The Menus

There are two types of pop-up menus offered in the default mwm environment: root menus and window menus. The options available under the root menus apply to the overall workspace; the options provided under the window menus affect the individual windows. While the particular menus and their options can be configured by individual users, this help file focuses on the menus available in the default environment.

Displaying Menus

The way a menu is displayed depends on the type of menu; a root menu or a window menu. Root menus are linked to mouse buttons, while the Window menus are linked to the menu button on the titlebar of each individual window. The specifics of the various menus are given below.

Selecting a menu option

Regardless of which menu you choose an option from, the procedure for selecting an option is the same.

To select an option from the menu, slide the mouse down the list of options until the option you want is highlighted (has a box drawn around it), then release the mouse button. If a menu option is not applicable at a particular time, its name will be grayed out and you will not be able to select it.

The All Windows menu

The All Windows menu is accessible from within the root window (the black background behind all the other windows).

To pop-up the All Windows menu, move the mouse pointer to the black background behind the windows and press and hold down the left mouse button.

The following options appear under the All Windows menu:

Shuffle Up This option will raise the most obscured window to the top so that it is completely visible above any other window. By continually choosing this option, you can raise each window in turn.

Shuffle Down This option will shuffle the top-most window to the bottom of the pile. As with the Shuffle Up option, continually choosing this option will lower each window in turn.

Refresh This option will redraw the entire screen.

Snapshot to File This option allows you to take a snapshot of the entire screen or just one window on the screen. When this option is chosen, the pointer changes shape, appearing as a plus sign (+). To take a snapshot of a particular window, move the pointer into the window and press the left mouse button.To take a snapshot of the entire screen, move the pointer into the root window (the black background behind all the windows) and press the left mouse button. The snapshot will be stored in /tmp on your machine, under xwdump-n, where n is the number of that particular snapshot. For instance, if you already have two snapshots in /tmp (like /tmp/xwdump-1 and xwdump-3) the next snapshot you take will be numbered /tmp/xwdump-4.

Snapshot to Printer This option works like the Snaptshot to File option, but instead of storing the snapshot in a file, Snapshot to Printer takes the snapshot of the window/screen, processes it for your printer type (as specified in your preferences file) and prints the snapshot out on the specified printer.

Applications Choosing this option brings up a submenu, which appears to the right of the All Windows menu. The Applications menu has the following options: M essages, S endmessage, E macs, E z, X term, L ibrary, H elp. The application you choose will start in a new window. So, choosing Help will bring up the Andrew Help System in a Help window, choosing Ez will bring up an Ez window, and so forth. Please refer to the Help System for information on each of the individual applications.

Restart mwn This will restart the window manager. A dialog box will appear, asking you to confirm that you wish to restart mwm. This option is useful when you are customizing your mwm environment by making changes to your .mwmrc file. By restarting mwm you can see the effects of your changes immediately.

Logout/Quit mwm This will quit the window manager and the xserver. A dialog box will ask you to confirm that you wish to quit the window manager. Click on the "OK" with the left mouse button if you want to quit mwm and log out of the system.

Mnemonics

You will notice that one of the letters of each option on the Applications menu is underlined. These underlined letters are called mnemonics, which allow you to choose an option by typing one letter.

To execute an option using its mnemonic, pop-up the menu by holding down the appropriate mouse button. Type the underlined letter representing the application you wish to start. You must have the menu displayed in order to use mnemonics.

This Window menu

Each individual window has a Window menu with options that apply to that particular window. This menu is accessed by clicking on the menu button, located in the left-hand corner of the titlebar.

In addition to opening and choosing an option, as is done with the All Windows menu, the This Window menu can also be posted (remain displayed until you choose an option or close it). The instructions below will show you how to post and then choose an option from the Window menu, as well as how to close the menu should you decide not to execute an option.

To post the window menu move the pointer to the menu button and click with the left mouse button. The menu will remain displayed on your screen.

To choose an option from the posted menu, slide the mouse pointer down the list of options to select the option you want, or simply click on the desired option (a selected option has a box drawn around it).Release the mouse button to execute the option.

You may decide not to execute any option after you have posted the menu.

To close a posted menu, point the mouse pointer away from the menu (so that no option is selected), and click the left mouse button.

The following options appear on the Window menu:

Move This option allows you to move the window, much like you move a window by grabbing the title bar. When you choose this option, the pointer changes into the four-way arrow and a small box displaying the current geometry of the window appears in the middle of the window. To move the window, select the Move option and move the four-way arrow pointer by moving the mouse without depressing any buttons. When you have the window in the desired location, click with the left mouse button.

Size This option allows you to resize the window. When you choose this option, the pointer changes into the four-way arrow and a small box displaying the current geometry of the window appears in the middle of the window. To resize the window, choose the Size option and move the four-way arrow pointer anywhere on the frame of the window, without depressing any mouse buttons. When you have the frame of the window at the desired size, click with the left mouse button.

Minimize This option shrinks the window to an icon. It performs the same action as clicking on the minimize button (the small button with a dot in the middle, located on the right hand side of the titlebar).

Normalize This will restore a window to its original size and location after it has been minimized (iconified) or maximized. If the window has not been minimized or maximized, this option will be grayed out, indicating that it cannot be selected.

Maximize This will expand the window to the full screen size. It performs the same action as clicking on the maximize button (the small button with a square n the middle, located on the right hand side of the titlebar).

Lower This will send the window to the bottom of the window stack, closest to the root window.

Raise This will bring the window to the top of the window stack, so that it is unobscured by any other window.

Close This stops whatever process is running in the window and makes the window disappear. Please Note: This will not save any of your work before stopping the process. You should always save your work before choosing this option.

Accelerator Keys

You will notice that the options on the This Window menu have mnemonics, as did the options on the Applications menu. In addition to mnemonics, the This Window menu supports what are known as accelerator keys, indicated by the "Meta+F#" to the right of the various options.

Accelerator keys are keys on your keyboard to which specific menu options have been bound. This allows you to execute a menu option by typing the appropriate accelerator keys, rather than opening the menus and choosing an option with any of the other methods.

To choose a menu option using accelerator keys:

1. Press and hold down the first key, then press the second key.

Example

To choose the Move [Meta+F1] option you would press and hold down the Meta key, then press the F1 key. The actual name and location of the Meta key depends on the type of machine you are working on:

• If you are on a DECstation, the Meta key is labeled Compose Character, and is located to the left of the space bar.
• If you are on a Sun workstation, the Meta key has a diamond on it and is located immediately left of the space bar.
• If you are on an SGI workstation the Meta key has a diamond on it and is located immediately left of the space bar.