#### Beyond Linux® From Scratch (systemd Edition) - Version 11.1

### Chapter 27. Window Managers

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# Fluxbox-1.3.7

## Introduction to Fluxbox

The Fluxbox package contains a window manager.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS-11.1 platform.

### Package Information

- Download (HTTP): https://downloads.sourceforge.net/fluxbox/fluxbox-1.3.7.tar.xz

- Download MD5 sum: b44afd10ee1e64624c23115aa51dcd55

- Download size: 772 KB

- Estimated disk space required: 101 MB

- Estimated build time: 0.9 SBU

### Fluxbox Dependencies

#### Required

a graphical environment

#### Optional

dbus-1.12.20 (runtime), FriBidi-1.0.11, and imlib2-1.8.0 (if you wish to use other image formats in addition to XPM)

User Notes: https://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/fluxbox

## Installation of Fluxbox

First, fix a build failure when building with gcc-11.1:

    sed -i '/text_prop.value > 0/s/>/!=/' util/fluxbox-remote.cc

Install Fluxbox by running the following commands:

    ./configure --prefix=/usr &&
    make

This package does not have a working testsuite.

Now, as the `root` user:

    make install

## Configuring Fluxbox

###

#### Config Files

`~/.fluxbox/init`, `~/.fluxbox/keys`, and `~/.fluxbox/menu`

###

#### Configuration Information

If Fluxbox is the only Window Manager you want to use, you can start it with an `.xinitrc` file in your home folder. Be sure to backup your current `.xinitrc` before proceeding.

    echo startfluxbox > ~/.xinitrc

Or alternatively, if you use a login manager like GDM-41.3 or lightdm-1.30.0, and would like to be able to choose Fluxbox at the login prompt, create a `fluxbox.desktop` file. As `root`:

    mkdir -pv /usr/share/xsessions &&
    cat > /usr/share/xsessions/fluxbox.desktop << "EOF"
    [Desktop Entry]
    Encoding=UTF-8
    Name=Fluxbox
    Comment=This session logs you into Fluxbox
    Exec=startfluxbox
    Type=Application
    EOF

If you didn't install GDM-41.3 or lightdm-1.30.0 in `/usr`, then change that command to fit the prefix you chose.

Now create the Fluxbox configuration files:

    mkdir -v ~/.fluxbox &&
    cp -v /usr/share/fluxbox/init ~/.fluxbox/init &&
    cp -v /usr/share/fluxbox/keys ~/.fluxbox/keys

To generate the application menu, first you may wish to run fluxbox-generate_menu -h, in order to choose any `<user_options>`, then issue:

    cd ~/.fluxbox &&
    fluxbox-generate_menu <user_options>

Alternately, copy a pregenerated menu:

    cp -v /usr/share/fluxbox/menu ~/.fluxbox/menu

Menu items are added by editing `~/.fluxbox/menu`. The syntax is explained on the fluxbox man page.

If you want to use an image as your desktop background, copy the theme you like into `~/.fluxbox`. Then add a line to make it use the correct image. In the following command, change `<theme>` for the name of the theme you want and change `</path/to/nice/image.ext>` to point to the actual image you want to use, where `ext` must be “xpm”, if imlib2-1.8.0 is not installed to allow other image formats.

    cp -r /usr/share/fluxbox/styles/<theme> ~/.fluxbox/theme &&

    sed -i 's,\(session.styleFile:\).*,\1 ~/.fluxbox/theme,' ~/.fluxbox/init &&

    [ -f ~/.fluxbox/theme ] &&
    echo "background.pixmap: </path/to/nice/image.ext>" >> ~/.fluxbox/theme ||
    [ -d ~/.fluxbox/theme ] &&
    echo "background.pixmap: </path/to/nice/image.ext>" >> ~/.fluxbox/theme/theme.cfg

In some locales the font specified in the theme may not contain the needed characters. This results in menus with blank items. You can fix this by editing `~/.fluxbox/theme` with a text editor and altering it so that it names a suitable font.

## Contents

Installed Programs: fluxbox, fbsetbg, fbsetroot, fluxbox-generate_menu, startfluxbox, fbrun, fluxbox-remote, and fluxbox-update_configs
Installed Libraries: None
Installed Directories: /usr/share/fluxbox and ~/.fluxbox

### Short Descriptions

fluxbox | is a window manager for X11 based on Blackbox 0.61.0
fbsetbg | is a utility that sets the background image. It requires one of the following at runtime: Esetroot, wmsetbg, feh, hsetroot, chbg, display, qiv, xv, xsri, xli, or xsetbg. It also requires which if Esetroot is found
fbsetroot | is a utility to change root window appearance based on the Blackbox application bsetroot
fluxbox-generate_menu | is a utility that generates a menu by scanning your `PATH`
startfluxbox | is a session startup script that allows for command executions prior to fluxbox starting
fbrun | displays a run dialog window
fluxbox-remote | provides command line access to key commands for Fluxbox
fluxbox-update_configs | use to manage config files (reload, update, test)

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