I'm looking to configure some things in IceWM

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1

Hello. I recently installed openSUSE Leap 15.2, choosing the IceWM setup over the Gnome and KDE setups. I browsed the included help file for it (at usr/share/doc/packages/icewm/icewm.html) but I am still uncertain how to make basic changes. For instance, there is an email applet for Mutt on the panel*, which I’d like to change to Claws Mail. Also, I am able to manually add a Network Manager applet to the panel (via running nm-applet), but I would like this to be started automatically at boot in. I saw from the documentation that an example prefoverride file was available at /etc/icewm, and it suggest that if I copy this to my user’s home directory at /home/mark/.icewm, I could then alter that file which would make my desired changes come true. I tried this, then rebooted, but it made no difference. Either that’s not a correct way to approach it or I made an error.

So, how do people configure things in openSUSE’s IceWM setup?

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  • this may be referred to as “taskbar” in IceWM parlance, rather than “panel”. I’m not sure.
2

https://ice-wm.org/manual/
https://ice-wm.org/FAQ/

And so on.

3

It’s a while since I did any config for icewm.

Whatever I did is in “.icewm” under my home directory.

I have 3 files there: focus_mode preferences startup

“focus_mode”:

This file contains 1 line:

FocusMode=2

I probably created the file with a text editor. That setting is about the equivalent of “Focus follow mouse” in KDE. I probably did a web search to find out how to do that.

“preferences:”

I originally copied that from “/etc/icewm”, then modified it. But that file isn’t currently in “/etc/icewm”, though here is a “preferences.yast2” – maybe that’s the same thing. I see the line:

TaskBarAutoHide=1 # 0/1

and that’s probably the only line that I changed. It is intended to auto-hide the task bar.

“startup”:

I think I created this myself with a text editor. But I see that there is now a file with that name in “/etc/icewm”, so you could copy that for an initial version. That’s where you could start “nm-applet”. I’m not using wifi on my desktop, so I’m not currently doing that. But I have done that in the past on my laptop. I also have it open an “xterm”.

4

Thanks, that worked.

I still can’t figure out how to change a lot of stuff though (in spite of the available manuals and faqs). I’m finding IceWM to be trickier than JWM, which I’ve used before. For instance, I see no reference to Mutt in the start file, or in the other files in the various directories (like /etc/icewm, or /usr/share/icewm). Yet on the panel there is a link to Mutt. Where do I go to change this to Claws Mail? I dunno.

Meh, I’m confused as to how to proceed. So, if anyone else has some concrete insights, do please share.

5

If what you’re really after by choosing IceWM is a very lightweight environment, you might wish to consider KDE3 from openSUSE buildservice, or TDE. I use both, KDE3 24/7. Neither DE is very resource hungry, as the following from a fresh TW installation last night on an antique PC suggests:

# inxi -Cy
CPU:
  Info: **Single Core** model: Pentium III (Coppermine) **bits: 32** type: MCP
  L2 cache: 256 KiB
  Speed: 702 MHz min/max: N/A Core speed (MHz): 1: 702
# inxi -GIMSay
System:
  Host: s2846 Kernel: 5.9.1-2-default i686 bits: 32 compiler: gcc v: 10.2.1
  **Desktop: Trinity R14.0.9** tk: Qt 3.5.0 info: kicker wm: Twin 3.0 **dm: TDM**
  Distro: openSUSE Tumbleweed 20201111
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: Tyan model: Intel 440BX/GX v: Rev. 4 serial: 00000000
  BIOS: American Megatrends v: 063101 date: 07/15/99
Graphics:
  Device-1: Matrox Systems MGA G400/G450 driver: matrox_w1 v: kernel
  bus ID: 01:00.0 chip ID: 102b:0525
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: matrox_w1 note: display driver n/a
  FAILED: mga unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa display ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1280x1024 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 339x271mm (13.3x10.7")
  s-diag: 434mm (17.1")
  Monitor-1: default res: 1280x1024 hz: 77
  OpenGL: renderer: llvmpipe (LLVM 11.0.0 128 bits) v: 4.5 Mesa 20.2.1
  compat-v: 3.1 direct render: Yes
Info:...Shell: Bash v: 5.0.18 running in: konsole inxi: 3.1.09
# free
              total        used        free      shared  buff/cache   available
Mem:         495392      134324       81852        1404      279216      346244
Swap:       4875652         264     4875388
# df /
Filesystem     1K-blocks    Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/sdb7        6460497 1668643   4460436  28% /
6

Hi,
Try to install the IceWMCP (Icewm control panel)

7

Thanks mrmazda and conram. Good to know that KDE can be a light computing experience. At some point I may try it (it’s been years since I last used KDE, but I liked it then, so trying it again might be good). And, I’ve installed IceWMCP, so I’ll give that a look. I did earlier figure out how to change stuff in the menu, so I’m pretty happy with my progress. I still am trying to figure out how to alter some things on the panel though.