Re: FVWM: continued line patch (Finding central/user system.fvwmrc)

From: Charles Hines <>
Date: Wed, 6 Mar 1996 09:10:25 -0500

>>>>> "jeb" == Jan-Erik Borg <jeb_at_sehaf.abb.se> writes:
>>>>> "AL" == Andrew "Alf" Leahy <A.Leahy_at_st.nepean.uws.edu.au> writes:

AL> We run fvwm(version 1.24r) in a DEC labs (and have been for the past 3
AL> years). I am finally getting around to putting fvwm2 in our labs...
AL> problem is how can I setup a global ".fvwmrc". With fvwm1, I could define
AL> a "system.fvwmrc" which was read if a users' $HOME/.fvwmrc was not found.
AL> fvwm2 doesn't seem to let me do this? I have tried playing with the
AL> Xsession script so it does something like:

AL> if ($HOME/.fvwmrc exists) then
AL> exec fvwm
AL> else
AL> exec fvwm -f /apps/fvwm/system.fvwmrc
AL> endif

AL> But I think I'm getting the syntax wrong for telling fvwm to use another
AL> fvwmrc file.

Just slightly:

               fvwm -f "Read /apps/fvwm/system.fvwmrc"

I think I have to specify this in the docs a little better.

AL> I could certainly hardcode the location of the system.fvwmrc file, but I
AL> want to let student setup their own .fvwmrc if they want.

Understandable.

jeb> My experience with FVWM 2 is that it looks for a central file
jeb> named .fvwmrc or .fvwm2rc (depending on your compilation set-up)

Just a note here, I *HIGHLY* recommend keeping the defaults to be
fvwm2 for the exec and .fvwm2rc for the rc file, since fvwm will
probably coredump if it reads an rc file meant for 1.xx. Plus that
way you can keep both of them installed on your system, in case
someone is more than happy using 1.xx.

jeb> in the directory were the modules are located, e.g. in your case
jeb> in /apps/fvwm/ . I used a link pointing to the place were I store
jeb> our central system.fvwmrc file. To override the central file each
jeb> user just adds ~/.fvwmrc or ~/.fvwm2rc (the name depends on the
jeb> compilation set-up).

That just about sums it up. From the man page (as of 2.0.41):

     INITIALIZATION
          During initialization, fvwm will search for a configuration
          file which describes key and button bindings, and a few
          other things. The format of these files will be described
          later. First, fvwm will search for a file named .fvwm2rc
          (or .fvwmrc based on how it was compiled - .fvwm2rc is the
          default) in the users home directory. Failing that, it will
          look for /usr/lib/X11/fvwm/.fvwm2rc for system-wide
          defaults. If that file is not found, fvwm will be basically
          useless.

This is only slightly wrong. /usr/lib/X11/fvwm/ will actually be
whatever you set FvwmDir set to in the Fvwm.tmpl file, or most likely
something like the above ($LIBDIR/fvwm2) if you don't have it set.

Also, I'm going to try and put more basic defaults hard coded into
fvwm's init process, to help nullify that last line about it being
useless without a config file...

jeb> I'am running FVWM 2.0.39 ...

You may want to pick up 2.0.41 as it fixes some bugs and should be
slightly faster at reading the rc file and processing events, plus has
improved docs and install process.

Chuck

*******************************************************************************
Charles K. Hines <chuck_hines_at_vnet.ibm.com>
IBM Logic Synthesis developer [BooleDozer (TM)]
Martial Arts Instructor [Modern Arnis, Presas Style Filipino Martial Arts]

IBM Internal email: "Go back to sleep, Chuck. You're
  hines_at_cold.fishkill.ibm.com, just havin' a nightmare--of course,
  HINESC at FISHKILL, HINESC at FSHVMFK1 we are still in Hell." Gary Larson
*******************************************************************************
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Received on Wed Mar 06 1996 - 08:11:03 GMT

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