Subject: FVWM: fvwm-2 explodes with faces

From: Fritz Knabe <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 09 Feb 1996 12:50:42 -0300

The "faces" program (available at ftp.cs.indiana.edu in pub/faces; not
to be confused with "xfaces") can be used to monitor mail, logins,
printer queues, etc.  I use it as a replacement for xbiff; it shows a
face or domain logo for each mail message.

Unfortunately, the program tickles a serious bug in fvwm.  Initially
after starting faces, there is no problem.  After a minute, faces makes
its first check for new mail and does an update.  At this point fvwm
starts expanding rapidly in memory, the machine starts thrashing, and
it's a race to see if I can kill the process before all swap space is
consumed and my machine crashes.

I noticed this bug under fvwm-1, so I upgraded to version 2.0.40, where
it still occurs.  I'm running under XFree86 3.1.2B, on Linux 1.2.13
(Debian 1.0 Alpha).  I compiled fvwm with gcc and used Xpm.

The faces program itself is well-used and tested.  The most recent version
dates back to 1991, and it compiles easily out of the box (just be sure
to use the -traditional flag).  The window system code is relatively
small and isolated into a file x11.c (faces runs under several different
window systems).

I'd be happy to supply further information if anybody has ideas or
questions.  

Thanks,
Fritz Knabe
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---

From: Gordon Bartels <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 18:09:16 +0100 (MET)

> face or domain logo for each mail message.

I am using the programm "xfaces" which does about the same job as faces
as you described it. (I can't remember where I got it from ...)
It dates back to 1993, so I suppose its well tested, too.

> consumed and my machine crashes.

This bug does not occur with xfaces, it compiled out of the box and
runs smooth ever since ...

> (Debian 1.0 Alpha).  I compiled fvwm with gcc and used Xpm.

I'm using fvwm 2.0.38 / XFree 3.1.2 Linux 1.2.13 everything compiled on
an ELF system.

> I'd be happy to supply further information if anybody has ideas or

I hope this helps (unless you are forced to use "faces" instead of
"xfaces")

Bye,

Gordon

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Gordon Bartels            email: [email-masked]
                          Tel.:  0241 / 80-7044

Institut fuer Theoretische Physik B
Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH)
Sommerfeldstrasse
D-52056 Aachen, Germany

private:
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