[Solved]What WM would be best for a dedicated console emulator box?

Scotty · 2010-12-22 05:39:08

Hey all

So, using a recycled, slightly old small-form-factor computer, I am making a dedicated emulation box. It will run game console emulators for every game system I can think of. But anyways, that is what I intend to use this box for, and only that. I have been setting it up from an Arch Linux base install, aiming to consume the least resources I can (because it is an older box, and I want the best performance with my emulators). I need a recommendation on a Window manager that therefore:

-Does not have ANY sort of taskbars/titlebars/other stuff in the way.
-Consumes the least resources possible

Now, the current winner is just a default X11 shell that is seen when xinit is run. However, the shell does not cover the whole screen. I want the screen to be all one colour. Because I want the look of using this box with my friends to make it look put together.

Any recommendations?
Scott

Last edited by Scotty (2010-12-23 19:02:17)

thayer · 2010-12-22 06:42:39

Scotty wrote:

Now, the current winner is just a default X11 shell that is seen when xinit is run. However, the shell does not cover the whole screen. I want the screen to be all one colour. Because I want the look of using this box with my friends to make it look put together.

$ xsetroot -solid '#111111'
$ xsetroot -solid white
etc...

Otherwise evilwm is about as barebones as you get...

karol · 2010-12-22 07:18:07

I'm not sure if a WM will help with "covering the whole screen". Dwm is very very light, so you can give it a shot.

ryuslash · 2010-12-22 10:04:14

yeah DWM, perhaps without a taskbar could be an idea, or perhaps awesome without a wibox, or any tiling window manager without it's panel

Meyithi · 2010-12-22 10:08:26

I dunno about dwm, it has some bugs with fullscreen apps - funnily enough emulators seem to give it trouble, ScummVM will not run fullscreen on my install for instance.

I'd vote for Openbox, it has no taskbar or anything by default, windows will be initially themed but you can disable window borders and even the right click menu if you wish.

Scotty · 2010-12-22 17:18:25

Meyithi wrote:

I dunno about dwm, it has some bugs with fullscreen apps - funnily enough emulators seem to give it trouble, ScummVM will not run fullscreen on my install for instance.
I'd vote for Openbox, it has no taskbar or anything by default, windows will be initially themed but you can disable window borders and even the right click menu if you wish.

I was thinking openbox at first, because I use it on my main computer and know it pretty well. Thanks.

I was considering dwm, but thanks for the advisory about the fullscreen bugs.

I'll give evilwm a shot too. And give making the x11 shell bigger a shot too.

Thanks for the recommendations, but I have another quick question:

Is there any way to automatically login to the root account on the TTY without the use of X? This machine, once setup, will be only in my house and not connected to the internet, so the dangers of running as root are virtually 0. I want this because, on boot, I will just have to press power, and then without doing anything (aided by a bit of bash) I will be taken to a menu of sorts to select what console and game I want to play.

Scott

karol · 2010-12-22 17:24:43

Why do you need to be root? Maybe just give your regular user some more power. It's harder to fsck things up this way.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Au … on_startup

Last edited by karol (2010-12-22 17:25:54)

Scotty · 2010-12-22 22:49:14

karol wrote:

Why do you need to be root? Maybe just give your regular user some more power. It's harder to fsck things up this way.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Au … on_startup

I don't imagine I'd screw something up once it's setup - once I have it setup, it will automagically login, then call up an interactive shell script asking what console and game the person wants to play. Then the script will automatically launch the emulator and load the game. Unless someone plugs in a keyboard, boots it up, then switches to another TTY, then runs something stupid, it's pretty hard to screw something up.

Thanks anyways,

Scott

karol · 2010-12-22 23:37:19

If you put 'root' as the USERNAME it should work. Doubly so if you don't have any other user created :-)

moljac024 · 2010-12-23 00:07:43

Why would you need root though? I don't get it...

Scotty · 2010-12-23 03:02:27

moljac024 wrote:

Why would you need root though? I don't get it...

I don't need root at all, I just don't see a point in setting up another user and their permissions, and then having to worry about that new user's permissions with scripts. I'm just lazy . There are no real dangers of running as root for this machine, because it will not have an Ethernet cable plugged in, except to set it up. And because it is inside my house, with no sensitive information on it. I realize the dangers of running as root on a production machine connected to the internet.

Thanks everyone, I am going to complete the setup of my machine tonight.

Scott

Arch Linux

#1 2010-12-22 05:39:08

[Solved]What WM would be best for a dedicated console emulator box?

#2 2010-12-22 06:42:39

Re: [Solved]What WM would be best for a dedicated console emulator box?

#3 2010-12-22 07:18:07

Re: [Solved]What WM would be best for a dedicated console emulator box?

#4 2010-12-22 10:04:14

Re: [Solved]What WM would be best for a dedicated console emulator box?

#5 2010-12-22 10:08:26

Re: [Solved]What WM would be best for a dedicated console emulator box?

#6 2010-12-22 17:18:25

Re: [Solved]What WM would be best for a dedicated console emulator box?

#7 2010-12-22 17:24:43

Re: [Solved]What WM would be best for a dedicated console emulator box?

#8 2010-12-22 22:49:14

Re: [Solved]What WM would be best for a dedicated console emulator box?

#9 2010-12-22 23:37:19

Re: [Solved]What WM would be best for a dedicated console emulator box?

#10 2010-12-23 00:07:43

Re: [Solved]What WM would be best for a dedicated console emulator box?

#11 2010-12-23 03:02:27

Re: [Solved]What WM would be best for a dedicated console emulator box?

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