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5. AfterStep Configuration

5.1 Where are the AfterStep configuration files?

There are two places AfterStep configuration files could be. The global directory is usually /usr/local/share/afterstep/ (unless you installed from a binary package, or specified a different place). All configuration files should be here, and really shouldn't be edited. The preferred method for changing your configuration is copying the file you wish to change to ~/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep/, the personal configuration file directory. When AfterStep starts, it first reads ~/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep for files, and those that it does not find, it reads from /usr/local/share/afterstep.

5.2 Explain what all these configuration files do.

The following is a list of all the AfterStep configuration files, and their purpose:

A more in-depth explanation of these files can be found in the man pages.

5.3 What is this .steprc everyone keeps talking about?

.steprc was the old AfterStep configuration file. In eariler versions you put all your configuration (look, feel, Wharf, Pager, startmenu, etc) into the .steprc, and it was read when AfterStep started. This style has been abandoned for the split file directory structure configuration style. The current style makes it easier to configure AfterStep, and apply themes.

5.4 How do I add things to my startmenu?

Add entries in the start/ directory structure in your AfterStep configuration directory. To add an entry for Pine in an xterm, for example, you would create a file 'pine' in the correct directory, and put: 

Exec "Pine" exec xterm -e pine
in it. Then update your startmenu, and there should be an entry "Pine"

5.5 How do I remove some of these titlebar buttons?

Edit your look file. The TitleButton tags tell AfterStep which images to use for which titlebar buttons. The syntax is: 

TitleButton button_number unclicked_image clicked_image
Where the button number is from 1-10: [1][3][5][7][9] (title) [10][8][6][4][2].

5.6 How do I change what happens when I click on a certain titlebar button?

Edit your feel file. The Mouse actions section defines what happens when you click on certain things in AfterStep. 

Mouse mouse_button_number  titlebar_button_number context action
is the syntax.

5.7 How do I remove the titlebar from a window?

You'll need to find the WM_CLASS of the window. AfterStep provides a tool "Ident" for finding out information about all the windows. Run Ident, and click on the window you need information on. The Class: item is the WM_CLASS.

Next edit your database file. You should add an entry like this: 

Style   "WM_CLASS"      NoTitle

The database file also changes other attributes, such as VerticalTitle, NoBorder, Sticky and others. Consult the AfterStep man page (man afterstep) for more information.

5.8 I don't want window focus to follow the mouse, how do I change it so it acts like Microsoft Windows(tm)?

Take a look at the feel.ClickToFocus. Using this feel, you have to click on the window to give it focus, just like in Microsoft Windows(tm).

If you already have a feel you like, and just want to add this feature, look through your feel file for "Raise" and "Focus" stuff, and compare the settings to those in feel.ClickToFocus.

5.9 What are these MyStyles I keep hearing about?

MyStyles are a new development in AfterStep configuration. Using MyStyles, all look related information (module looks, windows, icons, etc) can be put in the look file.

What MyStyles provide is the ability to define a group of settings for a particular configuration option. For example, a MyStyle defining the look of a focused window can define it's font, pixmap, text color, text style, and let another MyStyle define the look of an unfocused window. Because the two MyStyles are separate, you can have focused and unfocused windows that look completly different, very easily.

5.10 How do I get applications to iconify to a different place?

The IconBox setting in the look file. It uses standard X geometry to define a rectangle of the screen to put icons.

5.11 Suddenly, some windows stay on top of everything else, why?

With the default feel, and many others, double-clicking on a window titlebar toggles a window's always-on-top state. Double-click again to remove it. If you want to remove this feature, locate the lines in your feel file that look similar to this (there may be several of them): 

ToggleLayer     "DoubleClick 0 1"
and comment them out, or change them.

It is also possible that you have inadvertently changed your feel. Predictably enough, different feel files define functions such as this differently. Take a look at the supplied feel files to get an idea of their differences, and perhaps identify what feel you may unknowningly be using.

Also, on many systems, using wine seems to interfere with the feel of AfterStep. Reselecting the feel file from the startmenu appears to fix this problem.

5.12 Is there a graphical configuration program for AfterStep?

If you are using 1.6, yes. However, since 1.6 is outdated, it is suggested you upgrade. Andrew Ferguson (andrew@owsla.cjb.net) is developing a new ascp to use AfterStep's native configuration parser. There will be a new 1.8 release once this project is completed. Email him, or check the 1.9 tree to use developmental ascp (please note development. It will not compile, nor work at this point in time.)

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