Configuration for ex-fvwm users

[Chris G]

On Sun, Nov 21, 2010 at 02:20:01PM +0000, Hans Georg Schaathun wrote:
> On Tue, Nov 16, 2010 at 04:49:46PM +0000, Hans Georg Schaathun wrote:
> > 1.  The keyboard layout selector in the panel was cool.  Much better 
> > than the xmodmap hack I used to have to switch layout.  Unfortunately, it
> > does not preserve the settings between sessions.  Both the secondary
> > layouts and the keybindings to switch disappear at next login.
> > What mistake can I have made?
> 
> I found the (a?) solution to this.  For anyone else interested:
> 
> The keybindings can be set using setxkbmap at login, e.g.
>   setxkbmap -option grp:switch,grp:caps_toggle gb,no
>   setxkbmap -option compose:lwin
> To get compose at left win, and switch keyboards with caps lock.
> Once that's done, the panel plugin shows the keyboard layout which
> is a useful feature.
> 
I use .Xmodmap for that.  Can anyone explain the difference or are they
just two tools doing the same job?

> 
> > 2. Biff doesn't look good.  I need a simple xbiff application, one
> > icon per mailbox (spool type boxes only), so the panel email monitor
> > does not do it.  I am used to xbiff, but I cannot figure out how to
> > make it sticky, title-less, border-less, etc.  In fvwm, this is a
> > feature of the wm by pattern matching on the window title.  I
> > cannot find such feature in xfwm.  Is there a different way to do it?
> 
> Thanks a lot to houghi for the Devil's Pie solution.  It really solves
> all the issues with xload, oclock, xbiff, etc.  I did not like wmbiff,
> as it does not (by default) distinguish between new and unread messages.
> I like to see if new message has arrived since I last inspected the 
> mailbox, and care less about whether there are unread messages in the
> box.  If wmbiff can be configured to do that, I would really like it.
> 
I used to use Devil's Pie but it does seem to me to be a bit of a bodge.
I now use a different bodge which is wmctrl, it fits better into my "do
it with a shell script" approach to things!  :-)


> > 3.  Is there a way to tweak the keyboard layout, that is, 
> > redefining individual keys?  Such as replacing the universal
> > currency symbol by a dollar sign on some European layouts.
> 
> Seems that this can be done with xkb, for someone with a lot of
> time to try and err without a manual.  Does anyone know what to
> read?
> 
.Xmodmap (xmodmap) can do that too so would simplify things a little.

-- 
Chris Green