Subject: FVWM: syntax check

From: Randy Bush <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2001 10:18:00 -0700

how do i get fvwm2 to syntax check my .fvwm2rc and tell me of any errors?

randy
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From: Erik Steffl <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2001 12:20:20 -0700

> how do i get fvwm2 to syntax check my .fvwm2rc and tell me of any errors?

  run fvwm and see what it tells you.

  you don't have to change your default config, just run another X
server (with no WM) or run vnc server or something like that (X nested -
can that e used?)

	erik

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From: Randy Bush <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2001 12:24:21 -0700

> run fvwm and see what it tells you.

i have no fvwm executable.  i do have fvwm2, and it does not put anything
to stderr or stdout.  and i can't believe my config is error-free.

> you don't have to change your default config, just run another X server
> (with no WM) or run vnc server or something like that (X nested - can that
> e used?)

you lost me with this stuff.

randy

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From: Dan Espen <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2001 16:08:34 -0400

> how do i get fvwm2 to syntax check my .fvwm2rc and tell me of any errors?

Most, but not all, of the fvwm commands produce errors on stderr
when there are syntax problems.  The idea behind this is that this
is a window manager, not an accounting package.

To force an error, try the Style command with the iconbox argument.
There are lots of error checks there.  For example:

Style xxx Iconbox junk

produces this error:

[FVWM][CMD_Style]: <<ERROR>> IconBox requires 4 numbers or geometry! Invalid string <junk>.

Where you see that error depends on how Fvwm is started.
I start fvwm using Exceed like this:

nohup fvwm2

so I see the error in $HOME/nohup.out

When on a Solaris machine, I start my X Server like this:

   xinit -- $MONO -nobanner -ar1 200 -ar2 20 2>&1 | tee /tmp/$USER/xinit.out

So I see the errors on my console app and in the file /tmp/$USER/xinit.out

If you still don't know where your errors are going, indicate the
OS/distribution you are using.

-- 
Dan Espen
444 Hoes Lane  Room RRC 1C-214           E-mail: [email-masked]
Piscataway, NJ 08854                     Phone: (732) 699-5570
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From: Dan Espen <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2001 16:15:53 -0400

> you lost me with this stuff.

I think I know where Eric is coming from with VNC or Xnest, but you
don't have to go to this extreme, see my other post.

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From: Erik Steffl <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2001 19:50:44 -0700

> to stderr or stdout.  and i can't believe my config is error-free.

  ok, whatever the name is called, sometime the version 2.x is called
fvwm2. Dan already posted how to produce error...

> you lost me with this stuff.

  if you want to do some more dangerous config tricks and do not want to
do it in the 'live' environment it is usefull to open another X server
and run another fvwm there, that way your environment is untouched.

  easy way (on linux):

  start new X server:

  X :1

  it is probably on vt8 (ctrl-alt-F8), or whatever first free virtual
terminal is. Now switch back to where you started X server (ctrl-alt-Fn
(one of the functions keys) and type:

  ctrl-z (to put X server to background)
  bg     (so that it actually runs in background)
  xterm -display 1

  and switch back to X server, you will see xterm (no window
decorations), move mouse to xterm, or even click on it (it should have
focus) and run fvwm2 from there, you should see all the messages right
on the screen and fvwm2 should start to manage the display.

  to kill X server hit ctrl-alt-backspace (if you had X server running
before it is still running, probably on ctrl-alt-F7)

  of course, you can use some other file instead of default config file
(again, so that you do not break your normal working environment), just
use -f command line option.

  hope this helps. It's probably overkill in your situation though...

	erik