UWM(1)

NAME
uwm - a window manager for X

SYNTAX

uwm [-display display] [-f filename]

DESCRIPTION

The uwm program is a window manager for X.

When uwm is invoked, it searches a predefined search path to locate any uwm startup files. If no startup files exist, uwm initializes its built-in default file.

If startup files exist in any of the following locations, it adds the variables to the default variables. In the case of contention, the variables in the last file found override previous specifications. Files in the uwm search path are:

  /usr/lib/X11/uwm/system.uwmrc
  $HOME/.uwmrc

To use only the settings defined in a single startup file, include the variables resetbindings, resetmenus, resetvariables at the top of that specific startup file.

OPTIONS

-f filename
    Names an alternate file as a uwm startup file.

STARTUP FILE VARIABLES

Variables are typically entered first, at the top of the startup file. By convention, resetbindings, resetmenus, and resetvariables head the list.

autoselect/noautoselect
    places the menu cursor in the first menu item. If unspecified, the menu cursor is placed in the menu header when the menu is displayed.

background=color
    specifies the default background color for popup sizing windows, menus, and icons. The default is to use the WhitePixel for the current screen.

bordercolor=color
    specifies the default border color for popup sizing windows, menus, and icons. The default is to use the BlackPixel for the current screen.

borderwidth=pixels
    specifies the default width in pixels for borders around popup sizing windows, menus, and icons. The default is 2.

delta=pixels
    indicates the number of pixels the cursor is moved before the action is interpreted by the window manager as a command. (Also refer to the delta mouse action.)

foreground=color
    specifies the default foreground color for popup sizing windows, menus, and icons. The default is to use the BlackPixel for the current screen.

freeze/nofreeze
    locks all other client applications out of the server during certain window manager tasks, such as move and resize.

grid/nogrid
    displays a finely-ruled grid to help you position an icon or window during resize or move operations.

hiconpad=pixels
    indicates the number of pixels to pad an icon horizontally. The default is five pixels.

hmenupad=pixels
    indicates the amount of space in pixels that each menu item is padded to the left and to the right of the text.

borderwidth=pixels
    indicates the width in pixels of the border surrounding icons.

iconfont=fontname
    names the font that is displayed within icons. Font names for a given server can be obtained using xlsfonts(1).

maxcolors=number
    limits the number of colors the window manager can use in a given invocation. If set to zero, or not specified, uwm assumes no limit to the number of colors it can take from the color map. maxcolors counts colors as they are included in the file.

mborderwidth=pixels
    indicates the width in pixels of the border surrounding menus.

normali/nonormali
    places icons created with f.newiconify within the root window, even if it is placed partially off the screen. With nonormali the icon is placed exactly where the cursor leaves it.

normalw/nonormalw
    places window created with f.newiconify within the root window, even if it is placed partially off the screen. With nonormalw the window is placed exactly where the cursor leaves it.

push=number
    moves a window number pixels or 1/number times the size of the window, depending on whether pushabsolute or pushrelative is specified. Use this variable in conjunction with f.pushup, f.pushdown, f.pushright, or f.pushleft.

pushabsolute/pushrelative
    pushabsolute indicates that the number entered with push is equivalent to pixels. When an f.push (left, right, up, or down) function is called, the window is moved exactly that number of pixels.

    pushrelative indicates that the number entered with the push variable represents a relative number. When an f.push function is called, the window is invisibly divided into the number of parts you entered with the push variable, and the window is moved one part.

resetbindings, resetmenus, and resetvariables
    resets all previous function bindings, menus, and variable entries, specified in any startup file in the uwm search path, including those in the default environment. By convention, these variables are entered first in the startup file.

resizefont=fontname
    identifies the font of the indicator that displays dimensions in the corner of the window as you resize windows. See xlsfonts(1) for obtaining font names.

resizerelative/noresizerelative
    indicates whether or not resize operations should be done relative to moving edge or edges. By default, the dynamic rectangle uses the actual pointer location to define the new size.

reverse/noreverse
    defines the display as black characters on a white background for the window manager windows and icons.

viconpad=pixels
    indicates the number of pixels to pad an icon vertically. Default is five pixels.

vmenupad=pixels
    indicates the amount of space in pixels that the menu is padded above and below the text.

volume=number
    increases or decreases the base level volume set by the xset(1) command. Enter an integer from 0 to 7, 7 being the loudest.

zap/nozap
    causes ghost lines to follow the window or icon from its previous default location to its new location during a move or resize operation.

BINDING SYNTAX

function=[control key(s)]:[context]:mouse events:" menu name "

Function and mouse events are required input. Menu name is required with the f.menu function definition only.

Function

f.beep
    emits a beep from the keyboard. Loudness is determined by the volume variable.

f.circledown
    causes the top window that is obscuring another window to drop to the bottom of the stack of windows.

f.circleup
    exposes the lowest window that is obscured by other windows.

f.continue
    releases the window server display action after you stop action with the f.pause function.

f.focus
    directs all keyboard input to the selected window. To reset the focus to all windows, invoke f.focus from the root window.

f.iconify
    when implemented from a window, this function converts the window to its respective icon. When implemented from an icon, f.iconify converts the icon to its respective window.

f.kill
    kills the client that created a window.

f.lower
    lowers a window that is obstructing a window below it.

f.menu
    invokes a menu. Enclose `menu name' in quotes if it contains blank characters or parentheses.
        f.menu=[control key(s)]:[context ]:mouse events:" menu name "

f.move
    moves a window or icon to a new location, which becomes the default location.

f.moveopaque
    moves a window or icon to a new screen location. When using this function, the entire window or icon is moved to the new screen location. The grid effect is not used with this function.

f.newiconify
    allows you to create a window or icon and then position the window or icon in a new default location on the screen.

f.pause
    temporarily stops all display action. To release the screen and immediately update all windows, use the f.continue function.

f.pushdown
    moves a window down. The distance of the push is determined by the push variables.

f.pushleft
    moves a window to the left. The distance of the push is determined by the push variables.

f.pushright
    moves a window to the right. The distance of the push is determined by the push variables.

f.pushup
    moves a window up. The distance of the push is determined by the push variables.

f.raise
    raises a window that is being obstructed by a window above it.

f.refresh
    results in exposure events being sent to the window server clients for all unobscured or partially obscured windows. The windows will not refresh correctly if the exposure events are not handled properly.

f.resize
    resizes an existing window. Note that some clients, notably editors, react unpredictably if you resize the window while the client is running.

f.restart
    causes the window manager application to restart, retracing the uwm search path and initializing the variables it finds.

Control Keys

By default, the window manager uses meta as its control key. It can also use ctrl, shift, lock, or null (no control key). Control keys must be entered in lower case, and can be abbreviated as: c, l, m, s for ctrl, lock, meta, and shift, respectively.

You can bind one, two, or no control keys to a function. Use the bar (|) character to combine control keys.

Note that client applications other than the window manager may use pointer button and control key combinations. If the window manager has bound these combinations for its own use, the client application will never see the requested pointer input.

Context

The context refers to the screen location of the cursor when a command is initiated. When you include a context entry in a binding, the cursor must be in that context or the function will not be activated. The window manager recognizes the following four contexts: icon, window, root, (null).

The root context refers to the root, or background window, A (null) context is indicated when the context field is left blank, and allows a function to be invoked from any screen location. Combine contexts using the bar (|) character.

Mouse Buttons

Any of the following mouse buttons are accepted in lower case and can be abbreviated as l, m, or r, respectively: left, middle, right.

With the specific button, you must identify the action of that button. Mouse actions can be:

down
    function occurs when the specified button is pressed down.

up  function occurs when the specified button is released.

delta
    indicates that the mouse must be moved the number of pixels specified with the delta variable before the specified function is invoked. The mouse can be moved in any direction to satisfy the delta requirement.

MENU DEFINITION

After binding a set of function keys and a menu name to f.menu, you must define the menu to be invoked, using the following syntax:
    menu = " menu name " {
    "item name" : "action"
           .
           .
           .
    }

Enter the menu name exactly the way it is entered with the f.menu function or the window manager will not recognize the link. If the menu name contains blank strings, tabs or parentheses, it must be quoted here and in the f.menu function entry. You can enter as many menu items as your screen is long. You cannot scroll within menus.

Any menu entry that contains quotes, special characters, parentheses, tabs, or strings of blanks must be enclosed in double quotes. Follow the item name by a colon (:).

Menu Action

Window manager functions
    Any function previously described. E.g., f.move or f.iconify.

Shell commands
    Begin with an exclamation point (!) and set to run in background. You cannot include a new line character within a shell command.

Text strings
    Text strings are placed in the window server's cut buffer.

    Strings starting with an up arrow (^) will have a new line character appended to the string after the up arrow (^) has been stripped from it.

    Strings starting with a bar character (|) will be copied as is after the bar character (|) has been stripped.

Color Menus

Use the following syntax to add color to menus:
    menu = "menu name" (color1:color2:color3:color4) {
    "item name"  : (color5 :color6)  : " action "
           .
           .
           .
    }

color1
    Foreground color of the header.

color2
    Background color of the header.

color3
    Foreground color of the highlighter, the horizontal band of color that moves with the cursor within the menu.

color4
    Background color of the highlighter.

color5
    Foreground color for the individual menu item.

color6
    Background color for the individual menu item.

Color Defaults

Colors default to the colors of the root window under any of the following conditions:

1) If you run out of color map entries, either before or during an invocation of uwm.

2) If you specify a foreground or background color that does not exist in the RGB color database of the server (see /usr/lib/X11/rgb.txt for a sample) both the foreground and background colors default to the root window colors.

3) If you omit a foreground or background color, both the foreground and background colors default to the root window colors.

4) If the total number of colors specified in the startup file exceeds the number specified in the maxcolors variable.

5) If you specify no colors in the startup file.

Customizing Icon Names

Icon names may be editted by placing the pointer inside the icon and typing. The Backspace, Rubout and Delete keys may used to remove a character from the end of a line and Control-U may be used to delete the whole name.

EXAMPLES

The following sample startup file shows the default window manager options:
    # Global variables
    #
    resetbindings;resetvariables;resetmenus
    autoselect
    delta=25
    freeze
    grid
    hiconpad=5
    hmenupad=6
    iconfont=oldeng
    menufont=timrom12b
    resizefont=9x15
    viconpad=5
    vmenupad=3
    volume=7
    #
    # Mouse button/key maps
    #
    # FUNCTION    KEYS  CONTEXT  BUTTON    MENU(if any)
    # ========    ====  =======  ======    ============
    f.menu =      meta  :     :left down   :"WINDOW OPS"
    f.menu =      meta  :     :middle down :"EXTENDED WINDOW OPS"
    f.move =      meta  :w|i  :right down
    f.circleup =  meta  :root :right down
    #
    # Menu specifications
    #
    menu = "WINDOW OPS" {
    "(De)Iconify":	f.iconify
    Move:		f.move
    Resize:		f.resize
    Lower:		f.lower
    Raise:		f.raise
    }
    menu = "EXTENDED WINDOW OPS" {
    Create Window:			!"xterm &"
    Iconify at New Position:	f.lowericonify
    Focus Keyboard on Window:	f.focus
    Freeze All Windows:		f.pause
    Unfreeze All Windows:		f.continue
    Circulate Windows Up:		f.circleup
    Circulate Windows Down:		f.circledown
    }

RESTRICTIONS

The color specifications have no effect on a monochrome system.

Some versions of lex have a hard-wired input buffer limit of 200 characters with no checking for overflow. A .uwmrc file containing lines longer than this limit will cause unpredictable behavior when used with a version of uwm built on such a system.

FILES

 /usr/lib/X11/uwm/system.uwmrc
 $HOME/.uwmrc

SEE ALSO

X(1), Xserver(1), xset(1), xlsfonts(1)

COPYRIGHT
COPYRIGHT 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS SOFTWARE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION. DIGITAL MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE SUITIBILITY OF THIS SOFTWARE FOR ANY PURPOSE. IT IS SUPPLIED "AS IS" WITHOUT EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY.

IF THE SOFTWARE IS MODIFIED IN A MANNER CREATING DERIVATIVE COPYRIGHT RIGHTS, APPROPRIATE LEGENDS MAY BE PLACED ON THE DERIVATIVE WORK IN ADDITION TO THAT SET FORTH ABOVE.

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that the name of Digital Equipment Corporation not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software without specific, written prior permission.

AUTHOR
M. Gancarz, DEC Ultrix Engineering Group, Merrimack, New Hampshire, using some algorithms originally by Bob Scheifler, MIT Laboratory for Computer Science.