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  • From: Sindi Keesan <keesan AT iamjlamb.com>
  • To: baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [BL] BL3 and window managers
  • Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 15:56:02 -0500 (EST)

On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 3aoo-cvfd AT dea.spamcon.org wrote:

> Sindi Keesan wrote:

> > Use the calculator.
>
> Will ratpoison help you do that?
I won't know until I try it. Some graphical calculators let you type
in numbers, but since there is no way to get the focus (? - X) onto
thisone without a mouse, I can't try that.
>
> However, the menu is not the issue. If it doesn't do
> what you want, remove it (~/.xinitrc). Just start all
> your applications in ~/.xinitrc (fullscreen) and use
> ALT-TAB to page between them.


I don't understand what you are saying here. How do I start an
application in ~/.xinitrc? Do I need to edit .xinitrc every time I want
to start an application? There was some way to start applications
directly without editing .xinitrc - can you tell me how? startx -e
application & ....? I had it working once in BL2, with Opera,but Opera
gets unhappy without a wm.


> > Run more than one program in a row from the menu - you
> > exit the one program and lose the menu. Even editing
> > the menu loses the menu.
>
> As I said before, to stop the menu disappearing, remove
> the -popup parameter from:
> --------------------------
> exec MENU -popup -teleport
> --------------------------

Thanks, will try this. What is -teleport?

>
> > e3pi behaves differently when editing the menu - why?
> > It has a cursor, and when you hit Ctrl-X you lose rxvt.
>
> Why would you expect rxvt to remain? You called e3pi:
> e3pi starts, e3pi ends. The fact that e3pi runs in an
> xterm window doesn't change that.
>
> > If you run e3pi from the menu/xterm,

I hit the Enter key to get rxvt (xterm). I get an rxvt window. I type
e3pi test. The X isin that window so I can use it (without a mouse). I
can type, backspace and delete (after loading my own xmodmap for 84-key
keyboard), but there is no cursor. I type Ctrl-X, n and e3pi goes away,
rxvt window remains. When I telnet from an rxvt window, pico (in pine) at
the other end also has no cursor. lynx and links work properly (I get a
cursor in the little box for entering URLs in links and whentyping forms
in lynx).

>
> I don't understand what you mean? Do you mean start rxvt
> and then start e3pi from inside that window?
Yes. I have no cursor when I telnet and use pico from rxvt window, or
when I use e3pi in that rxvt window.

>
> > no cursor,
>
> I have a cursor (a little black square). No problem.
> Perhaps you should give a step-by-step for losing the cursor?

> > and Ctrl-X exits e3pi but not the rxvt.
>
> Because you started e3pi from a running xterm. When you
> exit e3pi, you return to where you were.
>
> > Alt-Tab to switch between windows is not very usefu when
> > you can only run one program at a time,
>
> Who said you can only run one program at a time????

How do I run two programs in X without using a mouse?
Maybe it will be easier once I remove -popup.

> > replacing the window manager if I can compile ratpoison.
>
> A waste of time IMHO. Tweaking swm to do what you want is
> *much* easier than trying to get ratpoison to run.

I will try making rxvt full-screen. Might need help.
I had ratpoison running fine with BL2, but I don't know how to compile it
for BL3.

>
> > Would the full-screen window in ratpoison use the regular
> > console fonts for console programs, rather than X fonts?
>
> I doubt it. In what respect is a full-screen window in
> ratpoison superior to a full-screen window in swm?

I think ratpoison was using the regular console fonts - maybe not.
I wasted a lot of time experimenting with different X fonts that would
work with kermit/pine/lynx - I need bold fonts for pine and lynx.
Lynx won't show images in console mode in BL3, it needs X for that (xli).
BL3 does not have the bold fonts needed for pine/lynx in X.

> > There are no colored strips or scroll bars in ratpoison.
>
> Is that a good thing or a bad thing? You might think a
> scroll bar is useless without a mouse; however, it does
> show you how full the scrollbuffer is and where you are
> within the scrollbuffer. BTW it is easy to make the
> scrollbuffer bigger/smaller.

Scroll bar uses space that could be used for another 2 column s
of text.

If I make the font smaller I can't read it easily. If imake it bigger
I lose the ends of lines at my bbs. I end up using linux Kermit in console
mode instead and don't have any scroll buffer.

Most of the time I dial with DOS kermit instead, which has a scroll buffer
and uses VGA screen fonts (or Hercules).

> > I am hoping for something that still provides a scroll
> > buffer (for use with Kermit).
>
> That is provided by rxvt, not by the wm.
Would ratpoison also use rxvt?

I will experiment with -popup and larger rxvt tomorrow.

Unfortuantely ratpoison is only working on the first linux computer which
is not where I am living right now - can't get it working on the one here.
It might turn out not to be any help with Kermit anyway if it uses X
fonts.

Sindi





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