(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Home: http://www.nongnu.org/ratpoison/
Version: 1.4.3

Ratpoison is a simple Window Manager with no fat library dependencies, no fancy graphics, no window decorations, and no rodent dependence. It is largely modelled after GNU Screen which has done wonders in the virtual terminal market.

The screen can be split into non-overlapping frames. All windows are kept maximized inside their frames to take full advantage of your precious screen real estate.

To start, log out and type Basic commands:
Ctrl-T + c = creates a new terminal
Ctrl-T + n = shows the next window
Ctrl-T + k = closes the actual window

Config file is /root/.ratpoisonrc
Manpage is at /usr/share/doc/ratpoison/ratpoison.1.html
For help on keystrokes type Ctrl-T + ?
Online-Doc is at http://www.nongnu.org/ratpoison/doc/

Added setting in .ratpoisonrc
Ctrl-T + a = Clock and Calendar
Ctrl-T + y = Directinput for commands
Ctrl-T + b = Directinput for url opens defaultbrowser with url
Ctrl-T + f = Directinput for searchword opens pfind with searchresult

All input/output will be through the status bar at the upper right corner.

Works with rox-desktop, but as windows are always fullscreen, this does only 'help', if no window is opened. Does not work well with a panel like fbpanel.

Cheers
aragon

Thanks, but I can't get it to work on the Acer Aspire One. This has Openbox as the wm. It installed ok, but when I exit to a prompt (control-alt-backspace) and type "xwin ratpoison" BOTH wm's start at once, creating a non-functional mess that needs power-off to stop.

I need to find out how to prevent Openbox from starting.

Heyho... Gerry

hi gerry,

sorry to hear that. maybe contact plinej or gray, they seem to be very famliliar with openbox.

cheers
aragon

I need to find out how to prevent Openbox from starting.

it could be that openbox is started in you /root/.xinitrc file.

please could you show us what is in it?

jamesjeffries2 wrote:

I need to find out how to prevent Openbox from starting.

it could be that openbox is started in you /root/.xinitrc file.

please could you show us what is in it?

also check /etc/windowmanager and type the WM you want to run like
jwm
icewm-sessions
openbox
etc
then just restartx server and your new window manager will run.
ttuuxxx

old thread,

solution might be that fbpabel/lxpanel are directly called from xinitrc if installed.

open near end of file change only line if [ "$CURRENTWM" .... to save and restart X.

Maybe this helps.

aragon

So here I am a few years on using precise, looking for a little change and stumbled across this pet. Downloaded fine, installed fine, and here I am using it now
If anyone knows where one can get a pet of the latest version that would be great, not that I have a reason for needing it :/

hi,

please try it with the attached package.

Compiled also in 4.3.1 but not heavily tested.

aragon

Just tried this new 1.4.6 pet in precise 5.6 and it seems to work good. Thanks aragon.
I'm by no means a power/knowledgeable user, so if there's a way I can test it other than just general use be sure to let me know.

the-jub wrote: I'm by no means a power/knowledgeable user, so if there's a way I can test it other than just general use be sure to let me know.

no just use it, that's enough

aragon

aragon wrote:old thread,

solution might be that fbpabel/lxpanel are directly called from xinitrc if installed.

open

Code: Select all

root/.xinitrc

near end of file

Code: Select all

#v3.95 support fbpanel tray/taskbar...
#only launch tray for w.m. without inbuilt tray...
if [ "$CURRENTWM" != "jwm" -a "$CURRENTWM" != "icewm" ];then
 [ -f /usr/bin/fbpanel ] && fbpanel &
 [ -f /usr/bin/lxpanel ] && lxpanel &
fi

change only line if [ "$CURRENTWM" .... to

Code: Select all

...
if [ "$CURRENTWM" != "jwm" -a "$CURRENTWM" != "icewm" -a "$CURRENTWM" != "ratpoison" ];then
...

save and restart X.

Maybe this helps.

aragon

actually ubuntu installs ratpoison in powerful way: if you install the debian menu package, ratpoison includes the debian menu and if you have an other window manager like Kde or the minimalist twm included in full xorg (you probably will have an other wm!) you can commute to it after the start of ratpoison so that you can use ratpoison as a kind of xdm: login in console, start ratpoison and you can decide there which kind of session you will continue: work inside ratpoison possibly without mouse or select a more comfortable wm having the mouse connected!

OK, i shall see, i come back for return info.
I create a brand new pupsave, because i am not sur to be able to manage this Ratpoison.french topic ratpoison here.

I did try it today in tahr pup 6.0 rel. Oct, 2014

it works but it is a real row method connecting it using .initrc!

probably there is a *.pet somewhere making possible to commute to other wm using a «dialog»?

very good is that ratpoison seems to continue to use the full decoration of the Puppy linux applications

bad is that no menu can be used and Puppy linux does not include some «grun»! it is necessary to navigate with rox to /usr/bin and select the app's in the tree. it is not really performant!

(in Debian / Ubuntu the menu from package Debian-Menu with 9menu for Ratpoison can be used through the transaction CtrlT. (control t point) and you find there an item to Debian menu (does not include some KDE menu!!!) and to other WM's registered in the installation (but not always the reserve: you can't not commute back to ratpoison in each other WM! WM's are so restrictive like Microsoft !))

The best way seems don't to chance somewhat in /root/,initrc

but to restart in console mode through the menu «menu» where you can start
and you are in ratpoison (observe the little ratpoison's command and message line being for a short time in the top right corner of the screen!)

you see now all you usual icons!

and I would urgently recommand to begin to hit at rox (home icon)!

so you have indirectly defined rox to be screen 0 (CtrlT0 also control t zero) in ratpoison

go to

/usr/bin

and hit right mouse key (I know! I know! ratpoison does not love mouses!!! but as first step in the use of ratpoison, it is perhaps better as more easy for you - next reboot, you can do all that directly in commando line environment ) on

wmexit

and select "link" to /root/wmexit or /root/exit

and do the same with

wmreboot

with wmreboot, hitting on that link in /root, you can reboot the PC (but ratpoison will reappear if you use a save dir or file as long you don't do following procedure:)

and

with wmexit you can restart in the commando line level

and restart with your lovely conventional window manager:

xwin jwm

or

xwin lxde.

an other interesting link in /root would be a link to

/usr/local/bin

as you find there all default-applications (oh! you don't know until yet those documents? open it and look! they are simple texts and you can adapt it to your own needs and feeling and the icons on the desktop will in the future do that what you did choice yourself! hitting on it in that directory does the same as hitting on one icon!...)

as you (probably, now) have rox in window no. 0 of ratpoison you can use rox as "clicking menu" in

ratpoison (has you don't find there the usual ratpoison menu under CtrlT. !)

enjoy it!

(if you are a real purist, you also can open first the console and do all that in commando line! it is easy! if you like commando line environment, have please a look here! and here! Important: Ratpoison is not CLI at all but a lot of graphic app's can not really work well without mouse!)

more?

here please http://www.nongnu.org/ratpoison/doc/

and if you love free and frugal kind of working, try Xombrero, the full performance browser needing no mouse but using «Vi» style commands (sorry but Ctrlt has to belong and be reserved for «ratpoison» but you can open new sites using the command


todo: shrink an actual version of puppy and include/prefer such app's needing no mouse to remaster it

Works better than DWM with Opera - Ctrl-T does not conflict with Opera commands like the Alt-L and Alt-R of DWM, another tiling keyboard friend WM.

X-Slacko Slim was reduced about 20MB by replacing XFCE with ratpoison.

Ratpoison is quick to learn. Create, switch between, and kill full-screen windows. I use X primarily just for graphical browsing.

sindi wrote:Works better than DWM with Opera - Ctrl-T does not conflict with Opera commands like the Alt-L and Alt-R of DWM, another tiling keyboard friend WM.

X-Slacko Slim was reduced about 20MB by replacing XFCE with ratpoison.

Ratpoison is quick to learn. Create, switch between, and kill full-screen windows. I use X primarily just for graphical browsing.

You can change the modifier key in DWM though (the Windows key is a good choice).

https://dwm.suckless.org/customisation/windows_key

I'm still experimenting with tiling managers at the moment and haven't yet settled on one, but I think dwm is pretty good.

Colonel Panic wrote:I'm still experimenting with tiling managers at the moment and haven't yet settled on one, but I think dwm is pretty good.

Hi Colonel, just in case you don't know this:
https://linuxbbq.org/cream.html

Happy week end.

Galbi wrote:

Colonel Panic wrote:I'm still experimenting with tiling managers at the moment and haven't yet settled on one, but I think dwm is pretty good.

Hi Colonel, just in case you don't know this:
https://linuxbbq.org/cream.html

Happy week end.

And to you too!Thanks, I've tried LinuxBBQ; the one problem with it is knowing what the commands are for the various window managers. Ratpoison for example has Ctrl-T, Ctrl-C to open a terminal, but it's something different in i3 (Mod-Enter I believe). It's the same story with launching applications in the various WMs.

My way of doing it is to start off with Blackbox, launch Firefox from there and then switch from Blackbox into whichever tiling or other window manager I'm using at the time; that way I can bring up the manager's homepage in Firefox and read its commands off from there. (It would probably work with Fluxbox or Openbox too, instead of Blackbox).

Hi Colonel Panic.

Here's a thought:
You could make yourself a few cheat sheets of the commands of the window
managers that you use with the name < window_manager.txt >. You would save
them in /root/my-documents.

Then, in /root/Startup you could have a script that goes Written like this, the script gets you the info for any WM you are booting with.

IMO, that would be much simpler, faster and more efficient than getting out the
Firefox "regiment" to Timbuctu and back every time you need this info -- when
you actually only need to retrieve a note to yourself from your "local post office"!!!

IHTH. BFN.

musher0 wrote:Hi Colonel Panic.

Here's a thought:
You could make yourself a few cheat sheets of the commands of the window
managers that you use with the name < window_manager.txt >. You would save
them in /root/my-documents.

Then, in /root/Startup you could have a script that goes

Code: Select all

#!/bin/ash
# WM cheat sheet
leafpad /root/my-documents/`cat /etc/windowmanager`.txt

Written like this, the script gets you the info for any WM you are booting with.

IMO, that would be much simpler, faster and more efficient than getting out the
Firefox "regiment" to Timbuctu and back every time you need this info -- when
you actually only need to retrieve a note to yourself from your "local post office"!!!

IHTH. BFN.

Good idea! AntiX does already do that with its herbstluftwm window manager; when you boot into it for the first time you're greeted with a short document giving you a couple of basic commands, and a note of where to go if you want a tutorial about it. (I think it could give more commands, but at least it's a start).

My comments were more about what to do if you boot into a tiled window manager, such as wmii, for the first time and aren't sure what to do if you want to launch an application, open a new terminal or move to another workspace. And in that situation, the method I was describing at least works.

What can I say?

Make yourself a cheat sheet for wmii. Learn it by heart, and then you will NOT have
to load it in wmii.

Joke aside, I do not know wmii. Is it possible in wmii to have an icon on the
desktop to access its cheat sheet ? Or maybe a menu entry at the top or bottom
of its menu? (Somewhere you can't miss!)

In any case, IMO, this is a convenience that all developers of window managers
should provide to their users. A new user should NOT have to write a cheat sheet
for the WM and find an easy way to display it. The logic of this should be obvious
to all devs: a NEW user does not know how to use the WM yet.

IHTH.