- This topic has 54 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated Dec 31-3:35 am by Brian Masinick.
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seaken64
Adding IceWM to antiX-19.3 CORE
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Brief
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This is a brief version of my questions. For more information please read on in the thread below.I have successfully installed IceWM on top of antiX CORE. I can use the WM. But I have done something wrong and I need help tracking it down.
The main menu in the lower left is not populated with my applications. The automatic menu routines (when installing using apt-get) seem to be working and creating entries in the menu-applications file. But this file is not entered into my main IceWM menu. Do I need to add an entry to my ~/.icewm/menu file? [Edit – yes, I had to either edit the default main menu to add a link to the generated applications menu, or copy the antiX BASE menu files over from /etc/skel/.icewm]
The ~./startup file is not being read? I usually use this file to set the screen resolution for IceWM. But my usual technique is not working on this install of IceWM. Is this the correct startup file being used by this IceWM? How do I find out what setup files are being used by default? I was under the assumption they are to be copied into ~/.icewm. I copied them over from the usr/share/icewm folder. There was no “startup” file so I created it in that folder. Maybe it is not working because I setup IceWM as root? [Edit – actually IceWM was working correctly and reading all the setup files from ~/.icewm. I had not properly set the executable flag when I created the startup file. Once I corrected that the startup file is now working]
The Logout menu is not working. If I click the little arrow and choose Logout it does not work. If I click on the main menu entry for Logout I do get out of IceWM but the screen is very faint. I can barely see the console screen. If I use Ctrl-Alt-F2 I get to a new console. Then if I use Ctrl-Alt-F1 I get back to the previous screen and it is no longer nearly invisible but it is normal. I can then use Logout or Reboot from the command line. How do I setup the Logout portion of the IceWm menu to work properly? [Edit – still having problems with this. But since I copied over the setup files from /etc/skel/.icewm this Logout menu is working at least half way. The Logout button still does nothing. The Reboot, Shutdown and Restart are working. I no longer have the weird invisible text at the console after quiting IceWM.]
Thanks for any tips you can share
Seaken64—–
End Brief
—–- This topic was modified 2 years, 4 months ago by seaken64.
- This topic was modified 2 years, 4 months ago by seaken64.
Adding IceWM to antiX-19.3 CORE
In my continuing effort to learn more about how antiX works behind the scenes I am attempting to add the IceWM Window Manager to antiX CORE. I have started with a successful installation of antiX-19.3 CORE using the cli-installer. After the installation I logged in as root and ran the update and dist-upgrade routines. I tested the system from the console and everything is working fine in text mode only.
My next goal is to add the X window system and then add IceWM as my “GUI”. I do not want to add a Desktop Environment system such as Xfce or Mate. My goal is to learn more about how to setup the IceWM Window Manager to mimic what antiX BASE already has setup by default.
It would be easier to just install antiX BASE. But this is a learning exercise. I am hoping to learn how to setup IceWM from scratch, but using the antiX framework that has already been created for the BASE system. I have added IceWM to my regular Debian installs and I am always disappointed in how it looks and how the menus are setup. I like the antiX implementation of IceWM and I want to learn how it is done.
I have watched all of the videos from Dolphin_Oracle on adding an X windows system to antiX CORE. Unfortunately he does not specifically mention how to add IceWM, but instead shows how to add Xfce and KDE. There are quite a few threads on the forum about adding a WM or DE to the antiX CORE system. I have read them all and have tried to follow along and imitate the steps each user has taken to achieve their new “spin” on antiX. Brian Masnick also had a nice blog entry on how to setup Xfce on CORE using the SID repos. I have attempted to follow his instructions but I am not interested in Xfce. I want IceWM.
I am still working through some forum message threads and they have been helpful as I learn. But I am still hitting some roadblocks. Here is what I have accomplished so far and what I am missing.
I modified D_O’s apt install command string to try to install IceWM instead of Xfce. I do not want a Desktop Manager/Login Manager like Slim or LightDM, etc. I would like to have it setup to use “startx” to start up IceWM. Here’s is my first attempt at installing the missing packages:
apt-get install xserver-xorg x11-xserver-utils xfonts-base x11-utils icewm icewm-common
I rebooted (as root) and tried “startx” but it didn’t work. I added the xorg package and tried again. After reboot (as root) I tried “startx” again, it worked! I was now in IceWM. The menu was sparse and there were no Applications. But there was a “Terminal” entry. I clicked on that and it launched the xterm. I was able to launch mc, antiX-cli-cc, and cli-aptiX.
So, at this point I have a plain vanilla IceWM and no applications or anything resembling the “antiX” setup. So I started looking around to see if I could add the antiX stuff. I used cli-aptiX and added the following packages:
icewm-base-themes-antix icewm-icons-papirus-antix icewmcc rox-filer roxterm-common roxterm-gtk2 spacefm spacefm-common smbclient cifs-utils connectshares-antix control-centre-antix menu-icewm-antix menu-manager-antix xdg-utils desktop-session-antix desktop-defaults-base-antix
I have logged in as my user and I have the same plain IceWM as I did in root. I was able to change the “theme”. But the menu has not changed. There are no Applications. And I created a “startup” file in ~/.icewm/startup but it is not being used. I made an entry to change the default resolution using xrandr but it does not work. I do this on all of my antiX systems and it always works. But it appears that this IceWM is not reading the ~/.icewm/startup file.
How do I find out where IceWM is looking for the startup file and preferences? If it is looking somewhere else, how do I set it to look in my ~/.icewm folder? Did I make a mistake by using root to install? Should I have installed IceWM using my user?
The Control Centre comes on screen but is missing most of the tools and when I tried using the change Date&Time tool it failed. SpaceFM and Rox-filer are working. ROXterm also works. Connectshares fails to connect to my share. But I can use the mount command from the command line to connect to my share.
When I ran menu manager it seems to work. But the menu does not change. When installing from apt-get I do get the ‘setting up IceWM menu’ (not sure of the exact wording) and it completes with no error. I can see the menu-applications file in /usr/share/desktop-menu/.icewm/menu-applications. And it does seem to be the current menu generated and has all the applications. But it does not show on the main IceWM menu.
How do I get my main IceWM menu populated with my apps? I seem to be missing some script that modifies the IceWM menu file in my ~/.icewm folder.
I’m stuck. Thank you for any tips you can share to help me get unstuck.
Seaken64bluedxca93
As a not so stable workaround i took icewm-menu-fdo binary from the debian icewm-common package and put it to /usr/bin.
Then i did run
mv ~/.icewm/menu ~/.icewm/menu-backup;
icewm-menu-fdo > ~/.icewm/menu However this is surely different from how it schould be done in antix.I wish to thank all the forum members who I have learned from. I have read a lot of threads and got a lot of good tips. I am not very good at this development stuff but I want to get better so I can help other users of antiX to keep one of the main purposes of antiX alive – that being the use of old computers that have been left behind by other operating systems.
A special shout out to those who have started or shared in threads about building up on antiX core, or shared how to modify and setup IceWM or other window managers.
dolphin-oracle
anticapitalista
skidoo
BobC
Christophe
Manyroads
andfree
rokytnji
Brian Masnick
Macondo
PPCand anyone else who has shared this topic but I haven’t mentioned yet. I’ll keep reading and learning. When I have finally completed a project I will share my own tips and tricks and add to the topic the best I can.
Seaken64
Anonymous
As a not so stable workaround i took icewm-menu-fdo binary from the debian icewm-common package and put it to /usr/bin.
Then i did run
mv ~/.icewm/menu ~/.icewm/menu-backup;
icewm-menu-fdo > ~/.icewm/menu However this is surely different from how it schould be done in antix.As I posted in your other topic, the best solution IMO would be to recompile from antiX source package, but this is a fine workaround !
How do I find out where IceWM is looking for the startup file and preferences?
[..]
If it is looking somewhere else, how do I set it to look in my ~/.icewm folder?apropos icewm
^—v
man icewm
man icewm-menu-fdo
man icewm-session
man icewmbg
man icewmhint
man icewmtrayDid I make a mistake by using root to install?
Should I have installed IceWM using my user?No, and no.
(Installing as user? Sounds like an “Ubuntu thing” and is probably impossible to do so on a debian or antiX system)How do I get my main IceWM menu populated with my apps?
you and bluedxca93 will be in the same boat ~~ you can commiserate regarding the sad state of debian’s “menu mangling meddlement” and you’ll learn to appreciate the significant “value add” provided by the antiX menu manager (featured in the antiX Base//Full editions).
Essentially, you have chosen the path of someone who wishes to use antiX as a systemd-free debian-based system. That’s fine, but the end result won’t be an “antiX operating system”. It will be your own custom, systemd-free, debian-based operating system.
My goal is to learn more about
[..]sudo apt install strace ldd
read the manpages, and develop a habit of using strace, lsof, ldd and similar utilities
(discovered via “apropos <whatever>”) to gain X-ray vision and similar superpowerscompgen -c | wc -l
https://www.cyberciti.biz/open-source/command-line-hacks/compgen-linux-command/
In a typical “desktop GNU/Linux operationg system”, we have 2000+ preinstalled tools at our fingertips !
Xecure
Search for the other thread regarding setting up antix+fluxbox from antiX core. Replace fluxbox for icewm packages.
The most important thing you need is desktop-session-antix
antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.
anticapitalista
Any user starting from net or core wanting to login via startx, you MUST install xserver-xorg-legacy AND edit the /etc/X11/Xwrapper file to include these lines:
allowed_users = console needs_root_rights = yesPhilosophers have interpreted the world in many ways; the point is to change it.
antiX with runit - leaner and meaner.
and you’ll learn to appreciate the significant “value add” provided by the antiX menu manager (featured in the antiX Base//Full editions).
Essentially, you have chosen the path of someone who wishes to use antiX as a systemd-free debian-based system. That’s fine, but the end result won’t be an “antiX operating system”. It will be your own custom, systemd-free, debian-based operating system.
Yes, I understand that what I am trying to do is not going to get me the “real” antiX provided by the BASE and FULL versions. But I was assuming that there was some way to duplicate what is already setup in antiX BASE, at least as far as the menus go. But I am not experienced in this and I am trying to learn.
I will try a similar technique as bluedxca93 and try copying over a menu file from one of my antiX BASE systems. But I am not sure how it all gets manipulated. For now I will assume there is a link statement in one of those antiX curated menus that brings in the menu-applications menu that is sitting in /usr/share/icewm.
So, maybe I am understanding now that there is no script in any of the packages that I have installed that will do this setup for me. I was thinking that I could simply add some antiX ready made script. I will keep at it. And yes, I do indeed appreciate the value added by antiX. Still trying to figure out how to use CORE to create my own system. It has been suggested that we learn to create our own antiX since that is one of the strengths of antiX. But it’s a hard row to hoe for those of us who do not have a programming and developer background.
Again, I much appreciate your assistance. I will keep reading and experimenting.
Seaken64
Xecure
See how to install desktop-session-antiX (in buster):
https://antixlinuxfan.miraheze.org/wiki/Desktop_Session#InstallationOnce you finish setting things up things, would you mind helping complete this wiki thread?
https://antixlinuxfan.miraheze.org/wiki/IceWMantiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.Search for the other thread regarding setting up antix+fluxbox from antiX core. Replace fluxbox for icewm packages.
The most important thing you need is desktop-session-antix
Thank you, I haven’t read that thread yet. I will look for it.
Any user starting from net or core wanting to login via startx, you MUST install xserver-xorg-legacy AND edit the /etc/X11/Xwrapper file to include these lines:
allowed_users = console needs_root_rights = yesI had read that. I will go ahead and do that. I had assumed that since I was successful in using startx that I was good to go. But I will follow your instructions here and install xserver-xorg-legacy and edit the Xwrapper file.
Thanks
Brian Masinick
I wish to thank all the forum members who I have learned from. I have read a lot of threads and got a lot of good tips. I am not very good at this development stuff but I want to get better so I can help other users of antiX to keep one of the main purposes of antiX alive – that being the use of old computers that have been left behind by other operating systems.
A special shout out to those who have started or shared in threads about building up on antiX core, or shared how to modify and setup IceWM or other window managers.
dolphin-oracle
anticapitalista
skidoo
BobC
Christophe
Manyroads
andfree
rokytnji
Brian Masnick
Macondo
PPCand anyone else who has shared this topic but I haven’t mentioned yet. I’ll keep reading and learning. When I have finally completed a project I will share my own tips and tricks and add to the topic the best I can.
Seaken64
I’m sure you’d want to also include Xecure.
Since
dolphin-oracle
anticapitalista
skidoowere mentioned, it is appropriate to add Dave, bitjam, SamK at a minimum to this list. I hope we didn’t accidentally forget anyone else; if so, please add them in. There are also some fine developers that work for other distributions who have done plenty of great work, but that would be super difficult to include everyone without snubbing very important contributors. Just remember that thousands of people from every continent that I can think of have made important contributions to free and open software and be thankful.
If you have a favorite application or a favorite distribution, tool, whatever, I know that many of us don’t have a lot of spare “pocket change”, but we can help in various ways: art work, documentation, technical assistance in forums, promoting our favorite distributions, keeping the “peace” and reminding people that we’re all contributing to something here. Even if we have different economic, political, faith, natural remedies, or whatever other passions and differences, we can do positive things by sharing whatever skills, gifts, time, talent, or simply encouragement that we can offer. Those who can occasionally contribute financially to a development effort or whatever, that can sometimes help greatly too.
Today, let’s thank one another for participating in an excellent collaborative effort!
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Brian Masinick
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