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math0ne — TWM on Windows XP-ArchLinux
Published: 2009-02-03 12:57:39 +0000 UTC; Views: 25190; Favourites: 32; Downloads: 5035
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Description
I've recently taken an interest in tiling window managers. I'm still stuck on Windows for various reasons so I thought I would try to implement a Semi-Tiled setup in XP.I tried numerous tiling window managers for XP. None of them met my needs 100%. The best one i found was a program written by [link] called HashTWM.
I hacked the source code to meet my needs making it so it essentially just strips the frame off of windows i tell it to. The automated window arrangement is then handled by bblean.
Here's a run down of some of the components I'm using in this shot:
Linux
* Colinux (thanks for the inspiration [link] )
* Archlinux
* AwesomeWM
* gvim
* zsh (thanks [link] )
* Putty
Windows
* E Text Editor
* IRSSI ([link] )
* bblean
* bblan skin Mod of celadore by cosmo-krusty
* Wallpaper is Flora Nine by ~Delta909
* Launcher is Executor
* Shutdown is gehrunnerjunge
* BBInterface
* BB WinTyler
* I use samurize for the HUD and to glue it all together
This is still a WIP, the font situation is bad, i can't see any way of doing this setup without using at least 3-4 different fonts do to windows/bblean's handling of fixed width fonts and linux's handling of ttf fonts...
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Comments: 33
i use arch linux 64bit vanilla with awesome wm LUA FTW programming lua is fucking awesome as yeah AWESOME.. i also program in C using dwm i like the twm hmm and looking on about clam window manager i'm also thinking switching from 12 years using linux to BSD systems such as FreeBSD its pretty cool what u done.. the downfall cough is windows xp or any windows system to me sucks . but hey whatever is good for u.. i learn to use a computer of no depending on windows 
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excusme, but for what is BB WinTyler, i cant find it... thanks
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It allows you to tile windows and also remembers windows positions including which virtual desktop they are on so when you re-launch them they appear in the same place. You can grab it here if you can't find it anywhere else: [link]
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Hey math0ne,
I was trying to do a setup with linux on windows like you have there. Did you mean you list Xing as software that you were using but I was wondering if you meant Xming?
Amazing setup, I am inspired!
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Hey Man,
I run co-linux with an X server.
Xming is an X client that runs on windows so you can just connect to any X window manager you run on your co-linux install.
I might have the server client part mixed up but you get the idea.
There's a tutorial on how to get xming and co-linux working here:
[link]
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Thanks Math!
Yeah I was working on setting up an X client / server setup on my XP box. Thanks for the reply and link!
Also kickass bblean setup. I can never get the level of polish out of a replacement shell so just usually run VS theme and mod explorer. peace
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no problem man, the only thing i'll say about co-linux is backup often if you don't shut down right, or windows crashes it can bork your co-linux file system quite easily.
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Why not using Vim on Windows, too? 
But I really like these screenshots. A pity there's no real tiling window manager for Windows...
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This is probably one of the best bb themes Ive seen.
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First off this is awesome.
What I've been trying to figure out is how it looks like you're typing straight onto the desktop in the misc tab and what you're using at the very bottom with your workspaces listed out. I'm guessing that it's a Black Box plugin but I can't figure out what.
If you don't mind sharing, I'd be much obliged.
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Thanks!
The misc tab is a samurize setup. Just checks my email and displays a text file i use to track my active tasks.
The bottom bar workspace switcher was made using BBInterface, a plugin for black box.
I'm planning on releasing things when they have enough polish.
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Thanks!
Yes, I'm still working on polishing everything though.
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Simply amazing
Loved the colors, mind sharing your .Xdefaults?
Thanks in advance.
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My setup is quite different from what is pictured here. I am however working towards releasing a whole suite, so keep an eye on my profile
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What BB style you usin;- does not look familiar (though I'm not too familair with the lighter ones)
nice and perhaps complicated set up.
I'm def' gonna check out some of it...
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Thanks for the comment m8!
It's a mod of a skin called Celadore and my VS is SlanXP.
It's all still a work in progress but I plan on releasing stuff when i get permission / have time to finish it.
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I checked out SlanXP last week- not bad! Better for sure than I know how to hack the API's! lol.
Looking forward to see the end result!
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Hey man, really sorry but i gave you some bad info, SlanXP is great and is made by the same person that makes what i actually use:
[link]
My mistake!
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Very cool. What's the gvim color theme and font/font-size?
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Thanks m8! The font is Terminus 10 and the gvim color scheme is I believe built in, it's called: ir_black
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this one looks awesome man, and the startpage is really nice too
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Holy crap this looks AMAZING! Totally blows all my desktops out of the water haha. 10/10
The modification you made to HashTWM sounds good, if you don't mind emailing a patch to hashtwm@demonastery.org that would be much appreciated, but you aren't obligated to of course.
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Thanks for the comment!
Honestly my hack is just that, very hacky! Your code has thought me a lot about how to interact with windows using C though. Very cool!
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Glad you've found it useful
And yeah the Win32 API isn't quite as painful as people make it out to be, although this kind of usage clearly isn't intended
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