IceWM was the first window manager i ever used; It's very stable, it will
never let you down. It uses around 3 MB of RAM.
IceWM is fast, easy to use (point and click, keybinds) very configurable,
perfect for a Linux neophyte like me. My little box couldn't handle Windows'
monstrosity, so i broke my teeth with IceWM.
I went to http://www.icewm.org and read everything, at the time, it was
too deep for me
So i began to google and ask questions. The end result is my own configuration.
If you go to the icewm site icewm.org -> IceWM Manual you get all
the keybinds and mouse commands.
It comes by default with alt-tab to switch windows, alt-F10 to maximize,
alt-F9 to minimize, winkey + space bar will give a 'run box' at the taskbar
from where you can launch apps á la fbrun.
It's a very worthwile read, it will teach you how to lock your screen
(xtrlock), move a window to another workspace, screensavers, and so forth.
INSTALLATION
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# spi -u && spi -i icewm menumaker
Fluxbox (in Salix 14.1 Fluxbox). So lets create it:
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$ mmaker -v icewm <Enter>
Windows key + Delete + click on Restart icewm
**If you installed Salix in English: winkey + delete + r
If you installed in Spanish: winkey + delete + i
THEMES
To enable a theme: press the Windows key -> Settings -> Themes and click
on the one you want, it'll activate immediately. More on themes later on.
The default themes are pretty lame.
Pressing the Windows key (winkey) will give you the main menu.
By doing the same but choosing Focus you choose the type of your focusing.
I use 'Sloppy'. Now you are ready to use IceWM.
Congratulations! You're ready for prime time.
OTOH, If you feel "the need for speed", like to live on the wild side, get
in trouble, if you're a geek wannabe, or simply you are bored to tears with
the "Windows-eske" way of life, want to save time instead of screwing around
with the mouse, then KEYBINDINGS are for you.
There are many ways to configure Icewm, there are apps for that, but i prefer to
edit files from the terminal.
If you don't like to edit files, you're on the wrong bus. Get with the
program ASAP. Or Linux will eat you up
CREATING A DIRECTORY AND SOME DOT FILES
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$ mkdir -p .icewm
$ touch .icewm/preferences
$ touch .icewm/keys
$ touch .icewm/winoptions
$ touch .icewm/prefoverride
Press Enter after each one.
like and that fit my way of working and copy them to my preferences dot file
in my /home. Clear as mud? There should be an easier way
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# updatedb
$ slocate icewm
$ sudo nano /usr/share/icewm/preferences
the ones you like and paste them to your newly made dot file in your /home
( /.icewm/preferences), just copy the second line and put '1' OR '0' (zero).
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1 to enable
0 to disable
of Global Preferences, moving the Preferences you like to your /home takes
time the first time, which is why i keep mine in a 'icewm configuration'
folder in my web mail, after that, I copy/paste, it takes me 5 minutes to
config icewm.
For example, if i find something new i like, i copy it from the global
preferences file and add it to my .icewm/preferences like thus:
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# Use double-height task bar
# TaskBarDoubleHeight=0 # 0/1
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TaskBarDoubleHeight=1
Friggin riot, ain't it? Is it worthed it?
Yup.
So, let's not digress and do it:
$ nano .icewm/preferences
copy/paste this:
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OpaqueMove=0
OpaqueResize=0
SmartPlacement=1
MenuMouseTracking=1
ModSuperIsCtrlAlt=1
UseMouseWheel=1
QuickSwitch=1
AutoReloadMenus=1
ShowProgramsMenu=1
ShowThemesMenu=1
ShowHelp=1
TerminalCommand="lxterminal"
ShutdownCommand=""
RebootCommand=""
WorkspaceNames=" 1 ", " 2 "
TaskBarAutoHide=0
TaskBarShowClock=1
TaskBarShowAPMStatus=0
TaskBarAtTop=0
TaskBarShowAPMStatus=0
TaskBarShowAPMTime=0
TaskBarShowMailboxStatus=1
TaskBarShowWindows=1
TaskBarShowShowDesktopButton=0
TaskBarShowTray=1
TaskBarShowWindowIcons=0
TaskBarShowCPUStatus=1
TaskBarShowNetStatus=1
TaskBarShowCollapseButton=1
TaskBarWorkspacesLeft=1
TimeFormat="%R"
TaskBarShowShowDesktopButton=1
TaskBarShowWindowListMenu=1
TaskBarShowMailboxStatus=1
TaskBarMailboxStatusBeepOnNewMail=1
NormalTaskBarFontName="-*-sans-medium-r-*-*-*-100-*-*-*-*-*- *"
NormalTaskBarFontNameXft="sans-serif:size=10"
ActiveTaskBarFontName="-*-sans-r-*-*-*-100-*-*-*-*-*-*"
ActiveTaskBarFontNameXft="sans-serif:size=10"
HideTitleBarWhenMaximized=0
KEYBINDS
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$ nano .icewm/keys
Note: Super=Windows key
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key "F1" lxterminal
key "F2" xfe
key "F3" geany
key "Super+m" sylpheed
key "Super+f" firefox
key "F8" xchat
key "F9" libreoffice
key "Print" lxterminal -e scrot -cd 10
#Sound volume
key "Super+Down" amixer -q set PCM 6- unmute # lower volume
key "Super+Up" amixer -q set PCM 6+ unmute #increase volume
key "Super+0" amixer sset Master,0 toggle
You can use Control (Ctrl) or Alt (alt)
WINOPTIONS
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$ nano .icewm/winoptions
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lxterminal.startMaximized: 1
sylpheed.startMaximized: 1
xchat.startMaximized: 1
mirage.startMaximized: 1
firefox.startMaximized: 1
xfe.startMaximized: 1
geany.startMaximized: 1
As you can see I like my apps maximized
PREFOVERRIDE (changes a default option by one of yours)
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$ nano .icewm/prefoverride
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KeyWinClose="F4"
KeyWinMaximize="F12"
KeySysTileHorizontal="Super+F2"
KeySysTileVertical="Super+F3"
HOW DOES IT WORK
I close my apps with F4, boom! gone!
Maximize anything with one key F12 instead of the default Alt-F10
Split the screen horizontally for my translating = Super+F2
Vertically = Super+ F3
SOUND
For sound install 'flash-plugin' (for youtube, movies, etc)
Then:
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# alsactl init <press Enter>
Launch alsamixer in your terminal and adjust the volumes, press the M letter
to unmute,
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$ alsamixer <Enter>
then store it.
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# alsactl store <press Enter>
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reboot
Now you can increase the sound volume with the winkey plus the Up arrow.
The reverse with the winkey and Down arrow,
Mute the sound with winkey and the number 0 (zero), press the combo again
and the sound returns.
THEMES
Go to http://www.box-look.org and click on IceWM on the left column; you get about
20 pages of themes. Choose on your favorite, click on 'download', extract
it in the file /usr/share/icewm/themes, restart icewm and presto! it will
appear in the icewm main menu together with the other ones- click on it
and voilá!
I always forget how to extract it, so i use the xfe file manager.
I open xfe as ROOT, go to Downloads, click on it, choose the option: extract to
and on the next screen at the bottom, write the location: /usr/share/icewm/themes
and that's it. Restart icewm.
To eliminate the titlebar as long as it is maximized, enable this option
in your .icewm/preferences:
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HideTitleBarWhenMaximized=1
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TaskBarAtTop=1
The obligatory screenies:
https://dyp.im/Ml2xSXFjiJ
no titlebar-taskbar on top
https://dyp.im/A0c1qptp9f
regular look
Happy trails...
PD: If you want a leaner look put the taskbar in Autohide and restart IceWM
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TaskBarAutoHide=1