afterstep_faq(1x)

📦
version 2.2.12 · 3 versions
, in ubuntu jammy

💖 afterstep_faq 💖

okay bestie, so this is the manual page for afterstep_faq — and yeah, it's the AfterStep X11 window manager's FAQ page. Sit down, grab a strawberry 🍓, we're doing this.

✨ NAME ✨

afterstep_faq — This document is an ever growing set of questions, statements, ideas and complaints about AfterStep version 2.0

🌸 1. General Information 🌸

🎀 1.1. About this Document 🎀

okay so, real talk: this document is an ever growing set of questions, statements, ideas and complaints about AfterStep version 2.0. It just keeps growing, like my skincare routine. 💅

You can get this FAQ at the following locations:

The rest of this document assumes you are running AfterStep 2.0. If you are running a version of AfterStep prior to version 2.0, this document will suggests only one thing: upgrade. like, that's it. that's the advice. upgrade. no cap. 🫶

🦋 1.2. What is AfterStep? 🦋

AfterStep is a Window Manager for the X Window System (hereafter referred to as X). It was started to emulate the look and feel of NeXTSTEP(tm), but has evolved into something that while still being able to emulate NeXT, can do much much more. And the way it does all that without using much memory or cpu time? iconic honestly. AfterStep provides all the features one could want in a Window Manager. ✨

⭐ 1.3. What is AfterStep's history? ⭐

Original AfterStep was a continuation of the BowMan Window Manager which was originally put together by Bo Yang. BowMan was based on the fvwm Window Manager, written by Robert Nation. Fvwm was based on code from twm. And so on.... it's giving family tree, fr fr. 🌳

Idea was to emulate some of the look and feel of the NEXTSTEP(tm) user interface, but overtime it evolved to include other concepts, as dictated by end user needs. It is that unholy direction that made Alfredo Kojima abandon project in 1997 and create a Window Manger of its own — Window Maker, which had a goal of strict adherance to NEXTSTEP interface ideas.

After releasing version 1.8.11 it became aparent for developers that old AfterStep codebase had reached its limits and required a substantial redesign. Such redesign began with development of radically new image handling library libAfterImage, introducing high quality image manipulation, blending, TrueType fonts, XML image scripting, and more. Building off of libAfterImage and incorporating new developments in X Window management, AfterStep 2.0 was born and released in September, 2004. As of now AfterStep code base contains none of the original fvwm parts, and association to fvwm, twm and BowMan remain only in history. lowkey a glow-up story 💖

💜 1.4. Fine, what if I'm not running AfterStep 2.0? Is there a FAQ for me? 💜

Yes. There should be a version of the AfterStep FAQ available within your specific AfterStep distribution. If you are using a version earlier than 2.0, it is strongly suggested you upgrade. (not me telling you twice 💀)

🌈 1.5. What is X? What are these window managers ? 🌈

"X" is shorthand for The X Window System. It is a basis for building graphical user interfaces for UNIX (it is available for non-UNIX systems, but wasn't designed to be as such). "X" is not the interface itself, just a foundation for one. For more information, check www.x.org .

A Window Manager is a program that manages your windows during your X session. AfterStep is one of many available window managers. one of many, but bestie... 👑

👑 1.6. What are AfterStep's main features? 👑

  • The Wharf — Similar to NeXTSTEP's(tm) Dock, it allows applications to be Swallowed, shortcuts with icons, and many other things.
  • The Pager — Shows a miniature view of the Afterstep desktops, you can move between them, and move windows around in the Pager as though it were a miniature desktop. tiny desktop! tiny windows! obsessed.
  • The WinList — A list of all the windows, clicking on the items can show that window, destroy it, shade it, or anything you might want.
  • Configurability — Almost anything can be changed. Almost anything. main character energy.
  • XML image scripting — AfterStep allows XML scripts to be used to assemble complex images for things like buttons, frame sides, etc, from other, simpler images or graphical primitives.
  • TrueType fonts support — Antialised TrueType fonts could be used to render window titles and other labels.
  • Unicode, UTF8 and other encodings support — Most international character encodings are supported as long as fonts provide glyphs.
  • ColorSchemes — AfterStep can calculate a set of about 34 colors to create looks with harmonious color composition. 34 colors of pure vibes. 🎨

🧚 1.7. Is AfterStep 2.0 GNOME and/or KDE compliant? 🧚

AfterStep 2.0 supports Extended Window Manager Hints, ICCCM protocol and Motif hints, thus making it as compatible as possible with both GNOME and KDE, as well as most other X applications. it plays nice with everyone, we love that. 🫶

🙈 1.8. Can I run it in Microsoft Windows(tm)? 🙈

AfterStep 2.0 does run under Windows using CYGWIN compatibility layer, while running any X server. Some of the X servers available under Windows allow so-called root-less mode, where X applications can coincide with native applications. See sample screenshot .

💀 1.9. Who develops AfterStep? 💀

  • Sasha Vasko <sasha at aftercode.net> — coordinator, coder, web designer, carpenter, and everything else ( at the moment ).
  • Niklas Lunger <niklas at fet dot at> — documentation and user testing.
  • Nathan Mahon <as_ml at vaevictus net> — release manager

🔥 1.10. AfterStep is awesome! How can I help? 🔥

Code contributions are welcome. Hardware donations are welcome. If you can help write AfterStep, or feel you can help the effort elsewhere, do so. Hang out on irc (#afterstep, efnet), participate on the mailing lists, suggest ideas, help code, etc etc. come hang out bestie, we don't bite 🫶

🍓 1.11. Who writes this FAQ? 🍓

see 1.9. above. (yeah, same girlies 💅)

🌟 2. Resources 🌟

💅 2.1. Where can I find AfterStep resources, or help? 💅

HTML documentation

AfterStep 2.0 comes installed with complete set of documentation in HTML format, usually installed at /usr/local/share/afterstep/doc/html or /usr/share/afterstep/doc/html . Same documentation is available online from : http://www.afterstep.org/visualdoc.php . If you find that documentation incomplete in some areas — please feel free to submit any corrections to any of the AfterStep mailing lists. (yes, they want your notes, no, it's not weird 📝)

WWW Page

The official AfterStep web page is at http://www.afterstep.org/ . This web site is managed by whoever has write access to AfterStep CVS, and is kindly hosted by the generous people at Web Conquest .

FTP site

The FTP site, ftp://ftp.afterstep.org/ , is the best place to get AfterStep.

AfterStep applets

The applets (asapps) that go with AfterStep are distributed separately. The applet distribution is maintained by Albert Dorofeev, (<tigr@tigr.net>). You can find the applets at http://www.tigr.net/afterstep/as-apps/ . RPMs for many an applet could be found here : http://www.afterstep.org/rpms/

Man pages.

AfterStep installation comes with set of man pages that attempt to cover all aspects of AfterStep configuration. Please read the relevant man page before asking a question. Also note that the Pager man page is 'man Pager' (note the capitalization). yes, capital P. iykyk. 💀

IRC

There is also #afterstep on freenode.net IRC servers . Feel free to come in and have a chat with us! 🌸

🦋 2.2. What are the AfterStep mailing lists, and where are their archives? 🦋

There currently is a mailing list for users to ask questions and get support: as-users.

✨ as-users. ✨

as-users is the general AfterStep mailing list, open to all AfterStep questions, concerns and ideas. Subscribe by entering your e-mail at : http://lists.afterstep.org/listinfo.cgi/as-users-afterstep.org

The old mailing list archives can be read at http://www.tigr.net/afterstep/mail/ , while current archives (registration required) can be found at http://lists.afterstep.org/private.cgi/as-users-afterstep.org/ .

✨ 3. Getting and Installing AfterStep 2.0 ✨

🌈 3.1. Where can I get AfterStep 2.0?

Bestie, she's downloadable from any of these spots, take your pick:

  • ftp://ftp.afterstep.org/stable/
  • SourceForge.net
  • RPM packages

🎀 3.2. What do I need to compile and install AfterStep?

Okay so first thing: AfterStep is an X application, so you need X installed, plus the X development libraries. And real quick, when we say "development" here we mean the libraries you need in order to compile stuff with X — not "development level code", bestie, it's not a maturity rating 💀.

It's probably also a good idea to have a working C compiler on deck.

AfterStep ships with some image libraries, but ngl it's recommended that you install those libraries using your distribution's package management system instead. And heads up: you'll need the development libraries in addition to the run-time libraries. Here's what AfterStep can take advantage of:

  • libJPEG — support for the JPEG image format
  • libPNG — support for the PNG image format
  • libTIFF — support for the TIFF image format
  • Freetype — support for TrueType fonts

And the slay part: these image formats need zero external libraries — XPM, PPM, BMP, ICO, XCF, GIF. Built in, no extra deps, we love to see it 🫶

💅 3.3. Can I install AfterStep without being root?

Yes queen, absolutely. Before you compile AfterStep, do this:

mkdir ~/bin
mkdir -p ~/man/man1
./configure --prefix ~/

Then just follow the normal install directions like usual, which lets you run

make install

without being root. No sudo, no drama, no asking permission from the system. ✨

🦋 3.4. How do I upgrade AfterStep from AfterStep version prior to 2.0.0?

Install AfterStep 2.0 and then run it. She'll start up with the default configuration, which you may or may not like — no judgement either way. If you wanna try and reuse your old configuration files, copy them over from your old ~/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep/ directory into ~/.afterstep/. Then restart AfterStep to make the changes take effect. And if some of the features don't work quite right, feel free to submit a bug report along with your configuration files — they wanna see them, fr fr.

That said, it is recommended that you start with the default configuration and try out all of the supplied looks and color schemes. Pick whichever one is closest to what you want, then modify it to your liking. This approach lets you take advantage of all the many new features available in AfterStep 2.0. 💖

🌸 3.4. How do I upgrade AfterStep from AfterStep version higher then 2.0.0?

Make sure that every configuration file you ever changed lives in your home directory at ~/.afterstep/, because installing afterstep will replace everything in the global shared location (/usr/local/share/afterstep). Yes, everything. Protect your files bestie 😭

Then install afterstep and run it. You should not have any trouble. Periodt.

⭐ 3.5. What's up with all these compile errors?

Most likely you don't have the X devel package. It should have come with your operating system — and if not, check http://www.x.org/. That's the vibe check that fixes it, iykyk.

👑 3.6. How the hell does one configure AfterStep?

Configuration files are usually in one of two places:

  • /usr(/local)/share/afterstep — for system wide configuration
  • ~/.afterstep — for personal settings

Configuration is handled across multiple files:

  • the look file (in the looks subdirectory) — for visual attributes
  • the feel file (in the feels subdirectory) — for the general behaviour
  • wharf, winlist, banner, pager, animate — for module specific configuration

So here's the move: just copy any file you want to modify over from /usr(/local)/share/afterstep to ~/.afterstep, and that overrides the system wide defaults — just make sure you retain the subdirectory layout. 🌈

And that's a wrap on the FAQ, bestie!! 🎀💖 This was the 3rd Berkeley Distribution version of afterstep_faq(1x), for AfterStep v.2.2.12. Go forth and configure your heart out, you're the main character of your own desktop 💅✨

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