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6. Other AfterStep-related applications

6.1 What is this WindowMaker I keep hearing about in the list?

WindowMaker a new NeXT-like window manager that is being developed by Alfredo Kojima ( kojima@inf.ufrgs.br) with the support of a lot of other people. It will support many OpenStep/GNUStep-ish features, and there is talk that it may be the `next-generation _asnl', and even the window manager of choice for GNUstep. You can download it from ftp://afterstep.foo.net/pub/AfterStep/devel/.

However, be advised that WindowMaker is still in a very early stage of development, so don't plan on using it for real work for now unless you want to cope with a lot of unimplemented features. But it is advancing very fast, so you may also want to take a good look at it.

6.2 What is ASCP?

ASCP stands for `AfterStep Control Panel', and is a program that allows you to configure AfterStep while imitating the NEXTSTEP control panel look and feel. It makes really easy to configure AfterStep without manually fiddling with the .steprc file. You can download it from http://www.inf.ufrgs.br/~kojima/ascp.html. Be sure to backup your .steprc file before using it, because it still has some bugs and problems.

WARNING: Due to changes introduced in AfterStep 1.0pre4 and posterior versions, the files written by ASCP cause AfterStep to behave very strangely, particularily the Wharf. So please don't use ASCP for configuring 1.0pre4 until this is fixed. If you accidentally did and you don't have a backup of your .steprc, do the following to fix it:

  1. In your .steprc, locate the lines that start with
    *Wharf "" ...
    
  2. The empty double quotes are the ones causing the trouble. You have to give each Wharf entry a unique label there, inside the double quotes.
  3. Restart and it should be fixed.

In case you are interested, this happens because 1.0pre4 introduced the `swallow-exec' capability in the standard distribution (see question swallow_exec). This uses the labels to know which Wharf items have multiple meanings, so if all the labels are the same, Wharf superimposes all the icons on one.

6.3 What is TkStep and why do I want it?

TkStep is a modified version of Tk that implements the NEXTSTEP look and feel. If you use wishstep instead of wish to run your applications, all your Tcl/Tk programs will suddenly have a renewed and great new look!

You also want it because ASCP needs it. See question ascp.

You can get it at http://www.inf.ufrgs.br/~kojima/tkstep.html. You need to have Tcl7.5/Tk4.1 to run it. ASCP does not work with Tcl7.6 yet.


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