Page 1 of 1

HOWTO: My IceWM Configuration (verbose)

Posted: 31. Mar 2015, 20:04
by bobo
HOWTO: My IceWM Configuration (verbose)

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

Code: Select all

# spi -u && spi -i icewm menumaker
You'll notice icewm comes with no apps in the menu, unlike the default
Fluxbox (in Salix 14.1 Fluxbox). So lets create it:

Code: Select all

$ mmaker -v icewm <Enter>
For this to apply, you restart icewm:
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

Code: Select all

$ mkdir -p .icewm
$ touch .icewm/preferences
$ touch .icewm/keys
$ touch .icewm/winoptions
$ touch .icewm/prefoverride

Press Enter after each one.
Now i go to the global preferences (which CANNOT be edited) and copy the ones I
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 :D

Code: Select all

# updatedb
$ slocate icewm
$ sudo nano /usr/share/icewm/preferences
The file you want is /usr/share/icewm/preferences it's a huge file, choose
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).

Code: Select all

1 to enable
0 to disable
you can always go back and forth. It's a good thing to read the entire list
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:

Code: Select all

#  Use double-height task bar
# TaskBarDoubleHeight=0 # 0/1
and paste it, edit it, leave it looking like this if i want it to be enabled:

Code: Select all

TaskBarDoubleHeight=1
save/exit your editor and Restart icewm
Friggin riot, ain't it? Is it worthed it?
Yup.

So, let's not digress and do it:

$ nano .icewm/preferences

copy/paste this:

Code: Select all

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
save/exit

KEYBINDS

Code: Select all

$ nano .icewm/keys
paste this or similar according to the apps you use:
Note: Super=Windows key

Code: Select all

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
If you have use for your Fn keys, use Super + foo
You can use Control (Ctrl) or Alt (alt)

WINOPTIONS

Code: Select all

$ nano .icewm/winoptions

Code: Select all

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)

Code: Select all

$ nano .icewm/prefoverride

Code: Select all

KeyWinClose="F4"
KeyWinMaximize="F12"
KeySysTileHorizontal="Super+F2"
KeySysTileVertical="Super+F3"
copy/paste you know the drill.

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:

Code: Select all

# alsactl init <press Enter>

Launch alsamixer in your terminal and adjust the volumes, press the M letter
to unmute,

Code: Select all

$ alsamixer <Enter>

then store it.

Code: Select all

# alsactl store <press Enter>

Code: Select all

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:

Code: Select all

HideTitleBarWhenMaximized=1
To move the taskbar to the top enable this option:

Code: Select all

TaskBarAtTop=1
you still awake?

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

Code: Select all

TaskBarAutoHide=1

Re: HOWTO: My IceWM Configuration (verbose)

Posted: 1. Apr 2015, 12:44
by JWJones
Excellent tutorial, thanks! I've actually been using icewm some lately, so this comes in handy.

Re: HOWTO: My IceWM Configuration (verbose)

Posted: 1. Apr 2015, 12:59
by bobo
You're welcome!

Re: HOWTO: My IceWM Configuration (verbose)

Posted: 1. Apr 2015, 16:11
by rokytnji
Nice from me also. Thanks for taking the time to write it up. :)
I like running Icewm myself.

http://www.imagebam.com/image/a4eda1399845936

http://www.imagebam.com/image/d42087399845932

Re: HOWTO: My IceWM Configuration (verbose)

Posted: 1. Apr 2015, 18:40
by bobo
Nice... good themes!

Re: HOWTO: My IceWM Configuration (verbose)

Posted: 3. Apr 2015, 08:59
by coroner
How about this Unofficial icewm fork https://github.com/bbidulock/icewm? Someone used it?

Re: HOWTO: My IceWM Configuration (verbose)

Posted: 3. Apr 2015, 09:00
by ibka
I use IceWM to on older computers.

Some screenshot from my IceWM testing computer http://linux.ingk.se/#!album-18

Re: HOWTO: My IceWM Configuration (verbose)

Posted: 3. Apr 2015, 14:28
by bobo
@coroner: never heard of it...I've heard of IceWM Experimental, though.

@ibka: nice themes, i use icewm with all kinds of computers, new and old.
Especially new, it flies...

I'm surprised a lot of people use Icewm, all in all with this Openbox trend.

screenshot
https://dyp.im/8TqAHqqJGk