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Pachimon is Asian specialty! "Qvwm" provides the most Windows 95 like environment on X Window System.


Qvwm can be compiled and can run in many environments.

  • AIX
  • BSD/OS
  • FreeBSD/NetBSD/OpenBSD
  • HI-UX/WE2
  • HP-UX
  • IRIX
  • Linux
  • MkLinux
  • NEWS-OS
  • OS/2
  • OSF1
  • Solaris
  • SunOS4
  • UNIX SV
  • UXP/DS

In further detail, see this table. If you can compile and run qvwm in an environment where there are not in the table, please resister the environment in this form.

Qvwm can be installed in the following three ways.

  • Install with configure script
    1. Run './configure'.
      By default, qvwm is installed in /usr/local/bin and *.qvwmrc and pixmaps/*.xpm are installed in /usr/local/share/qvwm. To change the prefix (/usr/local/), run './configure --prefix=...'.
    2. Run 'make'.
    3. Run 'make install'.
    4. Copy system.qvwmrc to ~/.qvwmrc and customize it as you like. For more information about how to write the configuration file, see the manual (qvwm.man). kanji.qvwmrc is a sample of a configuration file with kanji characters.
    5. Modify your ~/.xinitrc for starting X Window System from the console (by xinit or startx) or ~/.xsession for logging in from xdm. If there is no initialization file, create a file of the following contents: 
              exec qvwm
      If there is either initialization file and if the end of the file includes another window manager's name, replace it with "qvwm". For example, if the last line is 
              exec twm
      replace it with 
              exec qvwm
      If the file does not inlcude any window manager's name, remove "exec" of the end of the file and attach "&" to the end of the line if any, and insert "exec qvwm" in the end of the file. As a result, for example, the initialization file is like: 
              xterm &
        exec qvwm
      To start qvwm from console, run xinit (or startx).

  • Install with Imakefile
    1. In Config.tmpl, modify QVWMDIR to the directory where you install system.qvwmrc, and PIXDIR to where you install pixmaps. Also, modify the other variables according to your environment.
    2. Run 'xmkmf -a'.
    3. Run 'make'.
    4. Run 'make install' and 'make install.man'.
    5. Same as 4. in INSTALL with configure above.
    6. Same as 5. in INSTALL with configure above.

  • Install with Makefile.std
    1. Modify Makefile.std in the top directory.
    2. Run 'make -f Makefile.std'.
    3. Run 'make -f Makefile.std install'.
    4. Same as 4. in INSTALL with configure above.
    5. Same as 5. in INSTALL with configure above.

Attentions

  • Make with default setting if you don't know the meaning of the variables. When errors happen during compiling or linking, you can modify the setting, based on the error information.
    Check out the following points in Config.tmpl if you use Imakefile.
    • Define NEED_XPG4 because libxpg4 is necessary to be linked if you use locale in FreeBSD.
    • Undefine SHAPE in the environments where X Window System has no shape extension.
    • Undefine HAVE_USLEEP in the environments where the OS does not provide usleep().
    • Undefine HAVE_RAISE in the environments where the OS does not provide raise().
    • Qvwm outputs debug information if DEBUG is defined.
  • Qvwm uses Xpm library. You cannot compile without it.
  • When Sun standard make may cause some problems, you'd better use gmake.
  • You may fail to compile when you use yacc and lex instead of bison and flex. I included yaccsrc.cc and lexsrc in this qvwm distribution, so you probably don't have problems. When the compiler remake yaccsrc.cc and lexsrc.cc for their date/time, please renew them with touch command or so.
  • Some systems don't have stdarg.h in /usr/include. But when you have gcc installed, maybe you can find in /usr/lib/gcc-lib/MACHINE/ VERSION/include or so, try copying that to /usr/include.

    • About -DX_LOCALE compile option

    In some environments, this option causes a locale problem. The following table shows the ralation between a compile option of X Window System and one of qvwm.

    X qvwm Compile Execute
    o o success no problem
    o x success locale error
    x o fail ---
    x x success not internationalized if locale
    implementation in libc is incomplete


    Qvwm Manual Page
    This manual page explains command line options and how to write a configuration file.
    How To Use
    How to use qvwm.
    qvwm configuration files 'How-to'(pdf)
    Howto for configuration files, written by John McCreesh.


    1. Concepts
      1. What's qvwm?
      2. Why do the accompanying pixmaps flip horizontally?
      3. Where does qvwm go?
    2. Installation
      1. A configure script stops by "test: argument expected" in Solaris 2.x.
      2. Qvwm outputs "Can't open display" when you start qvwm.
    3. Functions
      1. I cannot close a window by clicking on the exit button ([x] button at upper right).
      2. I pressed a maximize button but the window is not maximized.
      3. I cannot change the size of a window.
      4. It takes some time before a button is really pressed after you press it.
      5. Qvwm exits strangely and my keyboard hangs up.
      6. It takes some time from pushing button until start menu appears.
      7. Window doesn't appear though there is a taskbar button and it's not minimized.
      8. I can't drag window to other screen properly.
    4. Configurations
      1. I can't double click properly.
      2. I would like to move title bar faster when minimize or maximize.
      3. I would like to shorten the time to change virtual lages.
      4. I would like to switch virtual pages more sensitively.
      5. I would like to change the size of the virtual screen.
      6. I want to change the place and the size of the pager.
      7. I would like to change the location of the taskbar on start.
      8. I want to change the wall paper.
      9. I don't want to show dialog box when exit.
      10. My machine have slow CPU, so I want to show only frame when drag.
      11. I want to let it active the window under the mouse cursor.
      12. I prefer the active window is the most upper.
      13. I want to change the delay time of AutoRaise.
      14. I want to use my original icons.
      15. A window of kinput2 flickers when I input Japanese characters in Netscape.

    Concepts

    Q1. What's qvwm?

    A. Qvwm is a Windows 95/98/NT like window manager for X Window System. Qvwm has almost the same GUI as Windows 95/98/NT. Originally, "Qvwm" derived from "95 Window Manager" ('q' has the same pronounce in Japanese and almost same shape as '9', and 'v' is '5' in Roman number). But it also stands for "98 Window Manager" ('v' flipped vertically is similar with '8' in kanji character).


    Q2. Why do the accompanying pixmaps flip horizontally?

    A. Qvwm provides a similar GUI with Windows 95/98/NT. At first glance, you might not distinguish which OS runs in the machine. To prevent it, we flip all pixmaps horizontally. The second reason is that we revolt against Microsoft slightly.

    Installation

    Q1. A configure script stops by "test: argument expected" in Solaris 2.x.

    A. Fix the next line in the configure script from:
        if test $ac_cv_func_vfork_works = no; then
    to 
        if test "$ac_cv_func_vfork_works" = no; then
    It seems to be a bug of autoconf 2.12. Let me know if you solve this problem in smart ways.


    Q2. Qvwm outputs "Can't open display" when you start qvwm. A. You seem to start qvwm from console. (Console is a MS-DOS like screen that cannot display graphics basically.) Since qvwm is a window manager that can run only on X Window System, start X Window System first by executing xinit (or startx). If you modify ~/.xinitrc according to INSTALL.en, qvwm starts automatically.

    Functions

    Q1. I cannot close a window by clicking on the exit button ([x] button at upper right).

    A. You cannot use the exit button when the window is suspended. Please select Kill from the control menu to force exit.


    Q2. I pressed a maximize button but the window is not maximized.

    A. Some applications limit the maximum size of the window. In such cases, the window only moves to upper left and lost frame.


    Q3. I cannot change the size of a window.

    A. Some applications limit the minimum and/or maximum size of the window. In such cases, you cannot change the size over the limitation.


    Q4. It takes some time before a button is really pressed after you press it.

    A. This seems to be the nature of X Window System.


    Q5. Qvwm exits strangely and my keyboard hangs up.

    A. Login from remote host to run qvwm 'qvwm -display that_problem_machine:0' and then quit correctly.


    Q6. It takes some time from pushing button until start menu appears.

    A. To make its initialization faster, qvwm reads pixmaps when you press thei start button for the first time. So, start menu takes some time the first time.


    Q7. Window doesn't appear though there is a taskbar button and it's not minimized.

    A. It may be displayed at the outside of the virtual window. Select 'move' from the taskbar button with right click and move it with cursor. You see it at the inside of the virtual window if you're lucky. You may also configure the size of virtual window bigger and restart qvwm.


    Q8. I can't drag window to other screen properly.

    A. Move your mouse a little bit at the edge of the screen. Or you can set the value of PagingBeltSize bigger.

    Configurations

    Q1. I can't double click properly.

    A. Increase the value of DoubleClickTime or DoubleClickRange.


    Q2. I would like to move title bar faster when minimize or maximize.

    A. Decrease the value of TitlebarMotionSpeed.


    Q3. I would like to shorten the time to switch virtual pages.

    A. Decrease the value of PagingResistance.


    Q4. I would like to switch virtual pages more sensitively.

    A. Increase the value of PagingBeltSize.


    Q5. I would like to change the size of the virtual screen.

    A. Change the value of PagingSize.


    Q6. I want to change the place and the size of the pager.

    A. Change the value of PagerGeometry.


    Q7. I would like to change the location of the taskbar on start.

    A. Set TaskbarPosition to a location (Bottom, Top, Left, Right).


    Q8. I want to change the wall paper.

    A. Specify a xpm file you want to use. The file must be put in PixmapPath or PIXDIR directory of a compile option.


    Q9. I don't want to show dialog box when exit.

    A. Set UseExitDialog to False.


    Q10. My machine have slow CPU, so I want to show only frame when drag.

    A. Set OpaqueMove to False.


    Q11. I want to let the window under the mouse cursor active.

    A. Set ClickToFocus to False.


    Q12. I prefer the active window is the most upper.

    A. Set AutoRaise to True.


    Q13. I want to change the delay time of AutoRaise.

    A. Decrease the value of AutoRaiseDelay.


    Q14. I want to use my original icons.

    A. Specify your icon directory and put the xpm file there.


    Q15. A window of kinput2 flickers when I input Japanese characters in Netscape.

    A. Add the following line in [Applications] section of your configuration file: 
       "Kinput2"   NO_FOCUS


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