We'll begin talking about manual configuration, for it's very simple and
most of the times it won't take a config tool to make changes in the
simple config files that ICEWM uses.
All the config files are placed in the same directory (.icewm) in our
HOME. Most usual files and directories inside $HOME/.icewm are:
menu -> Unfoldable menu file configuration.
preferences -> General ICEWM configuration.
toolbar -> Taskbar applications.
winoptions -> Options for program's windows.
keys -> Key shortcuts to launch applications.
icons/ -> Directory to hold ICEWM icons.
themes/ -> Directory to hold new themes.
wallpapers/ -> Directorio to hold wallpapers.
We can create the .icewm directory by hand and create the config files
from scratch, or (more recommended) create the directory and copy the
sample config files that come for default with ICEWM (in
/usr/lib/X11/icewm/ or /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/icewm/, depending on our linux
distribution) to our directory, so we can count on some templates or
default files:
cd
mkdir .icewm
cd .icewm
cp /usr/lib/X11/icewm/* -R .
Like this we can simply edit and modify the existing files. Later we'll
see how each of these files works and in which different ways they can be modified. It's a remarkable fact that we don't need to restart the X server everytime we make a change in the configuration. All we need is to go to the ICEWM main menu and select LogOut -> Restart ICEWM for the changes to take place. We can also press CTRL+ALT+SUPR (this doesn't reboot the box but brings up a special ICEWM menu) and select RESTART in that menu.
keys file
The keys config file inside .icewm directory allows you to especify
shortcuts to applications in such a way that you can launch those that
you use more often straight from the keyboard without having to look for
them in the menus.
Let's see an example for the keys file:
key "Alt+Ctrl+t" wterm -bg black -fg gray -sr -fn 7x13 -g 80x25
key "Alt+Ctrl+n" netscape -noraise -remote openBrowser
key "Alt+Ctrl+m" wterm -g 84x40+135+40 -sr -bg black -fg gray -fn 9x15 -e mutt
key "Alt+Ctrl+s" wterm -g 84x40+135+40 -sr -bg black -fg gray -fn 9x15 -e slrn -n
key "Alt+Ctrl+x" xchat
key "Alt+Ctrl+g" gkrellm
key "Alt+Ctrl+l" lyx
With the previous file (and after restarting ICEWM with menu's option
Logout -> Restart ICEWM if we just modified it, so it can reload the
file changes without restarting the X Server), when we wish to launch a
xterm we just will have to press CTRL+ALT+t, for instance.
winoptions file
The winoptions file is very interesting. For editing it we can:
- Tell an application to pop up just in a concrete virtual desktop.
For example, that when we launch netscape (either with our keyboard o
trough the menus, or through any other program), it will open in the
second virtual desktop so it doesn't cover our already there windows on
desktop number one.
- Tell ICEWM that we don't want a concrete open application to appear
in the taskbar, or that we don't want the ALT+TAB combination to be able
to catch it (for example, for applications such as CD players that we
have always with the Always On Top option set, and we don't need at all
their entry in the taskbar).
- Define certain applications' behaviour (maximizable or not,
minimizable or not, etc.).
Let's see a winoptions config file example:
xchat.workspace: 0
Netscape.workspace: 1
xterm.icon: xterm
Gimp.toolbox.fMaximize: 0
Gimp.toolbox.dMaximize: 0
Gimp.toolbox.fResize: 0
Gimp.toolbox.dResize: 0
gkrellm.ignoreWinList: 1
gkrellm.ignoreTaskBar: 1
gkrellm.ignoreQuickSwitch: 1
gkrellm.workspace: 0
alarmd.ignoreWinList: 1
alarmd.ignoreTaskBar: 1
alarmd.ignoreQuickSwitch: 1
alarmd.workspace: 3
korganizer.workspace: 3
lyx.workspace: 2
soffice.workspace: 3
With the previous commands we tell ICEWM (among other things) that we
want netscape to be open always on workspace1, Lyx on 2, StarOffice on
3, and that we don't want gkrellm to be on the taskbar or be accessible
through the ALT+TAB key combination.
toolbar file
The toolbar file shows the shortcuts to the applications that appear in
the Icewm taskbar. For example:
prog WTerm xterm wterm -fg gray -bg black -fn 7x13 -sr -g 80x25
prog KWrite kwrite kwrite
prog Mutt kmail wterm -g 84x40+115+40 -bg black -fg gray -fn 9x15 -e mutt
prog Slrn kmail wterm -g 84x40+115+40 -bg black -fg gray -fn 9x15 -e slrn -n
prog Netscape netscape netscape
prog XChat commandl xchat
File format is:
prog NOMBRE file_icon command
First line in our previous config file associates the wterm program
with the icon xterm (in .icewm/icons/ , in xpm format, the file
xterm_16x16.xpm), and whose associated command when we click on it is
all the whole rest of the line (that means that will launch wterm with
its concrete colour and font options).
menu file
The menu file shows the different application entries that we'll find
in the ICEWM taskbar when we press on the button that lies on the left
side of the taskbar (like the Start button in other O.S.).
This file's format is similar to toolbar's, except for the fact that
we can add separators plus create new menu entries. As an example:
prog WTerm xterm wterm -fg gray -bg black -fn 7x13 -sr -g 80x25
prog Netscape netscape netscape
prog Xchat xisp xchat
prog XNetload xterm xnetload -i ppp0
separator
menu Aplicaciones folder {
menu Editores folder {
prog kwrite kwrite kwrite
prog joe joe xterm -e joe
prog StarOffice pdf /opt/Office52/program/soffice
prog LyX lyx lyx
}
menu Graficos folder {
prog Gimp gimp gimp
prog XV xv xv
prog XPaint xpaint xpaint
}
prog StarOffice pdf soffice
prog "Acrobat Reader" pdf acroread
prog "PDF Viewer" pdf xpdf
prog "KGhostview" ghostview kghostview
}
menu Juegos folder {
prog kmahjongg kmahjongg kmahjongg
prog XBill xbill xbill
}
menu Internet folder {
prog "Netscape Navigator" netscape netscape
prog Lynx lynx xterm -e lynx
prog KvIRC kvirc kvirc
prog xchat xchat xchat
prog "Netscape Messenger" netscape netscape -messenger
}
menu Sistema folder {
prog "Control Panel" redhat control-panel
prog xload xload xload
prog xosview xosview xosview
prog xnetload xnetload xnetload ppp0
}
separator
prog IcePref xterm icepref
prog KIceMenu xterm kicemenu
As you can see, this file is formed by prog lines with the same format
as in toolbar file, and with some extra options like separator (line
separator between options) and menu, that allows you to add a new menu
entry (a submenu) inserting new programs between { and } simbols.
Notice that we can put long names for programs if we put them between
double qoutes, and that if one of the applications we add is not present
in the system, this option won't show up when we enter the menu, no
matter if we typed it into the file. This permits you to insert lines
for a bunch of programs (though we don't have them installed yet) so
they will go popping up as soon as they are installed or
uninstalled.
preferences file
The last of the config files to be considered is the most extense and it
contains all the general icewm options, as for example the desktop
colour or wallpaper, window behaviours, clock format, number of virtual
desktops, if we want icewm to notice us on new mail arrival and tell us
how many new messages we've got, if we want a CPU meter or a net meter
or ppp meter to be present at the tastkbar, the default theme, etc.
Let's see some of the options in .icewm/preferences, just as an example:
#--- File begins with window options: ---
# Focus windows by clicking
ClickToFocus=1 # 0 / 1
# Raise windows when focused
RaiseOnFocus=1 # 0 / 1
# Focus window when client area clicked
FocusOnClickClient=1 # 0 / 1
# etc. etc. etc.
#--- There are also taskbar options to be modified: ---
#--- There are dozens of options, we'll see just a few of them ---
# Show task bar
ShowTaskBar=1 # 0 / 1
# Task bar at top of the screen
TaskBarAtTop=0 # 0 / 1
# Auto hide task bar after delay
TaskBarAutoHide=0 # 0 / 1
#--- Other interesting options are the ones that regard commands: here ---
#--- we choose which commands to execute when we press the ---
#--- shutdown or reboot buttons in the CTRL ALT SUPR menu, for example---
# Command to cancel logout
LogoutCancelCommand=""
# Command to shut down the system
ShutdownCommand="sudo shutdown -h now"
# Command to reboot the system
RebootCommand="sudo shutdown -r now"
# Command to run when CPU status monitor is clicked
CPUStatusCommand="xosview"
There is a bigger amount of options, and all of them are described in
the file itself. We'll just need to modify those we need and restart ICEWM
with the restart option for the changes to be effective.
Previous: General ICEWM characteristics
Next: ICEWM configuration using external tools
Page created by the ICEWM-addicts Santiago Romero,
Javier Malonda, flytrap and Jose A. Calvo .
-compiler@escomposlinux.org