Chapter 9 Customizing the Desktop Environment

Style Manager can be used to customize the appearance of the desktop.

• Customizing Screen Appearance

• Customizing System Behavior

• Customizing Startup and Logout

By default, your customizations will affect only the current session unless you save them as the home session, as explained in To Set a Home Session.

Introducing Style Manager

To start Style Manager:

Click the Style Manager control in the Front Panel.

Figure 9–1 Style Manager Front Panel control

The Style Manager controls and the items that they control are:

Color - Workspace colors and palettes

Font - Application font sizes and font groups

Backdrop - Workspace backdrop patterns

Keyboard - Key click volume and character repeat capability

Mouse - Mouse button click settings, double-click speed, pointer acceleration, and pointer movement threshold

Beep - Beeper volume, tone, and duration

Screen - Number of minutes before your screen blanks and whether your screen is covered and locked at that time

Window - How a window acquires focus, if the window raises when it receives focus, and where window icons are placed

Startup - How your session begins and ends

Figure 9–2 Style Manager controls

Customizing Screen Appearance

You can change the following aspects of your screen appearance:

• Color Palettes

• Workspace backdrops

• Font sizes and font groups

Color Palettes and Color Flashing

You set your workspace colors through a color palette. The number of colors in the palette is determined by your display type and the Number of Colors selection.

Figure 9–3 Number of Colors Dialog Box

Running certain applications may result in a phenomenon know as color flashing or colormap flashing, where the application appears with incorrect colors while the rest of the desktop appears normal, and when given the focus it displays with correct colors but the rest of the desktop does not. Color flashing is typically found in either of the following circumstances.

• Your workstation does not use a 24 bit graphics card

• You are running applications that are designed to use their own colormaps (thus placing a burden on the frame buffer)

This is due to fundamental limitations in XWindows when dealing with applications that do not use the default colormap. While you can't use more colors than your display allows, you can reduce the number of colors used by the desktop by choosing a lower-valued color usage in the Number of Colors to Use dialog box, or by exiting other graphics-intensive applications.

For example, if you have a high-color display and have selected More Colors for Desktop but you want to run a color-rich application such as a computer-aided design (CAD) program, you should choose More Colors for Applications or Most Colors for Applications to decrease the number of colors that the desktop uses. The remaining colors are available for the CAD program.

To Overcome Color Flashing

If you have closed all other graphics-intensive applications and your application is still experiencing color flashing, the following procedure may help eliminate the problem.

1. Open Style Manager.

2. Click Color.

   The Color dialog box is displayed.

3. Click Number of Colors.

   The Number of Colors To Use dialog box (see Figure 9–3) is displayed.

4. Select Most Colors For Applications and click OK.

5. Click Desktop background and choose a simple workspace background such as Gray Lt.

6. Make this session your home session by following the procedure inTo Set a Home Session.

7. Exit Style Manager and logout of CDE.

8. Login to CDE and re-open the application that previously experienced color flashing.

   If the application no longer experiences color flashing, make a note of the current Style Manager settings; if it is still experiencing color flashing, the application has probably specified a list of colormaps to be installed, CDE is only installing the first colormap in this list, so you will need to cycle through the colormaps as explained in the following steps.

9. Use the following special keyboard keys to cycle through the colormaps.

   Control-L2 (or Control-Again)	Steps forward through the colormaps
   Control-L4 (or Control-Undo)	Steps backward through the colormaps

   Cycling through the colormaps may end up installing the correct colormap, and will not affect the other windows on the desktop in any way. If you continue to experience colormap flashing, have your system administrator seek further information on SunSolve^SM.

Color Buttons

Your display type and the Number of Colors selection determine the number of color buttons that make up a palette. You will have two, four, or eight color buttons in the Color dialog box. The different color buttons in the palette control the colors used for different areas of the screen.

If you have eight color buttons, they will be used as follows (buttons numbered from left to right, top to bottom):

1. Active window borders

2. Inactive window borders

3. Switch for workspace 1 and every fourth additional workspace (workspace 5, 9, ...)

4. Text and list areas

5. Main window background and switch for workspace 2 and every fourth additional workspace (workspace 8, 12, ...)

6. Dialog box background and menu bar and switch for workspace 3 and every fourth additional workspace (workspace 7, 11, ...)

7. Switch for workspace 4 and every fourth additional workspace (workspace 6, 10, ...)

8. Front Panel background

If you have four color buttons, they will be used as follows (buttons numbered from left to right):

1. Active window borders

2. Window bodies:

   1. Inactive window borders

   2. Main window and dialog box backgrounds and menu bar

   3. Front Panel background

3. Workspace switches and backgrounds

4. Text and list areas

If you have two color buttons, they will be used as follows (buttons numbered from left to right):

1. Active window borders

2. Everything else

To Select a Palette

1. Click the Style Manager Color control.

2. Select a palette from the Palettes list.

   

3. Click OK.

   Workspace colors come from predefined color palettes. The Color dialog box lists the palettes that came with your system plus any palettes you have added.

To Modify an Existing Palette

1. Click the Style Manager Color control.

2. Select a palette in the Color dialog box.

3. Double-click a color button to open the Modify Color dialog box, or click a color button and then click Modify.

4. Adjust the settings for the level of red, green, blue, brightness, or hue by adjusting the corresponding slider.

   The old and new color samples will be displayed in the upper left corner of the Modify Color dialog box.

5. Click OK in the Modify Color dialog box.

6. Repeat steps 2-4 to modify another color button.

7. Click OK in the Color dialog box.

To Grab a Color from the Workspace

1. Click the Style Manager Color control.

2. Select a palette in the Color dialog box.

3. Double-click a color button to open the Modify Color dialog box, or click a color button and then click Modify.

4. Click Grab Color to display the grab pointer.

5. Move the pointer to an area of color on the screen that you want to grab.

6. Click to make that color the new color.

   ---

   Note –

   This causes the desktop to use one more color so applications have one fewer color available to them.

   ---

To Create a Custom Palette

You can create your own palette by copying and modifying an existing palette.

1. Click the Style Manager Color control.

2. Choose Add in the Color dialog box.

3. Type the new palette name and click OK in the Add Palette dialog box.

4. Modify the palette.

5. Click OK in the Color dialog box.

   Adding a palette makes a copy of the currently selected palette with a unique name. You then create your custom palette by modifying the copy and the original palette is not changed.

To Delete a Palette

1. Click the Style Manager Color control.

2. Select the palette from the Palettes list.

3. Click Delete.

4. Click OK in the Delete Palette dialog box.

   When you delete a palette, Style Manager prefixes the name of the palette with a ~ and stores a copy in the HomeDirectory/.dt/palettes directory.

To Restore a Deleted Palette

1. Open a File Manager view showing HomeDirectory/.dt/palettes.

2. For system-supplied palettes, delete the file ~palette_name.dp.

   For user-added palettes, rename the deleted palette from ~palette_name.dp to palette_name.dp.

3. Restart Style Manager (close, then reopen).

To Change the Number of Colors Used by the Desktop

1. Click the Style Manager Color control.

2. Click Number of Colors in the Color dialog box.

3. Select an option to set the number of colors used by the desktop.

   See Color Palettes and Color Flashing.

4. Click OK.

   You must log out and back in for the change to take effect.

Fonts

The font size and font group you select in Style Manager is used on titles, menu bars, window labels and text. The new font size and font group is used as applications are started. Existing windows will not reflect the change.

To Select a Font Size

1. Click the Style Manager Font control.

2. Select a font size under Size.

3. Click OK to enable newly started applications to use the selected typeface, or click Cancel to cancel the operation.

To Select a Font Group

1. Click the Style Manager Font control.

2. Select a font group under Font Group.

3. Look at the Preview window labels and text, which show the new font typeface.

4. Click OK to enable newly started applications to use the selected typeface, or click Cancel to cancel the operation.

To Add a Font Group

1. Click the Style Manager Font control.

2. Choose Add in the Font dialog box.

3. Choose a font group from the System scrolling list and a font group from the User scrolling list.

4. Click OK to open the Font Group Name dialog box.

5. Enter a name in the New Font Group Name field of the Font Group Name dialog box for the new font group.

   You can enter any non-blank name that you want.

6. Click OK to add a font group to the Font dialog box scrolling list.

To Delete a Font Group

1. Click the Style Manager Font control.

2. Select a font group from the Font Group scrolling list on the Font dialog box.

3. Click the Delete button.

   The Delete Font Group dialog box appears.

4. Click OK to delete the font group from the Font Group scrolling list.

To View Font Attributes

1. Click the Style Manager Font control.

2. Click the Attributes button.

   The Font Attribute dialog box appears. It provides name and location information on the font size and font group you selected. This information varies according to the alias family (system, user, user bold) and character set you choose from the combo boxes at the top of the dialog box.

3. Click Close to dismiss the Font Attribute dialog box.

Backdrops

You can select a backdrop pattern to cover each of your workspaces (the screen area underneath your windows). A unique backdrop for each workspace adds variety and helps you to quickly identify the workspace you are in.

To Select a Backdrop

1. Switch to the workspace where you want the backdrop.

2. Click the Style Manager Backdrop control.

3. Select a backdrop.

4. Click Apply.

Customizing System Behavior

You can adjust the following settings for system devices:

• Keyboard click volume and character repeat

• Mouse button click settings, double-click speed, pointer acceleration, and pointer movement threshold

• Beeper volume, tone, and duration

• Screen blanking when not in use

• Window focus, movement, and icon behavior

To Change Keyboard Behavior

1. Click the Style Manager Keyboard control.

2. Select the settings you want:

   • Auto Repeat: Sets characters to repeat when you hold down their keys

   • Click Volume: Determines the volume of key clicks (turned off at 0%)

3. To save the changes, click OK. To return to the default settings, click Default.

To Change Mouse Behavior

1. Click the Style Manager Mouse control.

2. Select the settings you want:

   • Handedness: Reverses mouse buttons 1 and 3.

   • Button 2: Determines whether the middle mouse button is used to extend selections (Adjust) or drag-and-drop objects (Transfer). If Adjust is selected, transfer actions (drag) will require the use of mouse button 1.

   • Double-Click: Determines the maximum time between clicks of a double-click. (Test the speed by double-clicking in the mouse picture provided.) A new double-click speed does not take effect until the next time you log in.

   • Acceleration: Sets how fast the mouse pointer moves across the display.

   • Threshold: The distance in pixels the pointer moves at a slow speed before moving at the accelerated rate.

3. To save the changes, click OK. To return to the default settings, click Default.

You can also set the edge Move Threshold (the minimum proximity of the mouse pointer to an object without the object becoming selectable) for the mouse. See the dtwm man page.

To Change Beep Settings

1. Click the Style Manager Beep control.

2. Select the settings you want:

   • Volume: Determines the volume of the beep (turned off at 0%)

   • Tone: Determines the pitch of the beep from 82 to 9000 Hertz

   • Duration: Determines the length of the beep

3. To save the changes, click OK. To return to the default settings, click Default.

Screen without Lock Extensions

You can customize the screen blanker or Front Panel lock, or return the settings to the default. If your system supports lock on timeout, see Screen with Lock Extensions.

If you have a color display, bright colors on the screen can burn into the picture tube. Setting the screen to go blank or be covered prevents this from happening.

Power Management

If you select a blank background screen, and your hardware is capable of turning the power off, it does so to save energy.

To disable power management when using Solaris CDE, change the Style Manager's screen saver default blank screen to a screen pattern. It can also be disabled by running the following command in a terminal emulator window:

% xset s noblank

To Change Screen Blanker Settings

1. Click the Style Manager Screen control.

2. Select the settings you want:

   • Screen Blanker: Enables (On) or disables (Off) the screen blanker immediately, even before you click OK. When Screen Blanker is On the Start Blanker slider is active.

   • Start Blanker: Specifies the number of minutes from the last pointer movement or keystroke before the screen is blanked. When this value is changed, the new value goes into effect immediately, even before you click OK.

3. To save the changes, click OK. To return to the default settings, click Default.

To Change Front Panel Lock Settings

1. Click the Style Manager Screen control.

2. Select the settings you want:

   • Use Backgrounds For Lock: Enables the lock backgrounds.

   • Transparent Lock: Backgrounds are not used when the screen is locked.

   • Backgrounds List: Displays the available backgrounds in a multiple-select list. Select or deselect a background by clicking on the list item. The last background selected will be displayed to the right of the list.

   • Time Per Background: Specifies the number of minutes each selected background runs before the next one starts when the screen is being saved. The backgrounds are cycled through in the same sequence as they appear in the list. A setting of 0 (zero) results in only the last background (the one currently in the preview area) being used.

3. To save the changes, click OK. To return to the default settings, click Default.

Screen with Lock Extensions

You can customize the screen saver or screen lock, or return the settings to the default. If your system does not support lock on timeout, see Screen without Lock Extensions.

If you have a color display, bright colors on the screen can burn into the picture tube. Setting the screen to go blank or be covered prevents this from happening.

Power Management

If you select a blank background screen, and your hardware is capable of turning the power off, it does so to save energy.

To disable power management when using Solaris CDE, change the Style Manager's screen saver default blank screen to a screen pattern. It can also be disabled by running the following command in a terminal emulator window:

% xset s noblank

To Change Screen Saver Settings

1. Click the Style Manager Screen control.

2. Select the settings you want:

   • Screen Saver: Enables (On) or disables (Off) the screen saver immediately, even before you click OK. When Screen Saver is On the Start Saver slider is active.

   • Screen Saver List: Displays the available screen savers in a multiple-select list. Select or deselect a screen saver by clicking on the list item. The last screen saver selected will be displayed to the right of the list.

   • Start Saver: Sets the number of minutes from the last pointer movement or keystroke before the screen saver starts. When this value is changed, the new value goes into effect immediately, even before you click OK.

   • Time per Saver: Specifies the number of minutes each selected screen saver runs before the next one starts.

3. To save the changes, click OK. To return to the default settings, click Default.

To Change Screen Lock Settings

If the screen saver and screen lock are both enabled (On) and the Start Lock value is smaller than the Start Saver value, when the screen lock times-out it replaces the contents of the screen with the currently selected screen savers. If Start Lock is greater than Start Screen, then the automatic screen lock simply continues the current screen saver.

If the screen saver is disabled (Off) and automatic screen lock is enabled (On), when the screen lock times-out the contents of the screen are not covered with a screen saver.

1. Click the Style Manager Screen control.

2. Select the settings you want:

   • Screen Lock: Enables (On) or disables (Off) Screen Lock on a timeout. When this setting is changed, the new setting goes into effect immediately, even before the dialog box is closed.

   • Start Lock: Specifies the number of minutes from the last pointer move or keystroke before the screen lock starts. When this value is changed, the new value goes into effect immediately, even before you click OK.

3. To save the changes, click OK. To return to the default settings, click Default.

Windows

You can change the window focus policy, how active windows are displayed, and where window icons are displayed.

To Change Window Behavior

1. Click the Style Manager Window control.

2. Select the settings you want:

   • Point In Window To Make Active: Makes a window active when the mouse pointer enters it

   • Click In Window To Make Active: Makes a window active when the mouse pointer enters it and you click mouse button 1

3. To save your changes, click OK.

4. Click OK when asked to Restart the Workspace Manager.

To Change How Active Windows Are Displayed

1. Click the Style Manager Window control.

2. Select the settings you want:

   • Raise Window When Made Active: Select this if you want a partially concealed window to be brought to the top when it becomes active

   • Allow Primary Windows On Top: Select this if you want the main window to be displayed on top of secondary windows when you click the primary window

   • Show Contents During Move: Select this if you want to move the whole window during a window move instead of just moving the outline at first

3. To save your changes, click OK.

4. Click OK when asked to Restart the Workspace Manager.

To Change Where Window Icons Are Displayed

1. Click the Style Manager Window control.

2. Select the settings you want:

   • Use Icon Box: Displays your window icons in an icon box

   • Place On Workspace: Displays your window icons on the workspace backdrop

3. To save your changes, click OK.

4. Click OK when asked to Restart the Workspace Manager.

Customizing Startup and Logout

You can change the following options for startup and logout:

• Session started when you log in

• Session to be your home session

• Logout confirmation preference

Whenever you are logged into the desktop, you are working in a current session. By default, when you log out, the desktop saves your current session and restores it the next time you log in.

You can also save a home session, a session you want to be able to return to regardless of what you do during the current session.

To Change How Your Next Session Starts

1. Click the Style Manager Startup control.

2. Select the settings you want:

   • Resume current session: Starts your next session the way you left your last one including any setting, client, or resource modifications

   • Return to Home session: Starts the session you set as your home session

   • Ask me at Logout: Select this if you want to be asked at logout whether to restart the current session or restore the home session

   To define a new home session based on your current session, select Set Home Session.

3. To save your changes, click OK.

To Set a Home Session

When setting a home session, be sure to first select and save your desired startup settings.

1. Click the Style Manager Startup control.

2. Click Set Home Session.

3. Click OK in the confirmation dialog box that appears.

4. Click OK in the Startup dialog box.

   If you have never set a home session, the system default session is used when you select Return to Home session.

To Set Your Logout Confirmation Preference

1. Click the Style Manager Startup control.

2. Select On or Off for Logout Confirmation.

   If you set Logout Confirmation to On, whenever you log out you will be asked for confirmation that you want to log out.

3. Click OK.