3.8  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 Window Maker 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 Window
   Maker refresh the screen. Please note that this option only
   works under Window Maker, and will have no effect under
   other window managers, since it rely on Window Maker 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 Window Maker domain.

-c

   <cpc> will set the color per channel to use. Only needed for
   PseudoColor visuals. Window Maker will automatically pass
   the value read from the Window Maker 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

3.9  Can I put pixmaps in my root menu and title bars?

Put the pixmaps in a directory that is located in your pixmap path set on ``Search Path Configuration'' Tab.

Then switch ``Appearance Preferences'' tab and select what widget you would to adjust under the ``Texture'' tab. Click edit. Chose an image texture format and then search for the texture.

You can use a similar procedure for any type of menu editing.

You can use png, gif, ppm, tiff, jpeg and xpm images interchangeably in Window Maker if you have compiled in support for those formats.

3.10  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://largo.windowmaker.org/tips.php#titlebar_icons

3.11  Why does Netscape have a black and white Icon when I minimize it?

Craig Maloney has this answer:

If you happen to --enable-openlook at compile time, Netscape (and presumably other apps as well) believe they're running under OLVWM, and minimise with monochrome icons. Once compiled without OpenLook support, Netscape minimizes with the correct icon.

3.12  How do I get superfluous bells and whistles working?

Open WPrefs and go under the ``Other Configurations'' tab. Under ``Animations and Sound'', depress the Superfluous tab.

Alternatively, you may add

	Superfluous=YES;

to your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/Windowmaker file.

3.13  How do I get the classic NeXT(tm)-like style back?

Open WPrefs and go under the ``Other Configurations'' tab. Under ''Title Bar Style'', select the classic look.

Or you can add

	NewStyle=NO;

to your ~/GNUstep/Defaults/Windowmaker file.

3.14  How do I get the window menu with only a two button mouse?

In WPrefs, under ``Mouse Prefrences'', the mouse actions can be mapped to a button of choice.

Jim Noble explains another way to do this:

If you've got a two-button mouse under some versions of Solaris x86, there's no way (that I'm aware of) to emulate a 3-button mouse. The right button can be either MB2 or MB3, but chording doesn't work.

	ApplicationMenuMouseButton = Left;

and

	WindowListMouseButton = Right;

in ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker ought to allow the left button to activate the root menu, and the right button (as MB2) to activate the windows menu.

3.15  How do I edit my root menu?

You can now use WPrefs.app ( its appicon looks like a heart rate meter with a GNUStep icon backgroud ). Note that this will replace any oldstyle menus and there is no way to convert the oldstyle menu to the new libproplist style menu.

For old style menus, edit the file

	~/GNUstep/Library/WindowMaker/menu

and save your changes. Window Maker should detect the change and automatically update. If you are having a problem getting it to reload the menu, try

	touch menu

to force the modification time into the future.

3.16  WPrefs disappeared from the Dock! How do I get it back?

Pascal Hofstee offers this answer:

You should just start it from a terminal by supplying it's FULL path-name, which is usually the following:

    /usr/local/GNUstep/Apps/WPrefs.app/WPrefs

At this point, a new appicon should be generated which can be placed back into the Dock.

3.17  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; };

3.18  How do I turn off the workspace titles between workspaces?

In Window Maker 0.60.0, an option was added to turn this off.

By editing

	~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker

insert or modify the key

	WorkspaceNameDisplayPosition = none;

Other valid options for this include center/top/bottom/topleft/topright/bottomleft/bottomright;

3.19  How do I add dynamic items to my root menu?

A few programs are floating about, notably wkdemenu.pl that can produce output from other menu styles. In order to get WindowMaker to launch the process everytime you want to use the menu, use something like

	  ("External Menu", OPEN_MENU, "| bob.sh")

in a proplist style menu. You can tell if you have a proplist style menu if you can edit it with WPrefs.

You can do this directly in WPrefs by going to the menu editor, adding an "external menu", and then clicking the "ask guru button" and filling in the process name.

Thanks to Igor P. Roboul

3.20  How do I remove or hide appicons?

There are two options here, and you need to consider which one you prefer. Read both of these before you decide.

First, if you do not want to use the clip or dock at all, you can launch wmaker with with

	wmaker --no-clip --no-dock

and then in

	~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMWindowAttributes

add

  "*" = {NoAppIcon=Yes;};

The problem with this method is if you use the dock for dockapps, it renders them with out an appicon to write to. An alternative method if you are willing to let the clip be on your desktop is to right click on the clip > clip options > auto attract. Double click the clip so that it is grayed and all appicons will be hidden. Then you can hide the clip behind the dock so that it is out of your way. This will allow appicons to work.

3.21  I disabled my titlebar. How can I get it back?

Thanks to Jim Knoble for this answer

Set the focus to the window and then use the keystroke assigned to the titlebar menu. If you're not sure what the keystroke is, you can find out using WPrefs: in the keyboard section, select the `Open window commands menu' item in the list of actions. The keystroke assigned to it ought to appear in the `Shortcut' area'.

Typically it is Control-Esc or F10 in older version of WindowMaker.

3.22  How do I remove ALT+Mouse1 from the action Window Maker grabs for an application?

Do [Button3Down] (for righthanded mouse users, [RightButtonDown]) on the titlebar of the desired window. Choose ``Attributes...''. In the Attributes inspector, choose ``Advanced Options''. Check ``Don't Bind Mouse Clicks''. Apply or Save as desired, then close the Attributes inspector.

The result is that [Alt+Button1] (which usually grabs a window to move it around), [Alt+Button2] (which usually grabs a window to move it around without changing the window stacking order), and [Alt+Button3] (which usually resizes a window) all get passed to the application instead of performing their usual action.

3.23  How do I configure the Dock and Clip to use less space on a small screen?

This answer is current as of WindowMaker-0.61.1.

For the Clip, either:

(a) Disable the Clip from WPrefs (panel number 7), or
(b) Hide the Clip under the Dock (for example, in the upper righth and corner of the screen).

[b] is probably more useful on desktops with limited space, since you can still set the Clip to attract app-icons so they don't clutter your desktop.

For the Dock, try the following:

(1) Exit Window Maker.
(2) Log in via a text console or using a different window manager.
(3) Edit ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMState using your favorite text editor (for example, vi, emacs, or pico).
(4) Find the `Applications' part of the `Dock' structure. Find the item with `Position = "0,0";'. Change the `Command' item to the command you want the top tile to launch. Change the `Name' item to the "<instance>.<class>" name of the application you just made the Command item start (for example, if `Command' is `"xedit"', then `Name' should be `xedit.Xedit').
(5) Save the WMState file.
(6) Start an X session with Window Maker.
(7) Check that the top tile starts the command you told it to. (You should still also be able to move the Dock up and down using [LeftDrag] on the top tile.)
(8) You can configure the tile (including autolaunch and the drop-command) in the regular manner ([RightButtonDown] on the tile and choose `Settings...' from the resulting menu).

3.24  Why do dashes not work as menu entries?

If you wish to use a - as part of a menu item name, you must enclose the name in double quotes. This will only apply if you're editing the ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMRootMenu file manually, as it is handled properly within WPrefs.

This will work:

(ssh,
("us-gw", EXEC, "Eterm -e ssh us-gw"),

This will not:

(ssh,
(us-gw, EXEC, "Eterm -e ssh us-gw"),

Thanks to Martin Sillence for pointing this out.

 

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