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Name

mlvwm - Macintosh Like Virtual Window Manager

Synopsis

mlvwm [ -f initfile ] [ -d dpy ] [ -debug ]

Description

mlvwm is a window manager for X11 designed to look and feel like the Macintosh<tm> environment. It provides multiple desktops, separate menu bars for different applications, and the ability to interact with applications from that menu bar. It does this by sending key sequences to the application, such as ctrl-X or alt-Y.

Options

These are the command line options that are recognized by mlvwm:
-f config_file
Causes mlvwm to use config_fule as it's configuration file.
-d display_name
Brings mlvwm on display display_name instead of the name taken from the DISPLAY environment variable.
-debug
Debug mode. Displays debugging information.

Configuration Files

The configuration file is used to describe shortcut key bindings, menus, fonts, and various other settings. It is typically ".mlvwmrc" in your home directory, and if that does not exist it falls back to the system default. A different config file can be defined using the -f option shown above.

Lines beginning with '#' are ignored by mlvwm.

Built in Functions

There are a number of built in functions in mlvwm that may be used in the configuration file. If there is an error in the config file, mlvwm will try it's best to go on. If it can't find a particular icon, it will complain on startup and leave the space blank where the icon was meant to go. Likewise, if you have a command misspelled or something to that effect, it will simply put up an error message and continue on through the rest of the config file.

The following commands can be used in menus, keyboard short cuts, and anything else along those lines:

Exec app_name command
Executes an external command as stated by command. app_name should be set to whatever the name of the application is that will be executed.
Nop
Does nothing.
Refresh
Refreshes the screen.
Restart [window_manager]
Restarts mlvwm or, if window_mananger is defined, restart into that window manager.
Exitt
Quits mlvwm.
Desk [+|-|number]
Changes desktops to number or, if + or - is the argument, goes up one or down one desktop, respectively.
NextWindow
Switches to the next active window. Windows that are hidden or defined in SkipSelect are not chosen. This includes windows in other desktops in it's list of windows to choose from.
PreviousWindow
Swtiches to the previous active window. Windows that are hidden or defined in SkipSelect are not chosen. This includes windows in other desktops in it's list of windows to choose from.
NextSameDeskWindow
Switches to the next active window. Windows that are hidden or defined in SkipSelect are not chosen. Windows in other desktops are not chosen.
PreviousSameDeskWindow
Switches to the previous active window. Windows that are hidden or defined in SkipSelect are not chosen. Windows in other desktops are not chosen.
ShadedUnShadeActive
Shades or UnShades active window.
HideActive
Hides active window.
HideOthers
Hides all other windows except the active one.
ShowAll
All hidden windows are unhidden.
MoveWindow
Move a window, chosen after this command is selected.
ResizeWindow
Resize a window, chosen after this command is selected.
KillWindow
Kills a chosen window.
SendMessage sequence
A keypress is sent to the active window. The keys pressed are defined in a similar fashion to those in the ShortCut command. You specify a special key with it's corresponding capital letter identifier and a + symbol. For instance, if you wanted to set the sequence: Ctrl-x, you would use C+x.
Wait [Application name|Application class]
Wait to start application.
ShowBalloon
This function can be bound to a key in order to show balloon.

Description

The following commands are used to change or describe mlvwm's functionality:

Desktopnum num
The number of desktops available. Defaults to 1.
StickShade
Shaded windows are present no matter what desktop you are on, instead of staying on a particular desktop. This is not the default behavior.
StickHide
Hidden windows are present no matter what desktop you are on, instead of staying on a particular desktop. This is not the default behavior. This means that if you hide a window in one desktop, and move to another, then unhide it, it will appear in that desktop, instead of the desktop it was originally in.
ShadeMap
When a window is unhidden, shading remains. The default is for shading to be canceled when a window is unhidden.
DoubleClickTime time
The number of milliseconds in which you must click the mouse button twice in order to register a double click.
Compatible
When windows are moved or resized, the border displayed is a dotted line instead of solid. This causes a slight speed decline.
FollowToMouse
The active window is the window the mouse is currently over. If you move the mouse away from the current window and/or over another, you lose focus in the current one. This is not set up by default.
SlopyFocus
It turns on FollowToMouse with the modification of not loosing focus when in the root window.
System8
Change to window decoration to System 8(Only Color Monitor).
OpaqueMove
Enable Opaque move.
OpaqueResize
Enable Opaque resize.
OneClickMenu
Click pull down menu and more one click execute selection.
ZoomWait ms
Setting Hide animation speed. Default is 10ms. The unit is ms.
RotateDesk
Rotate desktop number at Desk + and Desk -.
DisplayDeskNumber
Display window name with desktop number on window list.
IconifyShade
WindowShade is regarded as Inocify.
IconifyHide
HideWindow is regarded as Iconify.
ScrollBarWidth n
The variable scroll window is set n and defaults to 19 if unspecified.
FlushMenu speed flashes
Determines how fast the flashes are when you choose an option from a menu, as well as how many times it does so.
IconPath path
Specify the path mlvwm is to search in order to find it's icons. Separate directories should be separated with a : and listed in the order you wish them to be searched. This needs to be defined before any references to icons are made.
IconMenuIcon icon
This is the icon to be used with the windowlist menu on right side of the menu bar.
UseRootWin
ignore button event on Root Window.
UseBalloon str1 str2, Icon iconname
Use balloon help. str1 is displayed as menu item when Balloon help is not displayed.
InitFunction
RestartFunction
Define the function when start and restart the mlvwm.
MenuBarFont font
The font the menu bar is to use.
MenuFont font
The font the menus are to use.
TitleBarFont font
The font on the title bars of windows.
Read filename
Reads in a separate configuration file.
RestartPreviousState
It allows to regenerate the screen as it was before the previous window manager was shutdown or the current window manager was restarted.
Menu name[, options] ... END
Starts a menu block for the specified name menu. After the name of the menu, some options may be defined as listed below to change the behavior of that menu. All lines following the Menu command are read in as menu items until an END statement is reached. Description of menu items will be discussed after the options.

Menu options are as follows:

Right - places the menu on the right side of the menu bar.

Left - places the menu on the left side of the menu bar. This is default.

Icon icon - assigns an icon to be displayed on the menu bar instead of a label.

Label label - assigns a label to be displayed on the menu bar instead of an icon.

Stick - menu label is shown any time, in spite of the designation of which application it is associated with via the MenuBar command.

NonStick - opposite of Stick. This is default.

Menu items are described as follows:

"label"

options

Multiple options are separated by commas. Options you can choose are as follows:

Gray - grays out a menu item.

Black - makes a menu item black.

Check - places a check mark next to item.

NonCheck - doesn't place a check mark next to item.

Select - makes a menu item selectable.

NonSelect - prevents a menu item from being selectable.

SubMenu MenuName A submenu is specified.

Icon icon - specifies an icon to place next to the menu item's label.

Action command - performs any built in command.

Swallow appname options Swallows an application into the menu bar. options are separated by commas. appname should match the name of the application that will be swallowed. The following options are allowed:

Right - places the menu on the right side of the menu bar. This is default.

Left - places the menu on the left side of the menu bar.

Action command - performs any built in command. This is where an Exec should be performed of the application to be swallowed.

Stick - menu label is shown any time, in spite of the designation of which application it is associated with via the MenuBar command. This is default.

NonStick - opposite of Stick.

MenuBar appname ... END
This describes the names of the menus to be displayed, given a particular appname is active. The keyword default can be placed for appname to set up a menu bar for any application that does not have it's own specific menu bar. Menus are listed one per line after the MenuBar line, and closed off with an END statement.

Style strings END
This is used to describe certain attributes of particular windows, such as decorations, MenuBars, mini-icons, and various other attributes. The wildcards, * and ?, can be used. Lines are set up as follows:

"appname" options

Multiple options are separated by commas, and can be chosen from the following:

NormalDecoration - Places standard decorations (ie all the defaults) around a particular window.

NoSbarH - Horizontal scroll bar is removed.

NoSbarV - Vertical scroll bar is removed.

NoResizeR - no resize 'button'. This is automatic if both NoSbarH and NoSbarV are defined.

NoTitle - Removed title bar.

NoMinMaxR - Min/Max 'button' is removed. Automatic when NoTitle defined.

NoCloseR - Close 'button' is removed. Automatic when NoTitle defined.

NoWinList - Prevents window from being show on the window list.

NoFocus - Does not allow window to get focus.

StayOnTop - Window stays above all other windows on the screen.

Sticky - Window stays on screen even if you change desktops.

SkipSelect - Prevents window from getting chosen by NextWindow, PreviousWindow, PreviousSameDeskWindow, and NextSameDeskWindow.

EnableScroll - Activates scroll bars.

MaxmizeScale - The percentage the window will increase in size when it maximized.

MiniIcon icon - icon is used to represent that particular window.

NoTransientDecorate - No decorations for transient window.

MenuBar menubar - Switches the menu bar to menubar when that application is active.

ShortCut string END
Binds key combinations to functions. Short cuts are listed one per line in the following format:

KeyName KeyboardModifier Command

After all Short cuts are listed, an END statement should be placed. KeyboardModifier's are as follows: 


S - Shift key
C - Control key
M - Mod1 key
1 - Mod1 key
2 - Mod2 key
3 - Mod3 key
4 - Mod4 key
5 - Mod5 key
A - Any Modifier
N - No Modifier

Files


$HOME/.mlvwmrc
$MLVWMLIBDIR/system.mlvwmrc

Copyright Notices

This program is distributed as freeware. The copyright remains with the author.

Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

Author

TakaC HASEGAWA hase@rop2.hitachi-cable.co.jp

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