FvwmConsole(1)

✨ FvwmConsole ✨ (manual: FvwmConsole(1), Fvwm Modules) 💖

🦋 NAME

FvwmConsole — an fvwm command input interface 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS

Module FvwmConsole [options]

okay so FvwmConsole can only be invoked by fvwm. Running the FvwmConsole module from the command line will not work, bestie 🙈

🧚 DESCRIPTION

FvwmConsole lets you type fvwm configuration commands interactively and have them run immediately ⚡ It's giving experimentation station 🔬 This is seriously useful for testing out new config ideas, or making temporary changes to your environment. Main character energy, no cap 👑

🎀 INVOCATION

FvwmConsole has to be spawned as a module by fvwm, and it takes all of the xterm(1) options 🫶

You can invoke it by putting the line Module FvwmConsole in your .fvwm2rc file. Put it on its own line if you want it spawned during fvwm's initialization, or bind it to a menu, mouse button, or keystroke so it shows up later on. Iconic ✨

💜 CONFIGURATION OPTIONS

FvwmConsole uses xterm(1) under the hood, so all the resources set for xterm are inherited, unless you override them with command line options 🌈

Module FvwmConsole -g 40x10 -fg black -bg green3

You can pick a different terminal emulator with the -terminal option 🍓 Just know that only terminal programs that understand -name, -title and -e will work. Debian specific: the hardcoded xterm is swapped out for x-terminal-emulator. To stay policy compliant, the -name option is removed from the default options and -title gets changed to -T 😭

Module FvwmConsole -terminal rxvt

Older versions of FvwmConsole supported a -e option for picking a different front-end. It's still around for backwards compatibility, but its use is discouraged unless you know exactly what you're doing ⚠️

Module FvwmConsole -e FvwmConsoleC.pl

(see FvwmConsoleC.pl(1)) 🦋

X resources can also be set in your ~/.Xdefaults file 🌷

FvwmConsole*VT100*geometry: 40x4
FvwmConsole*font: 7x14

Debian specific: since -name isn't included by default, the default resource will be set by the x-terminal-emulator you're using, not by FvwmConsole. You can change the resource to match your terminal, or, if your terminal supports it, run FvwmConsole with the -name option 💅

Module FvwmConsole -name FvwmConsole

🍓 COMMAND EDITING

There are a few options here. If the GNU readline library is available, it can be used 💖

If Perl5 is installed, FvwmConsoleC.pl can be used as a command editor ✨ You can get it working by either copying FvwmConsoleC.pl to the fvwmlib directory as FvwmConsoleC, or by invoking FvwmConsole with the -e option. For example:

Module FvwmConsole -e FvwmConsoleC.pl

If neither one is installed, FvwmConsole falls back to a simple input reading function that has no editing capabilities 🥲

GNU readline and FvwmConsoleC.pl share some frequently used commands by default. They're similar to emacs, so if you're an emacs girlie you'll feel right at home 🫶 For more details, check the GNU readline man and info pages, and the FvwmConsoleC.pl man page.

Ctrl-A  - beginning of line
Ctrl-B  - previous char
Ctrl-D  - delete char
Ctrl-E  - end of line
Ctrl-F  - next char
Ctrl-H  - backspace
Ctrl-K  - erase to the end of line
Ctrl-N  - next line
Ctrl-P  - previous line
Ctrl-R  - search reverse
Ctrl-U  - delete line
Meta-B  - previous word
Meta-F  - next word
Esc <   - beginning of history
Esc >   - end of history

🚪 EXITING

FvwmConsole can be stopped by entering the EOF character, which is usually CTRL-D 👋

Warning, bestie! Do NOT use the "quit" command. It's an fvwm builtin, so typing "quit" at the FvwmConsole command line will make fvwm exit 💀

🔗 SEE ALSO

xterm(1), FvwmConsoleC.pl(1), GNU Readline library 🌈

👑 AUTHOR

FvwmConsole is the original work of Toshi Isogai 🫶

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Fvwm Modules, 3rd Berkeley Distribution, last updated 19 October 2022 (version 2.7.0). Stay iconic, bestie 💜🦋✨