Arch Linux

OpenBSD

Member

Registered: 2009-02-04

Posts: 43

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

I won't kick this dead horse anymore.  I write the code, I vote.

Marco,

thanks again for contributing here.  Good stuff - I like scrotwm a lot and use it daily.
We got the typical exchange one unfortunately get at times - too bad.  Nobody learns, people piss at each other legs for no benefit.

Thanks for doing things the correct way.
Guess you won't be reading this anymore...

marco_p

Member

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

You're welcome.

marco_p

Member

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

I dropped 9.1; see http://www.peereboom.us/scrotwm/snapshot/

Now with configurable modkey love and fixed column width.  It also includes several bugfixes.

Enjoy.

milomouse

Member

Registered: 2009-03-24

Posts: 940

Website

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

(directed towards anyone)
I feel silly, but I read on Page 2 that when you open something like Firefox, that takes a second or two to load, and switch to another screen it will follow you there. This happens to me quite often and I was wondering how to fix it with LD_PRELOAD=swmhack.so (meaning, where do I put that?) or how to fix it another way? I couldn't make head nor tails of the previous comments about it, hence why I feel silly, hah. Thanks

marco_p

Member

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

I dropped a new scrotwm v 0.9.5.  See http://www.peereboom.us/scrotwm/snapshot/

csstaub

Member

From: Switzerland

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 37

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

Nice work, I've been using scrotwm for a while now and I must say I like it a lot better than all the other tiling WMs. :-)

esodax

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2008-08-10

Posts: 24

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

I just tried scrotwm and like it.
Got one problem though with the status bar (or rather the bar_action option). I can't get any text to show up there, I tried with the default baraction.sh script and a simple echo script I wrote myself, but nothing?
Is there a trick?

# EDIT
Well, I solved it now.
The "trick" was the LF character, apparently I forgot to add it to the stream. The baraction.sh script however didn't work for some other reason.

scrotwm is now my WM.
Thank you.

Last edited by esodax (2009-06-14 12:21:45)

noosphere

Member

Registered: 2009-06-23

Posts: 1

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

I've just made a detailed log of how I got scrotwm 0.9.5 compiled and installed on Gentoo:

http://code.frostglow.com/wm/scrotwm-gentoo.html

I don't have an Arch system to test on, but I think this procedure should work on Arch too.

I just have a couple of questions about using scrotwm:

1 - Can scrotwm use a pipe or a socket to output a constantly updated list of all the desktops, which desktops are filled, which are empty, and which is the current desktop, so that that information could be passed on to something like dzen?

2 - Is it possible to dynamically tag windows, and send windows to various desktops via these tags?

3 - Can a given window be made "sticky" so that it shows up on multiple desktops at once?

4 - Can a key be bound to run an arbitrary command?  (I'd like to have MOD-p always run "gmrun", for example)

I think those are all the features I'm missing from xmonad, that I can't figure out how to do in scrotwm.

I would really love to get these working some day, but until then I think I'm still going to stick with scrotwm, as it's so much more responsive than xmonad, and much easier to configure for someone who doesn't know Haskell.

esodax

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2008-08-10

Posts: 24

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

Thanks noosphere, it works great.
I made a quick package for arch linux users to try:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/fwbg4h

marco_p

Member

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

Dropped 0.9.6.  Now with dynamic key bindings.  Strangely enough this was the most requested feature.  Please test and let me know how it goes.

sand_man

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2008-06-10

Posts: 2,164

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

I might try this out for the first time tonight. Looks interesting.

---

marco_p

Member

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

Dropped 0.9.7.  Fixes several crappy bugs where empty spaces were being left behind and windows that wouldn't appear.

derelict

Member

Registered: 2006-07-25

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

Thanks for the latest version. I've tested (briefly) version 0.9.7 using the PKGBUILD from AUR. I just updated the version number and the md5sum.

The LD_PRELOAD error is still there. I'm not sure if it's the way the package is being built or differences between linux and openbsd.

Also, I'm using 2 monitors of different sizes with an Nvidia card. The screens are set up according to TwinView in the video driver, not through xrandr. Using scrotwm my screen is stretched between both monitors but I have dead space hanging off the bottom of the smaller screen. I have apps down there that I can't see or interact with. Is this simply a configuration issue or a bug?

marco_p

Member

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

I dropped 0.9.9 which is the 1.0 release candidate.

major changes:
- complete rewrite of the focus code which eliminates all known bugs
  including phantom windows, disappearing windows, etc
- add stacking indicator
- fix some crashes
- Make the maximum stack work as one would expect
- Make modal/transient windows appear on the same workspace as the
  parent
- add signaling for reaping of forked stuff and better shut down
  semantics (intel GM chips crash less often now on exit)
- restarting the wm now always focuses windows appropriately

marco_p

Member

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

Alright I got a few helpful bug reports that pushed yet another release.  We are up to 0.9.10 at this point and it is still a 1.0 release candidate.

This version fixes several focus bugs in max stack mode.  It fixes several stress issues that aren't being seen under normal use but I fixed them anyway.

Have a twirl and keep them bug reports coming.

Gentooer

Member

Registered: 2009-10-07

Posts: 5

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

I just switched from xmonad and am really loving scrotwm.  Thanks so much marco_p!

I had one question though.  I see that there is a way to make individual programs run fullscreen by specifying them in the config file.  I have this working fine for mplayer, but I was wondering if it's possible to bind a key to make any window fullscreen (remove border and status bar).  Like if I'm watching youtube in uzbl and want to run it fullscreen.

Also, in case anyone's interested, another Gentoo user has written a patch that lets scrotwm use xft for fonts: http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=284350

marco_p

Member

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

It is actually a surprisingly hard thing to do.  I don't dislike it so I'll add it to my todo of post 1.0.

For now switch the stacking algorithm to full stacking M-space M-space.  That'll be almost full screen.

marco_p

Member

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

I've just made a detailed log of how I got scrotwm 0.9.5 compiled and installed on Gentoo:

http://code.frostglow.com/wm/scrotwm-gentoo.html

I don't have an Arch system to test on, but I think this procedure should work on Arch too.

I just have a couple of questions about using scrotwm:

1 - Can scrotwm use a pipe or a socket to output a constantly updated list of all the desktops, which desktops are filled, which are empty, and which is the current desktop, so that that information could be passed on to something like dzen?

2 - Is it possible to dynamically tag windows, and send windows to various desktops via these tags?

3 - Can a given window be made "sticky" so that it shows up on multiple desktops at once?

4 - Can a key be bound to run an arbitrary command?  (I'd like to have MOD-p always run "gmrun", for example)

I think those are all the features I'm missing from xmonad, that I can't figure out how to do in scrotwm.

I would really love to get these working some day, but until then I think I'm still going to stick with scrotwm, as it's so much more responsive than xmonad, and much easier to configure for someone who doesn't know Haskell.

1. No.
2. No.
3. No.
4. Yes.

I might consider 1, 2 & 3 if someone gives me a use case for each.

keenerd

Package Maintainer (PM)

Registered: 2007-02-22

Posts: 647

Website

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

Regarding stickiness, it would be useful for docks and trays.

I've got a weird bug on 0.9.10, with the default term set to roxterm.  Open a few terminals, start cycling layouts.  Eventually the terminals will all blank and ignore keyboard input.  Restarting scrotwm fixes it, until you start cycling again.  Sometimes cycling layouts fixes things too.

It has been maddeningly difficult to pin down details.  The glitch is very inconsistent.

marco_p

Member

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

That is what the bar is for.  It is sticky.

Regarding your hangs I'd love to figure those out.  I am on a newer version than you where there is a chance I have fixed it.  I see none of these issues in OpenBSD but....  I am actually downloading Arch to test.

Meanwhile if you can attach a gdb to the running scrotwm process and sent me a bt I'd be able to figure out why it is hung.  You can also try the cvs version and see if that fixes it for you.

marco_p

Member

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

Ok installing arch results in a hang when I run startx so I won't be testing it.  Sorry I do not have time to go figure out what the heck is up.  Please send me the bt when you get a hang.

I will run an extra (unplanned) snapshot so that you guys can try out the latest cvs version.

keenerd

Package Maintainer (PM)

Registered: 2007-02-22

Posts: 647

Website

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

For the sake of argument, I don't think the bar can do an OSX style auto hiding dock.  Lots of third party apps can, though.

Practical things.  Just a bt?  Seems like more would be needed.

Started Scrotwm.  Opened three terms.  Started cycling.  Only had to press M+space twice before the terminals went blank.  Attached to the process.

edit:  I read a bit of confusion in your post.  Nothing hangs or crashes.  The terminals just lose the ability to display any text or take keyboard input (just a black screen, no blinking cursor).  The apps in the terminals keep going.  Scrotwm is still responsive.  Restarting Scrotwm is the only 100% reliable fix, but just cycling layouts usually fixes things

Reading symbols from /usr/bin/scrotwm...(no debugging symbols found)...done.
Attaching to program: /usr/bin/scrotwm, process 17978
Reading symbols from /usr/lib/libX11.so.6...(no debugging symbols found)...done.
Loaded symbols for /usr/lib/libX11.so.6
snip: Identical reading/loading messages for 
      /usr/lib/libXrandr.so.2
      /lib/libc.so.6
      /lib/libdl.so.2
      /usr/lib/libxcb.so.1
      /usr/lib/libXext.so.6
      /usr/lib/libXrender.so.1
      /lib/ld-linux.so.2
      /usr/lib/libXau.so.6
      /usr/lib/libXdmcp.so.6
      /lib/libnss_files.so.2
0xb7fa8424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
(gdb) bt
#0  0xb7fa8424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
#1  0xb7deb26d in ___newselect_nocancel () from /lib/libc.so.6
#2  0x080521d3 in ?? ()
#3  0x00000004 in ?? ()
#4  0xbfffce68 in ?? ()
#5  0x00000000 in ?? ()
(gdb)

I am guessing compiling with debug symbols would have been a good idea.  Once I get done with today's buglist I will sort that out.

Last edited by keenerd (2009-10-08 18:48:05)

marco_p

Member

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

Yeah debug symbols would be nice :-)  I always leave them enabled, even in the production code.  I never strip binaries; the amount of disk saved isn't worth the trouble of not getting a useful back trace.

This issue sounds like something I might have fixed.  Give me a few minutes to roll a new snap for you.

Thanks for your time and effort.

marco_p

Member

Registered: 2009-02-09

Posts: 81

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

New snap at: http://www.peereboom.us/scrotwm/snapsho … 0.9.11.tgz

This one will abort if it diagnoses anything bad during switch work space.

ENABLE CORES & DEBUGGING AND DO NOT STRIP THE BINARY!!!

keenerd

Package Maintainer (PM)

Registered: 2007-02-22

Posts: 647

Website

Re: Scrotwm / Spectrwm

Running 0.9.11 made little difference.

Core file: http://kmkeen.com/tmp/core.scrotwm

Started Scrotwm.  Opened a few terms.  Pressed M+space a few times.  It took longer to glitch all terminals, and several times only a single terminal would go blank.  Eventually all terms glitched, attached gdb and generated a core file.

New thing I noticed.  When any number of terminals go blank, you can fix them by M+h or M+l (resizing).  Does the resize send an extra redraw to the terms?

I would suspect roxterm, but there has never been anything like this in any other window manager.  (aewm, awesome, dwm, wmii, evilwm, jwm, larswm, lwm, musca, ratpoison, yeahwm, vtwm, pekwm, antico.  I enjoy oddballs.)

Other new thing I noticed:  on an empty screen, switch master (M+space) will instantly crash scrotwm.

Thanks for all the quick feedback and releases.  Scrotwm has replaced dwm on my P2s.