The EWS FVWM-95 Tutorial
This introduction page is based on the FVWM95 resource files available in the EWS FVWM Tutorial.
A Brief Introduction to the FVWM95 desktop
FVWM95 is a friendly window environment that has multiple virtual desktops. FVWM95 has the look and feel of Microsoft Windows '95 (Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, and Windows '95 are trademarked (TM) by Microsoft Corporation; Windows '95 is copyright © 1981-1995 by Microsoft Corporation; Windows NT is copyright © 1985-1996 by Microsoft Corporation).
The advantages of the virtual desktops include reduced clutter on your monitor and what appears as a larger workspace.
FVWM95 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 FVWM95 Desktop will look something like the image below:
It contains (by default) one xterm window, a button bar, and a taskbar.
An xterm is simply a window with a command prompt.
Windows
Windows in FVWM95 all have the same frame. The window frame is defined in the .fvwm95rc file. EWS has a separate tutorial for creating your own .fvwm95rc file.
The window frame consists of the following elements:
- Title bar:
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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:
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Clicking on this button will pop up a menu of window operations.
- Minimize button:
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Clicking on this button will minimize your window into an icon. Minimized windows appear on the taskbar. If you cannot find your minimized program on the taskbar, try the Window List.
- Maximize button:
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Clicking on this button will maximize the window leaving room for the Button Bar. Double-clicking on this button will maximize the window to fill up the entire screen. Holding down the button stretch out your window vertically (eg -- make the window taller).
- Kill button:
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Clicking on this button will "kill" (close) your window. All programs running within the window will be closed as well.
FVWM95 has a "virtual desktop" utility that splits the screen into up to 256 virtual desktops. The default EWS FVWM95 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 current menu item (the one the mouse pointer is on) will be highlighted in white.The main menu, or Start menu, shown below:
is accessed by clicking any mouse button on the Start button (Windows '95 and Windows NT users will find this feature familar and cozy) on the taskbar, and has a variety of submenus and functions:
- Available Software:
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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):
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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.
- Remote Login/Telnet:
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These menus allow you to telnet or remote login to a machine in another EWS lab, the students cluster, or the Computer Science Instructional Labs (Computer Science Department).
- Some other functions:
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- 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:
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This menu allows you to restart the window manager. It also allows you to temporarily change your window manager to FVWM2 or Motif (mwm).
- Utilities:
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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:
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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.
Finally, FVWM95 on EWS has a "Quick Reference" menu:
which is accessed by clicking the left mouse button on the background. This menu has some of the more useful functions from the Start menu.
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.
Most of the items on the Window List are accessible from the taskbar as well.
The FVWM95 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. The Button Bar is "sticky."
The FVWM95 Taskbar: (shown broken)
allows quick access to most running programs. Clicking on an icon in the taskbar will move you to the virtual desktop that holds the listed program, and put that program's window into focus. The taskbar has a digital clock set to the same time as the analog clock in the button bar.
NOTE: Not all running programs appear on the Taskbar. If a program does not appear on the taskbar, check the Window List. If you want the program to appear on the taskbar, post to the EWS newsgroup uiuc.org.ews and we will try to accomodate you.
Copyright © 1997 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Engineering Workstations
Last updated: Mon Dec 8 00:22:55 CST 1997