Re: newbie questions

[Riccardo Mottola]

Hi,

Richard Danter wrote:
> I have tried installing GNUstep on both an Ubuntu Linux machine with a
> GNOME desktop and on a NetBSD machine which is rather old (hardware, not
> NetBSD version) and since it can't cope with either GNOME or KDE is
> currently using good old Motif Window Manager.
>   
Well, I run it on NetBSD too, it works fine. I run it so I do not need 
to run GNOME or KDE, idnependently if the machine is capable of "coping" 
with them or not. Why should I hog my machine?
>  1. Can GNUstep apps have a "native" look and feel?
>   
No, but it can be color-schemed, themed and the menustyle bar can be 
changed. The free-floating icon can be disabled, but it is useful, if 
you use WIndowMaker as a windowmanager it will be recognized and 
"docked" properly.
> I have looked arounf the GWorkspace web site and Google has taken me to
> many new web sites with tones of interesting information, but I can't
> seem to find a simple step-by-step guide to getting a full GNUstep
> desktop.
>
> On NetBSD right now I have XDM running so I have a lightweight graphical
> login, then a .xsession file in my home area which simply runs an xterm
> and mwm.
>
> I have tried simply replacing mwm with GWorkspace but it seems that it
> is not a window manager (there is no border/title bar so I can't move or
> size the windows. I also had a problem with it actually finding
> GWorkspace executable since I don't think my .bashrc file is being
> executed before .xsession and so the environment is not being set up. I
> solved that by sourcing the GNUstep.sh script in /etc/profile but I am
> not sure that is the correct solution.
>
> So what is the correct .xsession file supposed to look like? What win
> manager should I run, or did I do something else wrong?
>   
As you noticed, GWorkspace is not a windowmanager. GNUstep is capable of 
handling almost everything (it can even draw the window decorations by 
itself) but it neesd a window manager currently.

I strongly suggest WindowMaker for its look but also for the good 
integration with, for example, the mini-windows. WindowMaker and 
GWorkspace have some functionality duplicated, like the dock. If you 
wish to use windowmaker's just disable gworkspace's.


Let me clarify two points though:
- you do not need strictly to run GWorkspace to run a gnustep application
- you need a windowmanager, WindowMaker is a possible option

in your session, you can en either start windowmaker and then exec 
GWorkspace or viceversa. The point in having gworkspace exec'd is that 
wen it terminates you get back to xdm. GWorkspace can control all open 
gnustep apps, so it will present you with a real "log off" option.
The only drawback of this approach is that if something in gnustep 
crashes you exit your whole X session. If you do tests, run on unstable 
versions it might affect you sometimes.

Riccardo