Introduction
With the very soon upcoming new release of OpenBSD I wanted to take a close look to the two default window managers contained in the base system: fvwm 2.2.5 and cwm.
As far as I know the very old version (from 2001) of fvwm2 is contained, because the license was changed to GPL2 in versions afterwards.
I really like the retro look and feel of fvwm and so I thought I would try configuring it.
It is important to only refer to the default .fvwmrc file in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fvwm/.fvwmrc and of course to the manpages.
See apropos fvwm.
If you try with google you will find a lot of examples that will not work, because they are for fvwm3 only or for later versions of fvwm2.
For the run command in the menu I use rofi.
I will also show my cwm config file in another post.
Screenshot
The .fvwmrc file below produces the following look and feel:
My .fvwmrc
#################################################################
#
# A configuration file for FVWM.
#
#################################################################
IconPath /usr/X11R6/include/X11/bitmaps
ModulePath /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fvwm
PixmapPath /usr/X11R6/include/X11/pixmaps
MenuStyle * ActiveFore white, HilightBack mediumorchid3, Foreground white, SideColor mediumorchid3, SidePic /home/mw/side.fvwm2.xpm, Background gray45, Font "-misc-spleen-medium-r-normal--24-240-72-72-c-120-iso10646-1"
MenuStyle NoSides ActiveFore white, HilightBack mediumorchid3, Foreground white, Background gray45, Font "-misc-spleen-medium-r-normal--24-240-72-72-c-120-iso10646-1"
# initialize functions for starting FvwmButtons and restarting them
# these are executed at startup and at restart of fvwm buttons
DestroyFunc StartFunction
AddToFunc StartFunction
+ "I" Module FvwmButtons Panel1
+ "I" Module FvwmButtons Panel2
+ "I" Module FvwmButtons Panel3
+ "I" Module FvwmIconMan
+ "I" Module FvwmBacker
*FvwmIconMan*Resolution global
*FvwmIconMan*background gray45
*FvwmIconMan*foreground white
*FvwmIconMan*font 20x13
*FvwmIconMan*1*managergeometry 1x0+0+230
*FvwmIconMan*1*buttongeometry 330x30
*FvwmIconMan*1*title ""
*FvwmIconMan*action Mouse 1 N sendcommand Iconify
*FvwmIconMan*action Mouse 2 N sendcommand WarpToWindow
*FvwmIconMan*action Mouse 3 N sendcommand WarpToWindow
# properties of the buttons
*Panel1Fore Black
*Panel1Back gray45
*Panel1Font -misc-spleen-medium-r-normal--24-240-72-72-c-120-iso10646-1
*Panel1Geometry 330x230+0+0
*Panel1Rows 1
# define the programs executed by the buttons
*Panel1(Swallow(UseOld) "FvwmPager" "Module FvwmPager 0 3")
*FvwmPagerGeometry 330x230+0+0
*FvwmPagerFont none
*FvwmPagerSmallFont -misc-spleen-medium-r-normal--24-240-72-72-c-120-iso10646-1
*FvwmPagerLabel 0 Eins
*FvwmPagerLabel 1 Zwei
*FvwmPagerLabel 2 Drei
*FvwmPagerLabel 3 Vier
*FvwmPagerDeskColor 0 gray25
*FvwmPagerDeskColor 1 gray25
*FvwmPagerDeskColor 2 gray25
*FvwmPagerDeskColor 3 gray25
#*FvwmPagerBack gray45
*FvwmPagerFore mediumorchid3
*FvwmPagerHilight gray45
*FvwmPagerRows 2
*FvwmPagerColumns 2
# Panel2
# properties of the buttons
*Panel2Fore Black
*Panel2Back gray45
*Panel2Font -misc-spleen-medium-r-normal--24-240-72-72-c-120-iso10646-1
*Panel2Geometry 320x80+0-0
*Panel2Rows 1
# define the programs executed by the buttons
*Panel2(Swallow XClock 'Exec exec xclock -hl white -hd white -padding 0 -fg white -bg gray45')
*Panel2(Swallow XBiff 'Exec exec xbiff -fg white -bg gray45')
*Panel2(Swallow(UseOld,NoKill) "xload" `Exec exec xload -title xload -fg white -bg gray45 -update 3 -nolabel`)
*Panel2(Swallow swallow 'Exec exec xterm -fa \'spleen\' -fs 16 -title swallow +sb -fg white -bg gray45 -e "tput civis; while true; do echo ; /home/mw/cputemp | perl -pe chomp; echo ; /home/mw/mem | perl -pe chomp; sleep 5; clear; done"')
# Panel3
# properties of the buttons
*Panel3Fore Black
*Panel3Back gray45
*Panel3Font -misc-spleen-medium-r-normal--24-240-72-72-c-120-iso10646-1
*Panel3Geometry 480x80+1040-0
*Panel3Rows 1
# define the programs executed by the buttons
*Panel3(Icon xterm.xpm, Action(Mouse 1) Exec exec xterm -title "imac Session" -geometry 170x45 -e "tmux new -A -s imac")
*Panel3(Icon word_processor.xpm, Action(Mouse 1) Exec exec libreoffice --writer)
*Panel3(Icon xpaint.xpm, Action(Mouse 1) Exec exec gimp-3.0)
*Panel3(Icon mail1.xpm, Action(Mouse 1) Exec exec claws-mail)
*Panel3(Icon Monitor.xpm, Action(Mouse 1) Exec exec thunar)
*Panel3(Icon /home/mw/Downloads/netscape.xpm, Action(Mouse 1) Exec exec ungoogled-chromium)
# Panel4
# properties of the buttons
#*Panel4Fore Black
#*Panel4Back gray45
#*Panel4Font -misc-spleen-medium-r-normal--24-240-72-72-c-120-iso10646-1
#*Panel4Geometry 140x70+0-0
#*Panel4Rows 1
#*Panel4(Icon fvwm2.xpm, Action(Mouse 0) Menu CommandMenu Root +0 +73)
# mouse menus
#
# mouse menus defined here. the menus are attached to the mouse buttons later
# this is the command menu for the left mouse button
DestroyMenu CommandMenu
AddToMenu CommandMenu "" Title
+ "Run..." Exec exec rofi -show drun -display-drun ""
+ "" Nop
+ "Tmux%mini.xterm.xpm%" Exec exec xterm -title "imac Session" -geometry 170x45 -e "tmux new -A -s imac"
+ "Xterm%mini.xterm.xpm%" Exec exec xterm -geometry 70x40
+ "Thunar%mini.directory.xpm%" Exec exec thunar
+ "Chromium%mini.netscape.xpm%" Exec exec ungoogled-chromium
+ "Claws Mail%mini.letter.xpm%" Exec exec claws-mail
+ "" Nop
+ "Applications" Popup AppMenu
+ "" Nop
+ "Top" Exec exec xterm -geometry 80x40 -e top
+ "Systat" Exec exec xterm -geometry 80x40 -e systat
+ "Volume%mini.audiovol.xpm%" Popup VolumeMenu
+ "" Nop
#+ "Start cwm" Restart cwm
#+ "Hibernate (ZZZ)" FvwmForm HibernateVerify
#+ "Suspend (zzz)" FvwmForm SuspendVerify
+ "System" Popup HaltMenu
+ "" Nop
+ "Lock Screen%mini.xlock.xpm%" Exec exec xlock
+ "Logout%mini.exit.xpm%" FvwmForm QuitVerify
DestroyMenu HaltMenu
AddToMenu HaltMenu "" Title
+ "Restart fvwm" Restart fvwm
+ "Reboot" FvwmForm RebootVerify
+ "Shutdown" FvwmForm ShutdownVerify
DestroyMenu AppMenu
AddToMenu AppMenu "" Title
+ "Netsurf%mini.netscape.xpm%" Exec exec netsurf-gtk3
+ "Lagrange%mini.netscape.xpm%" Exec exec lagrange
+ "Neomutt%mini.letter.xpm%" Exec exec xterm -e neomutt
+ "Skanlite" Exec exec skanlite
+ "Vlc" Exec exec vlc
+ "Gimp%mini.xpaint.xpm%" Exec exec gimp-3.0
+ "Libreoffice Writer" Exec exec libreoffice --writer
+ "Calculator" Exec exec xcalc
# window operations for the centre mouse button
DestroyMenu Global-Window-Ops
AddToMenu Global-Window-Ops "" Title
+ "Move" Move-or-Raise2
+ "Resize" Resize-or-Raise2
+ "Raise" Raise
+ "Lower" Lower
+ "(De)Iconify" Iconify
+ "(Un)Stick" Stick
+ "(Un)Maximize" maximize_func
+ "" Nop
+ "Delete" Delete
+ "Close" Close
+ "Destroy" Destroy
+ "" Nop
+ "Refresh Screen" Refresh
# window ops for the top left of every window
DestroyMenu Window-Ops
AddToMenu Window-Ops "Move" Move-or-Raise
+ "Resize" Resize-or-Raise
+ "Raise/Lower" RaiseLower
+ "Iconify" Iconify
+ "(Un)Stick" Stick
+ "" Nop
+ "Delete" Delete
+ "Close" Close
+ "Destroy" Destroy
# sub-menu for the command menu
DestroyMenu VolumeMenu
AddToMenu VolumeMenu "" Title
+ "Volume 100%%" exec sndioctl -q output.level=1
+ "Volume 90%%" exec sndioctl -q output.level=0.9
+ "Volume 80%%" exec sndioctl -q output.level=0.8
+ "Volume 70%%" exec sndioctl -q output.level=0.7
+ "Volume 60%%" exec sndioctl -q output.level=0.6
+ "Volume 50%%" exec sndioctl -q output.level=0.5
+ "Volume 40%%" exec sndioctl -q output.level=0.4
+ "Volume 30%%" exec sndioctl -q output.level=0.3
+ "Volume 20%%" exec sndioctl -q output.level=0.2
+ "Volume 10%%" exec sndioctl -q output.level=0.1
+ "Volume 0%%" exec sndioctl -q output.level=0
ChangeMenuStyle NoSides AppMenu VolumeMenu HaltMenu
############################################################################
# menus and mouse actions
#
# these are attached to mouse actions later
# this is for the titlebar. double-click to maximise / minimise
DestroyFunc Move-or-Raise
AddToFunc Move-or-Raise
+ "I" Raise
+ "M" Move
+ "D" Maximize
DestroyFunc Move-or-Raise2
AddToFunc Move-or-Raise2
+ "M" Raise
+ "M" Move
+ "D" Lower
DestroyFunc Maximize-Func
AddToFunc Maximize-Func
+ "C" Maximize 100 100
DestroyFunc Maximize-Func2
AddToFunc Maximize-Func2
+ "I" Current Maximize 100 100
DestroyFunc Move-or-Iconify
AddToFunc Move-or-Iconify
+ "I" Raise
+ "M" Move
+ "D" Iconify
DestroyFunc Resize-or-Raise
AddToFunc Resize-or-Raise
+ "I" Raise
+ "M" Resize
+ "D" Lower
DestroyFunc Resize-or-Raise2
AddToFunc Resize-or-Raise2
+ "M" Raise
+ "M" Resize
+ "D" Lower
DestroyFunc Iconify-and-Raise
AddToFunc Iconify-and-Raise
+ "I" Iconify
+ "I" Raise
############################################################################
# mouse actions, depending on location
#
# root window:
# - left mouse button brings up the command menu
# - centre mouse button is the window operations list
# - right mouse button is a window list
# Button Context Modifi Function
Mouse 1 R A Menu CommandMenu Nop
Mouse 2 R A Menu Global-Window-Ops Nop
Mouse 3 R A WindowList
# title bar buttons
# left is menu, right is minimise, maximise, close
# Button Context Modifi Function
Mouse 0 1 A Menu Window-Ops Close
Mouse 0 2 A Close
Mouse 0 4 A Maximize-Func
Mouse 0 6 A Iconify
# button 1 in frame or sides is a resize-or-raise, in icons is a move or
# de-iconify, and on top does a move-or-raise
# Button Context Modifi Function
Mouse 1 FS A Resize-or-Raise
Mouse 1 I A Move-or-Iconify
Mouse 1 T A Move-or-Raise
# button 2 in an icon is de-iconify, in Corners/Sides/Titlebar gets Ops Menu
# Button Context Modifi Function
#Mouse 2 I A Iconify
Mouse 2 FST A Menu Window-Ops Nop
# Button 3 does a raise-lower on anything
#Mouse 3 TSIF A RaiseLower
############################################################################
# "are you sure?" for hibernate, suspend, logout, reboot, and shutdown
*HibernateVerifyGrabServer
*HibernateVerifyWarpPointer
*HibernateVerifyCommand Beep
*HibernateVerifyLine center
*HibernateVerifyText "Do you really want to hibernate?"
*HibernateVerifyLine expand
*HibernateVerifyButton quit "Hibernate" ^M
*HibernateVerifyCommand exec ZZZ
*HibernateVerifyButton quit "Cancel" ^[
*HibernateVerifyCommand Nop
Style "HibernateVerify" NoTitle, NoHandles, BorderWidth 3
*SuspendVerifyGrabServer
*SuspendVerifyWarpPointer
*SuspendVerifyCommand Beep
*SuspendVerifyLine center
*SuspendVerifyText "Do you really want to suspend?"
*SuspendVerifyLine expand
*SuspendVerifyButton quit "Suspend" ^M
*SuspendVerifyCommand exec zzz
*SuspendVerifyButton quit "Cancel" ^[
*SuspendVerifyCommand Nop
Style "SuspendVerify" NoTitle, NoHandles, BorderWidth 3
*QuitVerifyGrabServer
*QuitVerifyWarpPointer
*QuitVerifyCommand Beep
*QuitVerifyLine center
*QuitVerifyText "Do you really want to logout?"
*QuitVerifyLine expand
*QuitVerifyButton quit "Logout" ^M
*QuitVerifyCommand Quit
*QuitVerifyButton quit "Cancel" ^[
*QuitVerifyCommand Nop
Style "QuitVerify" NoTitle, NoHandles, BorderWidth 3
*RebootVerifyGrabServer
*RebootVerifyWarpPointer
*RebootVerifyCommand Beep
*RebootVerifyLine center
*RebootVerifyText "Do you really want to reboot?"
*RebootVerifyLine expand
*RebootVerifyButton quit "Reboot" ^M
*RebootVerifyCommand exec shutdown -r now
*RebootVerifyButton quit "Cancel" ^[
*RebootVerifyCommand Nop
Style "RebootVerify" NoTitle, NoHandles, BorderWidth 3
*ShutdownVerifyGrabServer
*ShutdownVerifyWarpPointer
*ShutdownVerifyCommand Beep
*ShutdownVerifyLine center
*ShutdownVerifyText "Do you really want to shutdown?"
*ShutdownVerifyLine expand
*ShutdownVerifyButton quit "Shutdown" ^M
*ShutdownVerifyCommand exec shutdown -p now
*ShutdownVerifyButton quit "Cancel" ^[
*ShutdownVerifyCommand Nop
Style "ShutdownVerify" NoTitle, NoHandles, BorderWidth 3
############################################################################
# colors and fonts and styles
#
# window in focus
HilightColor linen mediumorchid3
# all other windows
Style "*" Color linen/gray45
# fonts for title bar and icon label
WindowFont -misc-spleen-medium-r-normal--24-240-72-72-c-120-iso10646-1
IconFont -misc-spleen-medium-r-normal--24-240-72-72-c-120-iso10646-1
# icons go in bottom left
#Style "*" IconBox 0 0 1000 2560, IconGrid 70 70
Style "*" NoIcon
# keep the last focus while in root window
Style "*" SloppyFocus
Style "vlc" NoTitle, NoHandles, BorderWidth 0
# windows auto-raise after these many milliseconds
Module FvwmAuto 300
# down and up in less than these milliseconds to be considered a click
ClickTime 250
# opaque moves. 100 means all windows (ie, up to 100% of screen size) are
# moved opaquely.
OpaqueMoveSize 100
# suppress the pager. desktop sizes are the same as the virtual desktop size
DeskTopSize 1x1
# window placement. use smart placement when available, ie, no overlap other
# windows. if smart placement is not available, then use random placement as
# a fallback
Style "*" SmartPlacement, RandomPlacement
# window styles
Style "Fvwm*" NoTitle, Sticky, WindowListSkip, NoHandles, BorderWidth 0
# draw the three buttons at the top right of windows (close, maximise,
# minimise) using vectors
# close button, top right
ButtonStyle 2 Vector 16 20x20@1 30x20@1 50x40@1 70x20@1 80x20@1 80x30@0 60x50@0 80x80@0 70x80@0 50x60@0 30x80@0 20x80@0 20x70@0 40x50@1 20x30@0 20x20@1
# maximise button, to the left of close button
ButtonStyle 4 Vector 4 50x25@1 75x75@0 25x75@0 50x25@1
# minimise button, to the left of the maximise button
ButtonStyle 6 Vector 4 50x75@1 25x25@1 75x25@1 50x75@0
# alternatively, use bitmaps instead of vectors:
#
# ImagePath /usr/X11R6/include/X11/pixmaps
# AddButtonStyle 2 Pixmap button-close.xpm
# AddButtonStyle 4 Pixmap button-max.xpm
# AddButtonStyle 6 Pixmap button-horiz.xpm
# make everything line up (snap) with each other. number is pixels proximity
SnapAttraction 10
# or, use this to only snap windows:
# SnapAttraction 10 Windows
# alt-tabbing
Key Tab A M Next (CurrentDesk !Iconic) Focus
# alt-shift-tabbing to reverse
# Key Tab A SM Prev (CurrentDesk !Iconic) Focus
#
# Launch terminal
Key Return A 4 Exec exec xterm -geometry 70x40
# Launch Run...
Key space A 4 Exec exec rofi -show drun -display-drun ""
# Move between desktops
Key Tab A 4 Desk 1 0 3
Key 1 A 4 Desk 0 0
Key 2 A 4 Desk 0 1
Key 3 A 4 Desk 0 2
Key 4 A 4 Desk 0 3
Mouse 4 R A Desk 1 0 3
Mouse 5 R A Desk -1 0 3
*FvwmBackerDesk 0 -solid #d8cf7f
*FvwmBackerDesk 1 -solid gray35
*FvwmBackerDesk 2 -solid #ffffcc
*FvwmBackerDesk 3 -solid steelblue
Key f A 4 Maximize-Func2
OpenBSD specific scripts
For displaying memory usage and cpu temperature I use these scripts:
#!/bin/sh
MEM=$(top -n | grep Memory | awk {'print $3'} | cut -d "/" -f 1)
echo "${MEM}"
#!/bin/sh
temp=`echo $(sysctl hw.sensors.cpu0.temp0) | cut -d "=" -f 2 | cut -d "." -f 1`
echo "${temp}°C"
Font
The font I use for fvwm2 and the other userland programs is spleen.
It is the same font as the font for OpenBSD’s tty.
This font is only available for tty as a default.
It can also be installed for the other userland programs:
pkg_add spleen
Source: Spleen Font
In order to make the font work in fvwm2 I had to put the following line into my .xsession file:
xset +fp /usr/local/share/fonts/spleen/
Special Thanks
My gratitude goes to the project:
github.com/bfmartin/fvwm-config-on-openbsd
It was a great source of inspiration.
Conclusion
I really like this old fvwm and it is especially great that it lives in base. In my setup I use FvwmIconMan, FvwmButtons and FvwmBacker at startup.
I tinkered with the module FvwmIconBox, but I prefer the simplicity of this setup.