The EWS FVWM-2 Tutorial
This introduction page is based on the FVWM2 resource files available in the EWS FVWM Tutorial.
A Brief Introduction to the FVWM2 desktop
FVWM2 is a friendly window environment that has multiple virtual desktops.
The advantages of the virtual desktops include reduced clutter on your monitor and what appears as a larger workspace.
FVWM2 also supports a button bar that allows common functions and software to be available on a single mouse click. The button bar also allows the user to "swallow" programs into the button bar, which lets common UNIX tools remain active while not eating up a lot of space on the desktop.
The standard FVWM2 Desktop will look something like the image below:
It contains (by default) several xterm windows and a button bar.
An xterm is simply a window with a command prompt.
Windows
Windows in FVWM2 all have the same frame. The window frame is defined in the .fvwm2rc file. EWS has a separate tutorial for creating your own .fvwm2rc file.
FVWM2 windows have "Autoraise", which means that if you put the mouse pointer into a window, after a few seconds the window will pop up on its own.
The window frame consists of the following elements:
- Title bar:
-
This displays the name of the window, which is generally the name of the program running in the window. To raise and lower the window, click the right mouse button over the window's title bar. Clicking the middle mouse button on the title bar will pop up a window operations menu.
- Window Operations Button:
-
Clicking on this button will pop up a menu of window operations.
- Sticky Window Button:
-
Clicking on this button will make the window "stick" to the screen. Sticky windows are discussed further in the Virtual Desktop section.
- Minimize button:
-
Clicking on this button will minimize your window into an icon. Xterm icons will appear in the top-right of the desktop. Program icons will appear in the bottom-right.
- Kill button:
-
Clicking on this button will "kill" (close) your window. All programs running within the window will be closed as well.
FVWM2 has a "virtual desktop" utility that splits the screen into up to 256 virtual desktops. The default EWS FVWM2 settings have 6 virtual desktops.
To see which desktop you're on, look at the "Desktop" display located on the button bar:
The "Desktop" display shows each of the desktops and the positions of windows within the desktops.
To switch around between desktops, hold down the Control (CTRL) key and press one of the arrow keys or click in the desired desktop in the "Desktop" display.
If you use more than one desktop, be sure to close programs in all of the desktops before logging out. A good way to check to see if there are any running programs is the Window List.
To make a window follow you around all of the desktops, make it "sticky" by clicking on the "Sticky Window" button on the window frame or by using the "(Un)Stick" option in the "Window Ops" menus.
Menus
Menus can be accessed by clicking mouse buttons on the desktop, or on windows themselves. Menus are "sticky" -- if you click and get a menu, and then let go of the mouse button, the menu will stay up.The main menu, shown below:
is accessed by clicking the right mouse button on the background, and has a variety of submenus and functions:
- Available Software:
-
This menu calls up frequently used EWS software. Calling software from the menu alleviates the necessity of calling software from xterms, allowing you to call up software in a virtual desktop that doesn't contain an xterm. If there is software you wish to use that is not on the software menu, post to the EWS newsgroup uiuc.org.ews, and EWS will try to accomodate your wishes if possible.
- New Window (xterm):
-
This menu allows you to open various sized xterm windows. The title of these xterms will be the name of the machine you're on.
- Telnet / Remote Login:
-
This menu allows you to remote login or telnet to a random machine in another EWS lab, the students cluster, or the Computer Science Instructional Labs (Computer Science Department). Remote login menu options will try your EWS username as a login, and telnet options will prompt you for a login.
- Some other functions:
-
- Printer Queue: Displays the local (default) printer queue on your screen. Only your jobs will be shown.
- Lock Screen: Locks your terminal. A public logout button will appear five minutes after running the lock function, and you will be automatically logged out thirty minutes after running the lock function.
- Refresh Screen: This one is self-explanatory.
- Restart:
-
This menu allows you to restart the window manager. It also allows you to temporarily change your window manager to FVWM95 or Motif (mwm).
- Utilities:
-
This menu allows you to load FVWM utilities, plus a few other functions. The "Window Ops" button displays the same menu as clicking the middle mouse button.
- Logout:
-
This menu allows you to either logout or restart your window manager.
Clicking the middle mouse button on the background or on a window frame calls up a "Window Operations" menu, shown below:
This menu allows you to perform various functions on any window on the desktop, regardless of where you clocked the middle mouse button.
The Window List
The window list, shown below:
displays the names of all windows on all of your virtual desktops. The last window you were in will be listed at the top of the Window List. To access a window, simply place the mouse cursor over the desired window, and click. The Window List is "sticky", so it is not necessary to hold down the mouse button.
To call the Window List, click the right mouse button on the background.
The FVWM2 Button Bar
allows quick access to the Virtual Desktops, the screen lock utility, opening an xterm, Netscape, and logging out. The Button Bar also has an analog clock and a load average display, as well as quick, easy access to the Students' Cluster. The Button Bar is "sticky."
Copyright © 1997 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Engineering Workstations
Last updated: Thu Oct 30 21:39:28 CST 1997