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HOWTO: evilWM Basic Configuration

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garrincha
Posts: 2335
Joined: 2006-06-02 16:38

HOWTO: evilWM Basic Configuration

#1 Post by garrincha »

HOWTO Create Super-Minimalistic Debian with evilWM:
Though I have seen a case where evilwm ran o.k. on a 16MB RAM & 66 MHz CPU PC, usually with this specification you'll not be able to run some applications properly or at all. I would suggest a minimum recommended of 128MB RAM and 260 MHz CPU to have any useful working applications and good productivity.

I'm using evilwm as example as this what I often use a lot apart from Fluxbox on my PII 350mHz 128MB RAM (now 250+MB RAM) PC. Though similar approach can be done for other window managers like Ratposion, wmii and Ion to create a super-minimalistic debian system.

Evilwm doesn't need an RC file and is approx 200000 bytes and use approx 100kB of RAM - much less than Fluxbox, at least that is what appears to be on my PC. There is nothing to configure! It has no window decoration, just a one-pixel frame with a 'focus-follow-mouse' behaviour.

Evilwm is great especially if you use xbindkeys to make hotkeys in combination with gmrun for starting applications and performing common tasks.

To create a minimalistic system with evilwm as the default window manager:

1) Do a minimalistic Debian installation. See this HOWTO and to do a tune-up see this HOWTO and this HOWTO.

2) Install evilwm:

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apt-get update && apt-get install evilwm
3) Create a startup file. Use nano (or an editor of your choice) to edit or create a startup file for starting from the console via 'startx' command:

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nano ~/.xinitrc
If you use a graphical login, use ~/.xession file instead.
My ~/.xinitrc look like this:

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numlockx &

# Merge X resources from ~/.Xdefaults
[ -f $HOME/.Xdefaults ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xdefaults

# Set the background and root cursor shape
feh --bg-scale ~/images-file/wallpapers/winehouse.jpg
xsetroot -cursor_name left_ptr

# Keys binding
xbindkeys &

# Start evilwm
/usr/bin/evilwm
A generalised ~/.xinitrc for evilwm:

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# Sample .xinitrc for starting evilwm
 
# Merge X resources from ~/.Xdefaults
[ -f $HOME/.Xdefaults ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xdefaults
 
# Set the background and root cursor shape
xsetroot -solid \#400040
xsetroot -cursor_name left_ptr
 
# Start evilwm - snap to borders within 10 pixels
/usr/bin/evilwm -snap 10 &
 
# Transfer control to xclock - killing xclock (with Ctrl+Alt+Escape, say)
# will exit our session
exec xclock -digital -padding 2 -g -0+0
# Or, if you want to be able to exit X with Ctrl-Alt-Backspace only, use this
# dummy line as the last line:
#exec sleep infinity
4) Evilwm usage:
When you first start evilwm from console using 'startx', especially if you do not have the ~/.xinitrc file, you will be greeted by a grey screen, no menu and no tool bar. To launch a program in evilwm, you'll have to launch it in a terminal, so spawn a xterm terminal by typing: <CTRL>+<ALT>+<ENTER>
Then type:

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man evilwm
to read the manual page for evilwm - there are a lot of infomation on usage and keyboard/mouse controls.

5) (Default) keyboard controls:

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<CTRL>+<ALT>
 +<ENTER> Open new terminal (xterm)
 +<h> move window left
 +<j> move window down
 +<k> move window up
 +<l> move window right
 +<y> move window to top left corner
 +<u> move window to top right corner
 +<b> move window to bottom right corner
 +<n> move window to bottom left corner
 +<x> (toggle) maximise window
 +<=> (toggle) maximise window vertically
 +<INSERT> lower current window
 +<ESC> close window
 +<i> window information
 +<f> fix or unfix current window (take it along to another virtual desktop)
 +<1> to +<8> switch to virtual desktop 1 to 8
 +<LEFT> change to the previous virtual desktop
 +<RIGHT> change to next virtual desktop
 +<BACKSPACE> end session

<ALT>+<TAB> cycle active window
To move a window from one virtual desktop to another:

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a) fix it: <CTRL>+<ALT>+<f>
b) switch desktop: <CTRL>+<ALT><n> where n = desktop number from 1 to 8
c) unfit it: <CTRL>+<ALT>+<f>
6) Mouse controls:

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<Alt>
 +Button 1 move window
 +Button 2 resize window
 +Button 3 lower window
7) Launching Programs:
To launch programs inside evilwm, you can use a separate program launcher and bind it to a key using xbindkeys. I use gmrun as a program launcher as it lets you enter commands yourself and has nice features like "bash-like" completion. To install xbindkeys and gmrun:

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apt-get update && apt-get install xbindkeys gmrun
To start xbindkeys, create a default ~/.xbindkeysrc in your HOME directory:

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xbindkeys --defaults > ~/.xbindkeysrc
Add the following line to your ~/.xbindkeysrc file to bind gmrun to a key and launch via xbindkeys:

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"gmrun"
  Alt +F2
substitute "Alt + F2" with any key of your choice, except for scroll lock, as this will stop other parts of evilwm from working when turned on. You can bind other programs such as rxvt-unicode, iceweasel, icedove, abiword etc to keys using xbindkeys. Activate the keybinding by typing xbindkeys in the terminal. If you want xbindkeys to run automatically whenever you log on then simply add the following line to your ~/.xinitrc file:

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xbindkeys &
8) Set a background image. There are many wallpapersetters including Esetroot, wmsetbg, feh, hsetroot, chbg, display, qiv, xv, xsri, xli & xsetbg. I use feh as it is small and very efficient, so I set background in my ~/.xinitrc file:

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feh --bg-scale ~/images-file/wallpapers/winehouse.jpg
where ~/image-blah-blah is path to my images.

9)Misc: Though I bind favourite terminal rxvt-unicode to a key using xbindkeys, you can add:

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/usr/bin/evilwm -term rxvt-unicode
to your ~/.xinitrc file to set your default terminal to something else other than xterm when you spawn it with <CTRL>+<ALT>+<ENTER> keys.

10) Link: EvilWM Homepage.

Gentoo Wiki's HOWTO EvilWM including some suggested programs and/or commands to make EvilWM work for you nicely.

Enjoy!:)
Last edited by garrincha on 2007-08-14 23:48, edited 1 time in total.
Maurice Green on Usain Bolt's 9.58: "The Earth stopped for a second, and he went to Mars."

User avatar
AgenT
Posts: 477
Joined: 2007-01-21 01:25

#2 Post by AgenT »

Very nice and thorough tutorial. It is amazing that EvilWM will run on a 16MB RAM & 66 MHz CPU PC. EvilWM could run even on a router (nevermind that it will not have a VGA port)!

Is EvilWM still being actively developed? Last release was on 2006-04-26 and the repository looks dead.

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garrincha
Posts: 2335
Joined: 2006-06-02 16:38

#3 Post by garrincha »

AgenT wrote: Is EvilWM still being actively developed? Last release was on 2006-04-26 and the repository looks dead.
I don't think that it is actively developed as the last update appears to be over a year ago. Though I find EvilWM very, very useful for old PC, I have one from the late 1980s that I spend time taking apart and putting together again. :P:
Maurice Green on Usain Bolt's 9.58: "The Earth stopped for a second, and he went to Mars."

User avatar
garrincha
Posts: 2335
Joined: 2006-06-02 16:38

#4 Post by garrincha »

A bit late in posting this news from the evilWM webpage:
2007-06-18: Released 1.0.0. Basic Xrandr support (patch from Yura Semashko). Snap-to-border behaviour fixes.
Maurice Green on Usain Bolt's 9.58: "The Earth stopped for a second, and he went to Mars."

scottro
Posts: 4
Joined: 2012-01-22 13:27

Re: HOWTO: evilWM Basic Configuration

#5 Post by scottro »

Worth noting that there have been some relatively recent releases, (at least compared to 2007). 1.1.0pre8 was released in 2009, then in June 2011 1.1.0 was released.

Old though this article is, thank you for it. It's still quite useful.

williamdavid
Posts: 2
Joined: 2013-10-08 03:15

Re: HOWTO: evilWM Basic Configuration

#6 Post by williamdavid »

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