Responding to [email protected]: Thanks Steve, this looks very useful. I've added a link to it at my own ctwm notes page.
You wrote: > I mentioned I was writing documentation about ctwm for > Troubleshooters.Com. I finished the docs, and they're at > http://troubleshooters.com/linux/ctwm I have sampled only part of it, and I am sure many will find it helpful. However I was mystified by the section on icons. It made me think you were not aware of the usefulness of the Iconmanager, even though you mention it: http://troubleshooters.com/linux/ctwm/overview.htm states .... The trouble is, these icons don't appear in any protected place, or any special place at all. You click the Iconize button (leftmost button), and the window is replaced by a little icon, which rides on top of all the windows until a focused window covers it, at which it's lost unless you hunt around or use the IconManager. Isn't that exactly what the iconmanager is for? On my desktop PC at home, I alternate between local use and remote use of a desktop PC in my office (Birmingham University), e.g. where I read and respond to mail (text only) using alpine and manage my online web pages, among other things. E.g. I am writing this in a local xterm window, logged through remotely from my home PC. In a particular workspace (virtual desktop) I may have several windows with different functions, some local and some remote, with only a subset open at any time, e.g. partly read pdf files (mostly using xpdf), text editor open with unfinished task (eg writing this email message, editing my .ctwmrc, editing a web page, editing an unfinished document...). Ctwm is therefore an essential part of my brain: extended working memory. So I need multiple workspaces/desktops with different functions, accessed via WorkspaceManager (using keyboard actions). I also have a couple of workspaces with several web browser windows (running locally), each with several tabs, open at various locations that I use as resources (e.g. browsing work by a researcher, wikipedia entries, checking my web page edits, news, video lectures, etc.) With all those windows, especially multi-tab browser windows, I could not function without the iconmanager reminding me what I have in each workspace (e.g. several iconized pdf files, multiple browser windows, text editor, etc.) and making it easy to select a desired invisible window. A serious problem with some browsers (e.g. opera) that interferes with this functionality is that they don't give windows titles, which I need for selecting between several browser windows. Matthew Fuller recently gave me a partial solution: shell commands to assign titles to windows, though it's a nuisance to have to do that for each new browser window opened. Selecting NoSortIconManager helps -- if I remember roughly the order in which windows were opened. A different serious problem in firefox is that it keeps changing the window title when a new tab is selected, so that the contents of the iconmanager keep changing. This is why I am moving from firefox to opera, despite having to assign window titles manually in opera. Anyhow I could not survive without the iconmanager to remind me what's available in each workspace. I suspect I am not the only user. Unless I've missed something it requires use of mouse, which you want to avoid, which may be the real reason you have not found it useful? Iconising: Because I so often iconise windows I set right mouse button on title bar to do it so that I don't have to hunt for the iconise button, which is sometimes covered by another window anyway. In view of the above points, I would suggest that you change your wording to something like this (changing 'ize' to 'ise' to match the British(?) spelling in the Man file): You can decide to make each workspace show a (small) 'IconManager' panel listing windows in the workspace, and keeping track of those that have been 'Iconised' (i.e. made invisible except for the entry in the IconManager). To make a window invisible click its entry in the IconManager, or the Iconise button on the window (leftmost button) or some other part of the window designated in your .ctwrc file. The window then disappears, but remains accessible via its icon in the 'IconManager' panel, which you can click to make a selected window visible or invisible. Details of layout and behaviour of the IconManager can be controlled in your ~/.ctwmrc file. [That's part of the story. I think there are other features that I don't use.] I don't know whether it's possible to get iconmanager functionality without using a mouse. I haven't tried! I have to modify the iconmanager geometry according to display size. Having longer window titles visible in the manager is useful, and I can afford that with my desktop PC's display: 1920x1080. On my 11.6inch stonebook mini display 1366x768 everything is more cramped. Thanks again. Aaron
