel .child' call. 



-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Miscellaneous Questions:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Is there a pager for WindowMaker? 
----------------------------------
Not at the moment because there is not a pressing need for a pager. The
concept of multiple desktops does exist and there are currently 3 ways to
switch between them. 

First, the Alt+Number combination will switch between desktops. The
Workspaces menu will also let you switch workspaces. Lastly, the Clip will also
scroll one through workspaces. 

For those that would like to send an application to a specific workspace, either
drag it to an edge of the desktop onto the next workspace or you can right click
on the titlebar, choose "Move to..." and choose the appropriate workspace. 


Can I have folders like in AfterStep? 
----------------------------------
No. WindowMaker does however support the collapsable Clip per desktop for a
similar functionality. 


What exactly are themes? 
----------------------------------
Themes are a great aspect of WindowMaker allowing a user to simply save the
entire 'look' of their desktop in a Archive to distribute freely among friends, fellow
users and/or the whole net in general. :) 

See the topic "How do I make a Theme?" below for an in-depth walk-through on 
making a Theme archive. 


How do I install a Theme? 
----------------------------------
This should be as simple as untarring the Theme.tar.gz into one of two places.
You can untar it to the global /usr/local/share/WindowMaker/* directory, and have it
be accessable to all users, or you can untar it to your own
~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/ directory for your own personal use. 

Use your favorite variation of the following: 

gzip -dc "Theme.tar.gz" | tar xvf - 

*(directory may differ on some systems) 


How do I make a Theme? 
----------------------------------
In this walk-through when I use WindowMaker/, it can refer to the global
/usr/local/share/WindowMaker/ directory or the users own
~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/ directory. 

To make a Theme.tar.gz, these are the steps I take: 

  1.Optionally create a README for your theme in WindowMaker/, call it
     something like "ThemeName.txt"

  2.Use the following command to add the Theme files to your .tar file. 

     tar cvf ThemeName.tar ThemeName.txt Themes/ThemeName
     Backgrounds/ThemeNameBG.jpg Backgrounds/ThemeNameTile.xpm 

     You can add as many more images as you need from the appropriate
     directories under WindowMaker/ following that general idea. You can even
     optionally add an IconSets/ThemeName.iconset and it's associated icons to
     your theme in the same manner. This should be stated in your README
     if you decide to include these.

  3.Then gzip your .tar file to make your ThemeName.tar.gz file with this
     command: 

     gzip -9 ThemeName.tar

  4.Now give it to your friends!


### New

Why don't you distribute {normal diff,xdelta} patches?
------------------------------------------------------------

Whenever possible plain diff patches are distributed. If the new 
version has new binary files, normal diff won't be able to handle
them, so a patch package is distributed, instead. We don't use
xdelta because:
- most systems do not have xdelta installed;
- xdelta is picky and require the file to be patched to be
exactly the same as the one used to make the patch. The patch package
scheme used is much more flexible.

We do not distribute a simple diff with the binary files separately
(and variations, like uuencoding the binary files) because:
- it is more complicated and error prone to require the user to manually
move the files to the correct places;
- the current patch package scheme *does* distribute the binary files
and diff files separately. If the user wants to install everything by
hand, nobody will object to that;
- sooner or later someone will certainly ask for a script to automate the
file moving stuff.

So we hacked a script (mkpatch) that automatically creates a patch package
with the normal text diff file, a list of removed files and the binary files
that have changed or been added, plus a script that does the patching
automatically. If you don't like the script, you can apply the patch and
move the files manually. Or download the whole distribution.

###