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Yeah, been a while, and instead of a 'what's been going on' post, we're doing one about my new project, FVWM or F*** Virtual Window Manager, where the F stands for whatever you want it to stand for. I'll go with funk because...
So what is it?
Weird, funky, odd... ummm, dunno. Typically the difference between a WM and a DE (Desktop Environment) is text based versus mouse based, but FVWM is one of those that blurs that distinction, much like Enlightenment, which as it happens is a fork of it. Most customization is via a config file, although I need to see if there are any tools that work with it to make things easier when it comes to customizing.
But, let's start at the beginning. I was watching a YouTube video, and thought this distro sounded interesting, even if it is at this point abandoned. So, like the person who created the video, I installed Manjaro I3, a very light tiling Window Manager distro, then added FVWM. At the log in screen, before I type my password, I select FVWM, and boom, I'm in.
So, problem one was that I couldn't download any software for the computer, nor could I access preferences on PaMac. The problem was obvious and one I've seen before, it wasn't asking for my password, but what does that mean? Well, a quick question on the Manjaro forum and I got my answer, PolKit or Policy Kit wasn't running. That's the software that manages access to keep a regular user from for example, messing with stuff only an administrator should be playing with. So, I found out what PolKit I3 has installed and where it was, and manually started. Boom, problem solved.
So, we downloaded Chromium as a test, then restarted FVWM. That doesn't mean I rebooted the computer, only the window manager, that way it would generate a new menu and add Chromium to it. Not really uncommon, both Open Box and JWM require this IIRC, but FVWM actually offers another option, the ability to regenerate the menu, but I didn't want to use this. Why? Because it allowed me to test something important, whether or not PolKit would remain running. This is important because FVWM offers to options for start up items in the config file, initial ie first start, or... forget the other name, but launched every time FVWM does. Since it stayed working, obviously I want to put it in the initial group.
So, that was good. That test was done by trying to install Discord Canary, which failed for the usual reason, PGP key problem with Libc++, one of Discord's dependencies. It was after that that I ran into a new problem, apparently right now I don't have a clipboard as I'll have to add that program to the auto start list. Now I just gotta figure out what the clipboard program in I3 is... On XFCE that'd be easy, but on I3, not so much.
Well, bit by bit I'll get it sorted out, and I might even create my own Manjaro community edition, or a cousin like Kibo Joe which won't be piggybacking onto I3. Or I might do a BSPWM/FVWM spin, not sure. The current BSPWM maintainer offers a version that includes Mate to give a full point and click interface, so maybe work with him to to a version using FVWM.
So what is it?
Weird, funky, odd... ummm, dunno. Typically the difference between a WM and a DE (Desktop Environment) is text based versus mouse based, but FVWM is one of those that blurs that distinction, much like Enlightenment, which as it happens is a fork of it. Most customization is via a config file, although I need to see if there are any tools that work with it to make things easier when it comes to customizing.
But, let's start at the beginning. I was watching a YouTube video, and thought this distro sounded interesting, even if it is at this point abandoned. So, like the person who created the video, I installed Manjaro I3, a very light tiling Window Manager distro, then added FVWM. At the log in screen, before I type my password, I select FVWM, and boom, I'm in.
So, problem one was that I couldn't download any software for the computer, nor could I access preferences on PaMac. The problem was obvious and one I've seen before, it wasn't asking for my password, but what does that mean? Well, a quick question on the Manjaro forum and I got my answer, PolKit or Policy Kit wasn't running. That's the software that manages access to keep a regular user from for example, messing with stuff only an administrator should be playing with. So, I found out what PolKit I3 has installed and where it was, and manually started. Boom, problem solved.
So, we downloaded Chromium as a test, then restarted FVWM. That doesn't mean I rebooted the computer, only the window manager, that way it would generate a new menu and add Chromium to it. Not really uncommon, both Open Box and JWM require this IIRC, but FVWM actually offers another option, the ability to regenerate the menu, but I didn't want to use this. Why? Because it allowed me to test something important, whether or not PolKit would remain running. This is important because FVWM offers to options for start up items in the config file, initial ie first start, or... forget the other name, but launched every time FVWM does. Since it stayed working, obviously I want to put it in the initial group.
So, that was good. That test was done by trying to install Discord Canary, which failed for the usual reason, PGP key problem with Libc++, one of Discord's dependencies. It was after that that I ran into a new problem, apparently right now I don't have a clipboard as I'll have to add that program to the auto start list. Now I just gotta figure out what the clipboard program in I3 is... On XFCE that'd be easy, but on I3, not so much.
Well, bit by bit I'll get it sorted out, and I might even create my own Manjaro community edition, or a cousin like Kibo Joe which won't be piggybacking onto I3. Or I might do a BSPWM/FVWM spin, not sure. The current BSPWM maintainer offers a version that includes Mate to give a full point and click interface, so maybe work with him to to a version using FVWM.
