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INSTALL.md

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Not so Common Desktop Environment (NsCDE) Manual

Installation Dependencies

For NsCDE to work, essential software is FVWM Window Manager. Almost all is based on it. Since NsCDE is heavy user of infostore internal variables and other new features of FVWM, initial development has been done on FVWM versions from 2.6.7 to 2.6.9. At this time, this are recommended, versions of FVWM2 for NsCDE, while FVWM3 should be used from the most recent version possible because it is still a bit beta, and bug fixes from fvwm.org are introduced often.

Other software dependencies, used by NsCDE are:

  • AT&T original Korn Shell 93. All shell script routines inside configuration, helper scripts and FvwmScript helpers are written in Korn Shell (ksh). Clones such as pdksh, mksh and some other variants found by default on some *BSD core systems canot be drop in replacement. Korn Shell is available and it is free. Use you systems' package manager to install it, or fetch it from here: https://github.com/att/ast

  • Xorg utils (Fedora/CentOS RPM xorg-x11-utils) - xdpyinfo, xprop ...

  • Util xdotool - only if FVWM is not patched with WindowName patch for the FvwmButtons

  • ImageMagick (display, convert, import) - really needed.

  • Xscreensaver - optional, but Screen Style Manager will not exist without it. Something needs to be installed for locking the screen on the real workstation. Freely omitted in virtual machines.

  • cpp - C preprocessor for xrdb functionality - for X resources integration. Used by xrdb(1).

  • xorg-x11-server-utils (CentOS, Fedora name) - xrdb, xset, xrefresh mandatory for startup, some style managers and menus.

  • python-yaml - needed for python part of the color theme management and for Gtk+Qt integration.

  • PyQt4, PyQt5 or possibly python3-qt4, python-qt5 or python3-qt5 or ... This is unfortunate dependency which is further dependent on Qt libraries. NsCDE tries to have as less as possible dependencies, specially indirect (dependencies of dependent dependencies of dependencies ...). Gtk/Qt integration is borrowed from CDEtheme Motif/CDE theme project and adapted for use with FVWM (instead of heavy Xfce dependency) or standalone engine. In part of the Theme.py code, some png pixmaps are cut and colored with functions from this API. With present job and lack of time, there was no time to do this without PyQt5 or PyQt4 for the first public release.

  • Gtk2, Gtk3, Qt4, Qt5, qtconfig-qt4, qt5ct, qt5-qtstyleplugins (optional) There is a great chance this libraries and some usefull programs using them are already installed on user's system. If Gtk and Qt integration is activated in [70]Color Style Manager, there is no point not to have it installed. Notice about Qt4 and Qt5: qt4-config (or qt-config) and qt5ct: Although colors will be applied, for font setting to take effect, qtconfig-qt4 (or qtconfig) must be run, something changed back and forth, and then applied/saved - no matter that you will see fonts of your choice already selected. This can be considered a bug. Same goes for Qt5. Notice about Qt5: QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME environment variable must be set, and be set to qt5ct value in order to run qt5ct configurator.

  • Recommended fonts for as close as possible CDE look are DejaVu Serif for variable, and DejaVu Sans Mono for monospaced fonts. Check should be made if this fonts are installed on the system. For Solaris CDE look, Lucida Sans and monospaced Lucida Sans Typewriter should be installed, selected and used instead. (optional)

  • xterm (initial user setup is done with xterm)

  • gettext

  • Stalonetray for tray facility (optional, highly recommended)

  • Dunst notification daemon (optional, highly recommended)

  • XSETTINGS - xsettingsd daemon for theme and X settings dynamic management (optional, highly recommended)

  • gkrellm - recommended optional addon

  • rofi - recommended optional addon

  • xclip - recommended optional addon

  • picom - (X compositor) optional addon that may fix tearing issues

  • python3

  • python34-pyxdg or python3-pyxdg or python36-pyxdg or ... (FVWM)

  • DejaVu Serif Font (common names: dejavu-fonts dejavu-serif-fonts ttf-dejavu fonts-dejavu-core

Known system specific package dependencies

  • All systems

Installing NsCDE with autoconf/automake make install requires some development packages:

  • autoconf and automake
  • X11 development headers (libx11-dev on Debian and friends)
  • Xext development headers (libxext-dev on Debian and friends)
  • XPM development headers (libxpm-dev on Debian and friends)
  • ... and of course, C compiler (gcc, clang ...)
  • make tool

On RPM based Linux distributions, this packages are often called libX11-devel, libXext-devel and libXpm-devel.

  • Arch / Artix / Manjaro
# Use your AUR helper of choice (e. g. trizen) to install the package
trizen -S nscde
# Alternatively install the -git package to get the latest sources
trizen -S nscde-git
  • Debian / Devuan / Ubuntu / Mint / MX Linux
sudo apt update
sudo apt dist-upgrade
sudo apt install -y ksh xutils/x11-utils xdotool imagemagick \
    xscreensaver x11-xserver-utils python3-yaml python3-pyqt5 \
    qt5ct qt5-style-plugins stalonetray xterm python3 \
    python3-xdg libstroke0 xsettingsd fvwm fvwm-icons \
    libfile-mimeinfo-perl gkrellm rofi xclip libx11-dev \
    libxext-dev libxpm-dev gettext build-essential xinit \
    fonts-dejavu-core
  • Fedora / RHEL / CentOS / RockyLinux / openEuler
sudo dnf update
sudo dnf install -y ksh xorg-x11-utils xdotool ImageMagick xscreensaver \
    python3-pyyaml python3-qt5 qt5ct qt5-styleplugins \
    stalonetray xterm python3 python3-pyxdg libstroke xsettingsd \
    fvwm perl-File-MimeInfo gkrellm rofi xclip dejavu-serif-fonts
  • FreeBSD/ DragonflyBSD/ GhostBSD/ MidnightBSD
su
pkg install wget ksh93 xorg ImageMagick7 xscreensaver \ 
    py39-yaml py39-qt5 qt5ct qt5-style-plugins 
    stalonetray xterm python3 py39-xdg libstroke xsettingsd \ 
    fvwm3 p5-File-MimeInfo gettext gkrellm2 rofi
  • Gentoo/ Funtoo / Calculate/ Sabayon/ Redcore
echo "app-shells/ksh \n
    x11-base/xorg-x11 \n
    x11-misc/dunst \n
    x11-apps/xdpyinfo \n
    x11-apps/xprop \n
    x11-misc/xdotool \n
    media-gfx/imagemagick \n
    x11-misc/xscreensaver \n
    dev-python/pyyaml \n
    dev-python/PyQt5 \n
    x11-misc/qt5ct \n
    dev-qt/qtstyleplugins \n
    x11-misc/stalonetray \n
    x11-terms/xterm \n
    dev-lang/python \n
    dev-python/pyxdg \n
    dev-libs/libstroke \n
    x11-misc/xsettingsd \n
    x11-wm/fvwm \n
    dev-perl/File-MimeInfo \n
    app-admin/gkrellm \n
    x11-misc/xclip \n
    x11-misc/rofi" > /etc/portage/sets/nscde-desktop
emerge --sync
emerge -auvDN @world
emerge @nscde-desktop --autounmask-write
etc-update --automode -3
emerge @nscde-desktop
  • OpenMandriva
sudo dnf update
sudo dnf install -y xorg xdotool imagemagick xscreensaver \
    python-pyyaml python-qt5 qt5ct qt5-style-plugins \
    stalonetray xterm python3 python-xdg llib64stroke0 xsettingsd \
    fvwm2 perl-File-MimeInfo gkrellm rofi xclip
cd ~
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/att/ast.git
./bin/package make
sudo ./bin/package install
  • OpenSUSE Leaf /Tumbleweed / GeckoLinux
sudo zypper ref
sudo zypper up
sudo zypper in ksh-93uv xorg xdotool ImageMagick xscreensaver \
    python3-pyyaml python3-PyQt5 qt5ct libqt5-styleplugins \ 
    stalonetray xterm python3 libstroke xsettingsd fvwm2 \
    perl-File-MimeInfo gkrellm rofi xclip dejavu-fonts
  • Void Linux
xbps-install -Su
xbps-install -Sy xorg xdotool ImageMagick xscreensaver \
    python3-yaml python3-PyQt5 qt5ct qt5-styleplugins \ 
    stalonetray xterm python3 python3-xdg xsettingsd \
    fvwm3 perl-File-MimeInfo gkrellm rofi xclip
cd ~
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/att/ast.git
./bin/package make
sudo ./bin/package install

cd ~
wget http://ftp.udc.es/debian/pool/main/libs/libstroke/libstroke_0.5.1.orig.tar.gz
tar -zxvf libstroke_0.5.1.orig.tar.gz
cd libstroke-0.5.1
./configure
make
sudo make install
  • SparkyLinux
sudo apt update && sudo apt dist-upgrade && sudo apt install nscde-desktop

Installation

When FVWM and above mentioned dependencies are met, NsCDE can be installed and used. Present installation is very simple:

# su - (or sudo -i)
umask 0022
cd /tmp

# Thein either:
wget https://github.com/NsCDE/NsCDE/archive/<version>.tar.gz
tar xpzf <version>.tar.gz
cd NsCDE-<version>

# or:
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/NsCDE/NsCDE.git
cd NsCDE

# ... and then:
./configure
make
make install

That's it. NsCDE is installed. You may need to restart your X Display Manager (such as lightdm, gdm, sddm ...) for NsCDE entry to appear as an login option.

NsCDE Startup

If not invoked from X Display Manager, NsCDE X session can be started from the $HOME/.xsession in last command line as exec /opt/NsCDE/bin/nscde, or ssh-agent /opt/NsCDE/bin/nscde or with gpg-agent, lxsession or whatever).

If supported by the X Display Manager which is in use, an xsession file /opt/NsCDE/share/examples/xsession-integration/nscde.desktop when put in /usr/share/xsessions by the installer or manually (or in whatever place your system and your X Display Manager reads this files) and then selected from the manager's menu or similar selector. See the rest of the X Session Manager integration examples are in directory /opt/NsCDE/share/examples/ for Cinnamon, MATE, KDE, LXDE and similar DE integrations and play with this if you like.

Initial Configuration

Upon the first (successful) start, ~/.NsCDE, that is $FVWM_USERDIR is created, and only icons subdirectory is created as nscde-fvwm-menu-desktop is run. User will be presented with a default system setup and with default color theme Broica in 8 colors, and f_FindTerm function will try hard to find some usable terminal application and run it with setup. If Gkrellm, pnmixer and/or stalonetray programs are installed, on the system and found, they will be run too.

Initial setup is a simple script ($NSCDE_TOOLSDIR/bootstrap) from the terminal which will run automatically and will set up the following:

  • X resources in ~/.NsCDE
  • Default background color (pre-FvwmBacker) from default theme
  • Default ~/.NsCDE/NsCDE.conf
  • New ~/.NsCDE/GeoDB.ini with some sane defaults
  • ~/.icons/default/index.theme (default X cursor scheme)
  • ~/.gtkrc-2.0
  • ~/.config/gtk-3.0/settings.ini
  • ~/.themes/NsCDE
  • ~/.config/Trolltech.conf
  • ~/.config/qt5ct/qt5ct.conf

Note that no file from the above list will be overwritten if it already exists in it's place. It will be skipped, but GTK and Qt theme integration files can be still written with Color Style Manager. After bootstrap script finishes setup, Color Style Manager will be run and user asked to confirm default theme or change it. Do not avoid this step, since some program bits are not fully setup on bare defaults, (like a clock background) and must be generated in the ~/.NsCDE/icons/NsCDE directory.

After Color Style Manager's OK button is pressed, theme will be regenerated. Gtk and Qt themes will be regenerated only if their checkboxes in Color Style Manager are checked in. Setup script after the finish will ask user to press RETURN to exit. This is for user's convenience to read output of the setup for informative and/or diagnostic reasons. It is advised after this setup to open $FVWM_USERDIR/NsCDE.conf and set up InfoStoreAdd internal FVWM variables for terminal, filemgr and xeditor to user's favorite programs for functions.

Layout of the $FVWM_USERDIR after the initial setup should look like this:

  • app-defaults/
  • backdrops/
  • palettes/
  • fontsets/
  • config_templates/
  • photos/
  • backer/
  • GeoDB.ini
  • icons/
  • icons/NsCDE/
  • Backdrops.fvwmgen
  • Colorset.fvwmgen
  • NsCDE.conf
  • tmp/
  • Xdefaults
  • Xdefaults.fontdefs
  • Xdefaults.local
  • Xdefaults.mouse
  • Dunst.conf
  • Stalonetray.conf
  • NsCDE.rasi (NsCDE Rofi theme)
  • Xsettingsd.conf

It is advised to logout and login from the X session after this, and check if everything looks ok. Also, it is a good idea to start using programs from the menu and examine environment around for a half an hour or so, before running Style Manager (2nd button right of the Workspace Manager on the Front Panel) to customize other aspects of the interface. NsCDE is now ready for usage.