Is the problem X11, Fvwm2, or Firefox? Key binding config...

[jackthechemist]

Greetings everyone,

My OpenBSD UI is sillier than a barrel of frogs and I can't figure out why!

So far my experience on this forum has been good, and before giving up and installing Fluxbox I thought I'd ask ... actually I don't even know the question ... but these are the problems I have:

I installed Firefox. Works fine but the title bar is above the topmost virtual desktop, I cannot reach it nor can I move the window (it's like that whenever I start Firefox) and further, if I left-click in the window, anyway, it just scrolls up? I can't click links or buttons or anything!

I cannot seem to move, or resize the terminal window (or any other window). Now, I may not be an OpenBSD expert, but I am not stupid! And after a week I still can't move a window, I think there may be something wrong.

I'm not sure if these two things are related. Currently I'm trying to understand the Fvwm configuration file hoping to find a line that says "LetWindowsMoveAndResize==NO".

I've heard a couple people say that, by default, dragging and resizing windows should be trivial....

Sorry for the long post .... anyone have any ideas/suggestions? I'm really stumped!

Jack

[graudeejs]

This is for fvwm 2.5.x, but much applies to 2.4.x as well
http://fvwm.org/doc/unstable/allCommands.html

Here's my fvwm config.
http://hg.bsdroot.lv/aldis/dot.fvwm/
It is designed for fvwm 2.5.x
I wrote some stuff little different, so you may need to make a link to ~/.fvwm/config
I don't remember which file fvwm 2.4 was reading.

in my config there's config.sh script. I wrote my config very dynamic using sh as preprocessor
in .xinitrc you need to add

exec sh -c "$HOME/.fvwm/config.sh; exec fvwm > $HOME/.fvwm/logs/fvwm.log 2> $HOME/.fvwm/logs/fvwm.err.log"

check out manual for fvwm

man fvwm

Here's entire fvwm documentation
http://www.fvwm.org/documentation/

Also:
You may want to remove your current fvwm config, and then see if default config works (it should)

[wimwauters]

Also, you did start with a coherent set of installation binaries and a matching set of packages, yes?

[jggimi]

Is it possible you've left your FF session in "Full Screen" mode? F11 will toggle back and forth.

[jackthechemist]

jggimi,
No, Firefox is not in full screen mode. All I know is that I somehow coaxed the browser window into moving up and now I can't get it back, or move any other window apparently.

wimwauters,
coherent binaries and matching packages? I'm not entirely sure what you mean. I installed from cd48.iso as is and firefox 3.6.8 was the first and only package i installed (it was the only version listed so I installed it)

killasmurf,
Thanks for the links. They will be helpful. But I'm afraid your config files are a little over my head :P

I did find something odd though...

By default fvwm loads one 3x3 desktop, but nothing is returned when I run:

cat /home/user/.fvwm2rc | grep Desktop # (looking for DesktopName or DesktopSize)

I ran the same command for the system.fvwm2rc, system.fvwm2rc-sample-1, and system.fvwm2rc-2 files in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fvwm/ and nothing is returned.

So I added "DesktopSize 2x2" and "DesktopName 0 Main" to my home config, restarted fvwm, and I still have a 3x3 desktop?!

So obviously fvwm is not being affected by my /home/user/.fvwm2rc file!
Now, I don't mind fiddling around until the key bindings are they way I like, but does anyone have any idea why fvwm is not being affected by the changes I make in the file??

Jack

[graudeejs]

Post your fvwm config
also when you start fvwm (from xinitrc redirect output to file and post it as well)

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by jackthechemist

So obviously fvwm is not being affected by my /home/user/.fvwm2rc file!

The man page says this is valid, but I've never used it. I always use the first location mentioned, i.e. ~/.fvwm/config.

To solve your problem you can add these keyboard bindings and reload the configuration:

Key	Left	A	CM	Move w-25p keep
Key	Right	A	CM	Move w+25p keep
Key	Up	A	CM	Move keep w-25p
Key	Down	A	CM	Move keep w+25p

Just activate your browser's window and use Ctrl + Alt + an arrow key to move it. Change the key combinations and distance (25 pixels) as you see fit.

And to make your life easier, add these items to your root menu:

+ "Reload configuration" Read config
+ "Restart fvwm" Restart

These are pretty straightforward: the first rereads the configuration file named config and the second does a full restart of fvwm.

Originally Posted by jackthechemist

I cannot seem to move, or resize the terminal window (or any other window).

You must write functions to do that (and everything else) and "enable" these functions by linking them to mouse/keyboard bindings or menu items.

[Mako_Elite]

jackthechemist,

Your problem is fvwm2rc in your /home/usr/.fvwm2rc it should read .fvwmrc.

Your options are to rename it or better to delete it and do following.

cd /usr/X11/R6/lib/X11/fvwm (you will see system.fvwm2rc file, copy it to your home directory.) Make sure you logged in as user not root.

cp system.fvwm2rc ~/.fvwmrc (This will copy the file to home directory
and rename it to .fvwmrc)

cd ~/ (Change to home directory)

ls -lA (Check to see if the file .fvwmrc is there)

chmod 660 .fvwmrc (This will give the file permission to modify)

Make sure there is . (period) in front of .fvwmrc

Log out and log in to X and you should be able to have good running X and be able to tweak your .fvwmrc.

Suggestion, before you make any changes to .fvwmrc make copy of it
something like .fvwmrc_copy. This way when you screw too much your original you can rename your .fvwmrc_copy to .fvwmrc and you back to
original.

[jackthechemist]

Hey again! Thanks for your help. I renamed the config file from .fvwm2rc to .fvwmrc and tested it using Beastie's key bindings, which worked (Thanks Mako). Actually, I did this quite a while ago and played around with the config file for about a week. I've decided I appreciate and admire fvwm, and will now use dwm for now anyways.

This worked out well however as it elucidated the source of one of my initial concerns:

PROBLEM: Left clicking in a window causes the page to scroll up. (Firefox, xterm (e.g. when viewing a manual pages, even emacs (sometimes) ! This occurs under fvwm or dwm so is it X?


Not sure if it helps but I switched window managers by editing "fvwm || xterm" in ~/.xinitrc to read "dwm || xterm" and also I sometimes get "(firefox-bin:10752) Gtk-CTRITICAL **" or "(firefox-bin:10752) Gtk-CTRITICAL **") sent to my terminal...but somehow I doubt these are the problems...

Any suggestions regarding the mouse-left-click-scroll-up problem would be great appreciated, I'm really stumped on this one! :S

[graudeejs]

Whatever it is it is not FVWM fault

[TerryP]

I the only one to think of checking if the build accepts the -geometry flag? You know, the one that lets you set the start size and position of an X app?

Although steaming pile of Mozilla is usually a headache, so it might totally ignore both what the user and the window manager say ^_^.

[girarde]

To the best of my knowledge, Firefox ignores -geometry.