CISE Help & Resources
WindowMaker Setup at CISE
Beginning Summer 2004, CISE introduced a new desktop configuration based on the Window Manager WindowMaker.
This page gives an introduction to the capabilities of the new desktop.
More information on WindowMaker can be found at the WindowMaker main web site.
Features of the New Desktop
The WindowMaker desktop provides the following functionality:
- built-in GUI configuration utility that (mostly) eliminates the need to hand edit config files
- application Dock (similar to NEXTSTEP/MacOS X Dock)
- ability to change all preferences and menus on-the-fly without having to restart the window manager for most Desktop customizations
- support for multiple workspaces (aka "virtual desktops")
- popup menus that support keyboard traversal, which can be "pinned" to the root window
- built-in themes support
- optional superfluous animations, such as window shading, customizeable icon miniturization effects, slide/scrolling menus, and much more
Components of the New Desktop
Below is a screenshot detailing the common components of the new desktop (click to enlarge):
- Clip: The Clip allows users to change between desktops
- Dock: The dock contains icons for programs that can be launched quickly by double-clicking
- Console Window: This is the machine console. The console messages of the machine will be displayed here
- Terminal Window: This is the default terminal that pops up when users log in
- Main Menu: This is the Main Menu for the WindowMaker Desktop, contains applications that can be launched and settings that can be used to customize the user's desktop
- Icons: These are minimized version of running programs
CISE Customizations
Note: On the Suns, the Meta Key is the "Diamond" key right next to Alt. On Linux, the Meta Key usually *is* the Alt Key.
Users can change most of these defaults by running the WPrefs app (double click on the second icon in the Dock) except where noted.
The following customization have been made to the default WindowMaker setup:
- Hot Keys:
- Meta Key and Keypad: The Meta Key can be used
in conjunction with the Keys on the numeric keypad to
quickly switch desktops.
By default on CISE systems, the the Desktops start with Meta-Home (Meta-7), and then go numerically across and down, so Meta-{7,8,9} correspond to Desktops 1, 2, 3, Meta-{4,5,6} correspond to Desktops 4, 5, 6, and Meta-{1,2,3} correspond to Desktops 7, 8, 9, with Meta-0 being Desktop 10. If this is confusing, users can remap the keys with the WPrefs utility (the second icon in the Dock). - Meta-F10 is for quick iconification of any running application.
- Meta Key and Keypad: The Meta Key can be used
in conjunction with the Keys on the numeric keypad to
quickly switch desktops.
- Window Operations:
Generally, any window operation can be performed by Right Clicking on the title bar of a window and selecting the operation from the resulting menu.
Meta-<Button> means hit the meta key and click that button, so Meta-Right is right click while holding down the meta key.- Resize:
- Left click on bottom bar
- Meta-Right on Main Window
- Move:
- Left click on title bar
- Meta-Left on Main Window
- Meta-Middle on Main Window
- Raise:
- Left click on title bar
- Meta-Left on Main Window
- Lower:
- Meta-Left on Title Bar
- Resize: