This page describes techniques for starting the
ViewStation's local window managers with a Remote Shell process from the
host computer. This is the recommended procedure for starting the window
manager.
Starting Local MWM Remotely
Normally, you just click on the Motif Window Manager option on the
Setup Menu to start it. Many times it is more convenient to start the
local MWM from an .Xses sion file or from a remote host login file.
Starting the window manager from a remote host gives you additional
power and flexibility. Starting the MWM from a remote host copies your
customized window manager files, such as .mwmrc, to the local window
manager's operation.
The local ViewStation Motif Window Manager can be started
from a remote host with the rsh (remote shell command) as follows:
rsh -n <hostname> <window manager> [arguments]
'&'
Note:
The RSH command: Your operating
system may use different syntax; SCO uses rcmd and HP uses remsh, for
example. You should use the -n option (null input) so the process exits
properly when you close the window manager (check the syntax on your
remote shell command).
Hostname: The remote shell command must use the ViewStation's
hostname as it is entered in the /etc/hosts file (the rsh command does
not accept an IP address).
Window Manager: The next
entry is the window manager you want to start, either mwm or olwm or
fvwm. Only one window manager can be running at one time. If you try to
start a window manager when another is running, the remote shell command
will fail but there will be no error message displayed except in the
ViewStation's Console Window.
Background Process: The
last argument "'&'" allows the rsh process to exit cleanly when the
window manager starts.
Command Line Arguments: Command line arguments for the
window manager can be entered on this line. For instance, entering the
-display argument would permit you to run the View Station's window
manager on another display device.
The remote shell also
accepts command signals, such as Ctrl-C, which could be used to stop the
window manager after it has started. If you use resource names on the
command line you must take care to quote and escape them properly; for
example, the operating system would misinterpret the * (asterisk) in
the resource name as a wildcard character.
The rsh command line can be entered from any location that
will start a remote shell, such as your .xsession file or .login file.
Configuration options for the window managers, such as applicable
resources from .Xresources, or from .mwmrc, etc. should be read before
the remote shell command is given.
When the window manager is started remotely, the ViewStation
tries to read the applicable resource files, such as .Xdefaults, or
/usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/ Mwm, or .mwmrc with the rcp (remote copy)
command. You can monitor this process from the ViewStation's Console
Window. The remote copy command must succeed or the window manager
resources can't be used. If one of those files isn't located, the
ViewStation will timeout and search for the next one; using valid
entries in these files, or using them with null entries, will reduce the
timeout pauses. You can follow this process, and locate all the file
names, by monitoring the Console shell messages.
Window Manager Remote Starting Checklist
This page gives you a
few hints for troubleshooting remote shell problems in starting the
window manager.
HDSrunwm Launcher
Program
This page describes the HDSrunwm launcher program, which
is an alternate way to start the window manager.
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