FVWMIDENT(1)

💖 FVWMIDENT — the Fvwm identify-window module 💖

okay bestie, today we're learning about FvwmIdent, a lil fvwm module (that's the FVWMIDENT(1) page, section 1, in case you were wondering) whose whole personality is pointing at a window and telling you everything about it. no cap. let's go 🦋

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

FvwmIdent is spawned by fvwm, so no command line invocation will work.

like. literally. do not try to run it from your shell. it does not want that. fvwm spawns it, that's the whole vibe 😌

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

So here's the deal: FvwmIdent asks you to pick a target window to be its little subject 👑 — but ONLY if the module wasn't launched from inside a window context in Fvwm. after that, it pops up a window full of info about whichever window you selected. it's giving detective energy, fr fr 🔍

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🎀 COPYRIGHTS 🎀

the FvwmIdent program, and the whole concept of interfacing this module with the Window Manager, are all original work by Robert Nation and Nobutaka Suzuki 🫶

Copyright 1994, Robert Nation and Nobutaka Suzuki. and listen: no guarantees or warranties or anything are provided or implied in any way whatsoever. use this program at your own risk 💀. permission to use this program for any purpose is given, as long as the copyright is kept intact. so like, keep the copyright, bestie. it's not a big ask. periodt 💅

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⭐ INITIALIZATION ⭐

during initialization, FvwmIdent gets its config info from fvwm's module configuration database (peep fvwm(1), section MODULE COMMANDS) to figure out which colors and which font to use 🌈

and here's the iconic part: if the FvwmIdent executable is linked to another name, i.e.

ln -s FvwmIdent MoreIdentify

then another module called MoreIdentify can be started, with a completely different configuration than FvwmIdent, simply by changing the keyword FvwmIdent to MoreIdentify ✨. this way multiple clutter-reduction programs can be used. multiple!! programs!! the way that works is so smart actually 🧚

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🔥 INVOCATION 🔥

FvwmIdent can be invoked by binding the action 'Module FvwmIdent' to a menu or key-stroke in the .fvwm2rc file. Fvwm will search the directory specified in the ModulePath configuration option to attempt to locate FvwmIdent. 📂

although like, nothing keeps you from launching FvwmIdent at start-up time… you probably don't want to 🙈. just saying.

💡 the deets you actually need: clicking into the FvwmIdent window or pressing a key while it has focus closes FvwmIdent. pressing mouse button 2 in the window restarts FvwmIdent and asks for a new window to select. boom. that's the whole interaction model 🔄

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💅 CONFIGURATION OPTIONS 💅

FvwmIdent reads the same .fvwm2rc file as fvwm reads when it starts up, and looks for lines as listed below 👇

• *FvwmIdent: Colorset n — tells the module to use colorset n. 🎨
• *FvwmIdent: Fore color — tells the module to use color instead of black for text. heads up though: this switches off the Colorset option ✂️
• *FvwmIdent: Back color — tells the module to use color instead of white for the window background. and yeah, this one switches off the Colorset option too ✂️
• *FvwmIdent: Font fontname — tells the module to use fontname instead of fixed for text. 🔤
• *FvwmIdent: MinimalLayer layer — FvwmIdent places its window on the layer of a target window. but NOT below the minimal layer, ok? 🚫 okay here's the tea:
  • by default, the minimal layer is 4, just like the fvwm default layer ⭐
  • if layer is 0, the layer of the target window is always used 🎯
  • if layer is "default" or not specified, the default behavior is restored 🔁
  • if layer is "none", FvwmIdent is placed as a normal window even if the target window is above it 🫠

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👑 AUTHOR 👑

Robert Nation and Nobutaka Suzuki (nobuta-s@is.aist-nara.ac.jp). legends, honestly. 🫶

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and that's the whole page, bestie!! you ate that 💖 this was FVWMIDENT(1) — part of the Fvwm Modules docs — last touched 2026-07-31, so go forth and identify some windows ✨🌸 no cap, you're gonna slay 🎀