TwmKiosk

TWM-KIOSK README

twm-kiosk is a modified version of the twm window manager. The modifications allow the window manager to start an application upon startup and if the app askes for full screen with no titlebar then resize to cover FULL SCREEN. A new twmrc command option, KioskMode? has been added to the window manager. The enhancements include:

• KioskMode? - twmrc command
• kiosk-default.sh - script containing commands to perform when twm-kiosk starts

The need for all this arises from wanting to start a diskless X terminal in a kiosk mode and run a window manager without the need to login to the system, i.e start the window manager and GUI application from GDM or xdmcp or one of the other kiosk style setups floating around.

INSTALLATION:

• Download the twm-kiosk[twm-kiosk.tar] window manager
• untar the twm-kiosk package i.e tar -xvf kiosk-twm.tar
• Copy the /twm/sample-twmrc/kiosk.twmrc to /etc/X11/twm/system.twmrc and tweak file as needed, like comment out the defops section, etc.
• Copy /twm/sample-twmrc/kiosk-default.sh to /etc/X11/twm/kiosk-default.sh and tweak as desired. The kiosk-default.sh script must be executable.

BUILD twm-kiosk:

• from within the twm directory, at an xterm type:
• xmkmf
• make

There is a twm-kiosk binary include in this package that was compiled and works on Fedora 12 so it might work for you also.

USAGE:

Run twm-kiosk as you would any windowmanager. xinit /path/to/twm-kiosk -- : 0

• KioskMode? - when specified in the twmrc file, causes all applications to be started at screen position 0,0 which is the upper left corner. Without the NoTitle? option this will have the effect of having the titlebar off screen.
• kiosk-default.sh - called when twm-kiosk is started and the twmrc containes both the KioskMode? and NoTitle? commands. An executable script that has commands that are executed when twm-kiosk is started.

In the system.twmrc file add KioskMode?, RandomPlacement? and NoTitle?. Together these specify that twm-kiosk should start in kiosk mode ( start specified application on startup of wm ) and resize the application by 25 pixels high an 10 pixels wide. This way if the specified application askes to start full screen it will cover the entire screen. Edit the /etc/X11/twm/kiosk-default.sh file to include the commands you want to be executed when the twm-kiosk wm starts. Any instructions in the twm man page also applies to twm-kiosk.

About KioskMode?

• The KioskMode? command option, when used without the NoTitle? command option specified, starts any application at screen position 0,0 and resizes the application started in the window manager by 10 pixels wide and 25 pixels high.

• When KioskMode? and NoTitle? are specified in the system.twmrc twm-kiosk will start an application specified in the kiosk-default.sh at position 0,0 and resize(enlarge) it by 10 pixels wide and 25 pixels high to ensure the app is really full screen. This is also done to make sure there is no space around the edges of the app for the user to get at the 'desktop' menu.

• Also when both KioskMode? and NoTitle? are specified in the system.twmrc file twm-kiosk looks in the /etc/X11/twm/kiosk-default.sh script for an application(s) to start when the wm starts.

Please note that KioskMode? is best used along with the NoTitle? and RandomPlacement? commands and is pretty much useless if the /RandomPlacement command is not specified.