First of all "UNSTABLE" is just a means of classification. Although many things are truly unstable in the semantic sense of the word, WindowMaker is not one of them. I recommend using Fink to install Wmaker into the /sw directory, or when you installed Fink, you were asked the following question: "in what other driectory should Fink look for tarballs" ... Now if you chose one, you could have Fink install the Generic tarball that you downloaded, but this is not necessarily recommended because all dependencies may not be met. Just download the "unstable" From Fink cvs and you will be surprised at how much better WindowMaker runs than the bloated and extra-sloatish KDE and the perenially GLITCHY Gnome. Before you do that, you may even download the necessary libraries in binary if you wish..., but I believe Fink will include the necessary ones via a "fink install windowmaker. BTW, I started with a non Fink "/usr/local" generic install of Windowmaker, but I had dependency probs until I found the necessary libraries. Since Fink 0.5.0a cane out, I decided to go with the Fink install of WM. To delete the older Windowmaker, you can do a search of all the WM files and folders and simply trash them, or use OSXPM to "officially" delete it. In any case, The so-called "unstable" Wmaker works better than most of the "stable" stuff, especially KDE........

Sao:
I got that nice xterm in color; but when in rootless mode how can I have access to a fvwm2 menu?
In fullscreen mode if I mouse-click anywhere on the screen a menu comes up, but in rootless mode that does not happen.

gilfortes

Thank you Glanz for your useful opinion.
At the moment am with blackbox and fvwm2, but will have a go at windowmaker some time.
gilfortes

Pymol installation
 

Sao:

I have been installing a couple of applications (e.g. Gimp, xfig), before I test the menu configuration for blackbox.
Now was trying to install Pymol with "sudo apt-get install pymol", but got the following:

------
[Cristal:~] gil% sudo apt-get install pymol
Password:
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.

Since you only requested a single operation it is extremely likely that
the package is simply not installable and a bug report against
that package should be filed.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

Sorry, but the following packages have unmet dependencies:
pymol: Depends: povray but it is not installable
E: Sorry, broken packages
[Cristal:~] gil%
------------------------
Do you have any clue about this?
Thankx
gilfortes

gilfortes,

Well, the message is clear:
You could try to install povray now to see if it works:

'sudo apt-get install povray'


Cheers...

Sao:
here is the outcome:
--------------------------------------
[Cristal:~] gil% apt-cache depends pymol
pymol
Depends: libpng-shlibs
Depends: numeric
numeric-atlas
Depends: tcltk
Depends: <povray>
Depends: pmw
Depends: python
Depends: glut-shlibs
[Cristal:~] gil% sudo apt-get install povray
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Package povray has no available version, but exists in the database.
This typically means that the package was mentioned in a dependency and
never uploaded, has been obsoleted or is not available with the contents
of sources.list
E: Package povray has no installation candidate
[Cristal:~] gil%
-------------------------------

If i run fink list, can see povray there:
povray 3.50b-1 The Persistence of Vision Ray Tracer
is this a beta version? what shall I do?
Cheers

gilfortes,

Both packages are in stable, why don't you try to install them from source with:

'fink install pymol'

Also, you can check all available packages at the following link, and when you select one, you can check if there is a version in Fink-.0.5.0a---stable.

http://fink.sourceforge.net/pdb/list.php


Cheers...

gilfortes,

I just learned that the problem with povray is that although it is in stable..."due to license restrictions there is no binary available for it".

You have to install it from source, same as I advice you to do with the pymol package above:

'fink install povray'


Cheers...

Sao:

was able to install some applications, including pymol and povray; had some problems during installation, but was able to solve it.
Now am going to do some configuration on the Windowmanagers.
You said i could get some blackbox themes and cp them to /sw/share/Blackbox/styles/; probably is a silly question, but what shall I copy, the compressed files in tar.gz format, or the expanded files? It should be the expanded files, is that correct?

Thank you
gilfortes

Yes, that's correct.

Cheers...

gilfortes,

In the ~/.blackbox folder at your home directory, make a folder named backgrounds, like this:

~/.blackbox/backgrounds

and cp to that directory any extra background picture that comes with the themes or others you like.

Also, if you want to use a certain theme, but with a different background than the official one that came with the theme, open and edit with pico the theme 'style' file and where it says:
change and write the new background name path you want to use.

Other bb themes here:

http://lonelymachines.org/blackbox.html


Cheers...

Sao:
just copied some styles; what about the backgrounds; where shall i copy them to?
tried to copy them to the same place as copied the styles, but does not work.
Thankx
gilfortes

gilfortes,

Read my post above yours, I anticipated your question...:)


Cheers...

http://largo.windowmaker.org/themes/themepacks.php

Sorry I haven't been back sooner but I've been back and forth with a few of the Fink developers about some dependency probs we are trying to solve. I am testing an awful lot of stuff.

I think you'll just love WindowMaker... once you see how fast and easy it is. If you have any problems with png background images contained in a particular theme, just convert them to jpeg with a "jpg" extension via iPhoto using the "export" command to the same place to replace the png with the jpg by overwriting. Or even "XV"... will do in a pinch. If you have any trouble with background image size, you may change that too with those applications.


#########
Oh well!!! I just realized you were referring to BB themes! I guess I have WM on my mind...... sort of a "blinded by the light" syndrome. Pardon! In any case, that link is good for WM.

:D Don't worry Glanz, each one has his own favorite. My trip is to collect and test all window managers, check this out:
Plus I have up-to-date full KDE and Gnome environments.

Windomaker is rock solid, and very stable, and when I test things is the one I use and trust. I don't use it in xfree86-rootless mode.

For that, I prefer blackbox, it gives me more 'free' real state at the desktop. Really, more than blackbox I prefer 'fluxbox' but it can't be used in rootless. 'Pwm' and 'Ion' are very interesting too. And if your trip is not using the mouse at all, then 'ratpoison' is the one for you.


Cheers...

PS: Did you solved the installation of windomaker with KDE?

Yes the WM/KDE trip has been solved, also the Xfce prob I had. Seems that openjade must be compiled before the docbook-bundle, and the gtk-doc stuff. For development on Linux, I have always used Xfce because of its ability to call up both Gnome specific and KDE specific apps, and for the ease at which one may change the menus, much like WM, but even easier. So I use Windowmaker for my trippin' around and Xfce to call up numerous shells and numerous development apps, compilers etc. I like Ruby....... because of my math work [my job].....

Your list is impressive! I too have tested Window Managers on other platforms and systems.... been doing it for many many many long years:), mainly for myself, and as a writer for extremetech where I have published quite a few Linux articles.
Frankly, I prefer Fink to any Linux install I have had, with the possible exceptions of Debian and Gentoo.

I will get back later on a new thread on replacing KWM with the WM engine.

Sao:

probably another silly question, but do not know how to solve it;
did edit with pico the theme `style`file and changed and wrote the background name path; but when trying to save the changes (Ctrl O, return, Ctrl X) can not do it. Pico does not acceppt this sequence of commands ( it usually does).
Any idea?
thank you
gilfortes

gilfortes,

To open the file in /sw/share/Blackbox/styles, use 'sudo pico filename' and it will let you save the file when you close pico.

Cheers...

A note on Wmaker/Xfce symbiosis
 

Sao.... I am sure you'll like this!:)

Just an interesting fact: as I have stated, I like to use both Windowmaker and Xfce, simultaneously at the same time. Now this may be done by simply entering Xfce as an application in the Windowmaker menu system rather than placing the command "xfce" in the "exit" submenu" under the "start windowmanager" classification. In other words, the user may use the Xfce menu bar AND the Windowmaker menu system plus the Windowmaker docked icons all at the same time without loss of speed or efficiency.

note: to enter a terminal-dependant app in the Xfce meny system, one simply enters "Term" before the app name, such as "Term pine".... to launch pine. Nothing is faster than Xfce for launches and for instant configuration. But one must create a "~/.xfce3rc file in "~/" before the user can configure Xfce.

So, in effect, I am running Xfce with the Windowmaker engine so to speak.

For anyone who has Gnome installed, they may launch Wmaker, then Xfce, then the Gnome menu bar and have all three menus if you wish.

Once the "KWM" engine is disabled in KDE, you may have all four menu systems on the desktop without loss of speed. KDE after all is just a block of applications without KWM. hehehe... This is getting to be fun:):):):D

Sao:
have been trying to do some configuration; was able to pu the new styles and backgrounds in the right places; but when start Xdarwin, can have access to the new styles through blackbox, but the background does not show up; must be missing something.
here is what I pico changed in the "mryan" style file:

rootCommand: wmsetbg --scale ~/.blackbox/Backgrounds/portiaderossi.jpg

gilfortes