Metisse: Install and Run (0.4.0-rc4)

Building Tools

To build from cvs you need: cvs, automake 1.7.x or better, libtool 1.4.x or better, autoconf 2.59 or better, pkg-config 0.17.2 or better. All these package are not needed if you build from a tarball.

Packages

For compilation you need some development packages (X Window, Open GL, gtk-pixbuf, ...etc).

Also you should install rxvt (most distribution provide it) and wm-icons.

Nucleo

First you need Nucleo.

From the cvs:

export CVSROOT=:pserver:anonymous@cvs.lri.fr:/users/asspro/roussel/cvsroot
cvs login
# hit "return"
cvs co nucleo
mkdir build-nucleo
cd build-nucleo
lndir ../nucleo
./build-utils/bootstrap

With the tarball: nucleo-0.6.tar.bz2:

tar xjvf nucleo-0.6.tar.bz2
cd nucleo-0.6 

After these setup commands you can compile and install nucleo:

./configure
make
make install # under the good user

Check that configure claims for a "glWindow back end".

Building Metisse and FVWM InSitu

From the cvs:

export CVSROOT=:pserver:anonymous@cvs.lri.fr:/users/asspro/ihm/metisse-cvs
cvs login
# hit "return"
cvs co fvwm-insitu
cvs co metisse
mkdir build-metisse
cd build-metisse
lndir ../metisse
mkdir fvwm-insitu
cd fvwm-insitu
lndir ../../fvwm-insitu
cd ..
./bootstrap

With the tarball: metisse-0.4.0-rc4.tar.bz2:

tar xjvf metisse-0.4.0-rc4.tar.bz2
cd metisse-0.4.0-rc4

Then, you get a working "Metisse" tree.

./configure --enable-glx-x86 --enable-freetype
make
make install # under the good user

You may add the --enable-mmx option.

If the fonts are not under the /usr/lib/X11/fonts/ directory (this is the case with some recent version of Xorg) the --with-fontdir configure option must be used:

--with-fontdir=top_level_font_dir

where top_level_font_dir is your X Window font directory (e.g. /usr/share/fonts for a standard Xorg modular install).

Development

Skip this section if you just want to use Metisse.

You should configure, compile and install in the build-metisse/ directory. And you should edit the source code and use cvs in the metisse and fvwm-insitu directory. E.g.:

cvs update under metisse/
Edit the source code under metisse/
Compile and install under (subdirs of) build-metisse
Test
cvs update under metisse/
Update the ChangeLog under metisse/
cvs diff -u > my_last_patch under metisse/
send us the patch

The same applies to fvwm-insitu: cvs and edit under fvwm-insitu/ and build and install under build-metisse/fvwm-insitu/. However you should use the IChnageLog and not the ChangeLog.

The general cvs information/help/philosophy you can found at the FVWM CVS page are mostly relevant for Metisse.

Configuration files

At first start up some configuration files are installed under the ~/.fvwm-metisse/ directory. If you upgrade and encounter some problems consider to update your configuration (cd; mv .fvwm-metisse .old-fvwm-metisse and start again). Some problematic changes happened on 2006-11-15. Note that now a middle mouse button click on the title bar rests window transformations (it was a right click).

This configuration is a "demo" configuration not a "end-user" one. Such configuration with a GUI tool is on the road.

Running

FvwmCompositor uses OpenGL. It is strongly recommended to use it with a 3D capable video card and an X server which takes advantage of it.

Under an usual (3D accelerated) X session start Xmetisse on a free display:

Xmetisse -ac -geometry widthxheight  :a_free_display

which gives for example:

Xmetisse -ac -geometry 1024x768  :1

Xmetisse listen for METISSE connections on a TCP port and accept, by default, all connections. If you have a vnc password file (~/.vnc/passwd, you can create one with vncpasswd) you can use the Xmetisse "-rfbauth" option to specify this file. Then, Xmetisse will ask for a password.

Type "Xmetisse -help" for the full list of the Xmetisse options. To speedup X metisse and save memory, try to use "-depth 16" as an option. By default Xmetisse runs at depth 24 (as it seems that certain 3D grapghic drivers does not play well with RGB565 textures which are used by FvwmCompositor when the "-depth 16" option is used).

Then start fvwm and FvwmCompositor:

metisse-start-fvwm -wd :the_Xmetisse_display [-wp password]

The -wd option is needed only if the Xmetisse display is not :1. Try metisse-start-fvwm --help for more options.

You can pass options to FvwmCompositor and fvwm via metisse-start-fvwm:

metisse-start-fvwm [ options ] -- [FvwmCompositor options] -- [fvwm options]

Some useful FvwmCompositor options:

-a forces the use of RGB textures in the place of RGBA textures. If you have incorrect colors (as ugly gradients) use this option (I need to use this option when my regular X server runs at depth 16 and Xmetisse run at depth 24).
-t disables the use of the stencil buffer for shaped windows. Use it if you have problems with shaped windows (as xeyes, xine, xmms ...etc.). With some X server the use of the stencil buffer may slow down Metisse.
-p causes FvwmCompositor to generate mipmap for textures (if supported). In general, this gives a better rendering of transformed windows. But, this use more memory and slowdown Metisse.
-n causes FvwmCompositor to use npot texture (if supported). This may either improve speed and/or memory usage or cause rendering problems.
-s disable window shadow
-m do not use shared memory
-D display fps to stderr.

You can use the previous commands under your usual graphical environment, but this may cause various problem (typically key/mouse bindings conflict). Here an example of a starting script that you can put at the end of your .xinitrc file (if you use startx) or at the good place (ask your guru) if you use a DM (as kdm or gdm).

Xmetisse -ac -depth 16 -geometry 1680x1050 :1 >& .Xmetisse-log &
metisse-start-fvwm >& .compositor-log &
rxvt # block, type "exit" after quitting metisse to quit X
     # use "metisse-start-fvwm >& .compositor-log &" to start again
# exiting
killall Xmetisse

Of course replace 1680x1050 by the appropriate resolution.

Running with GNOME or KDE

TBD.

Using

See this document (not all the features of Metisse are described in this document)

Support

If you have problems or/and questions use the Metisse mailing list.

Nucleo build problems should be reported to the Nucleo mailing list