desktop text

[JoXo009]

I found solutions to set TC desktop background color or to use a background wallpaper via the /home/tc/.xsession and /home/tc/.setbackgound scripts.

But I found no solutions how to output text on that desktop.

Is such text output possible and how could I it get working / which extensions should be used?

-------------
Postscript:
What I mean is something I've got on my UltimateBoot live CD - text not in some window, but on the desktop itself - for example a list of the actual PC settings or a ToDo list.

[mikshaw]

Is this the sort of thing you want?
http://home.schmorp.de/marc/root-tail.html

[JoXo009]

http://home.schmorp.de/marc/root-tail.html

I'll try if it's working for me.

Thanks, mikshaw

[MikeLockmoore]

Sounds like you might want to check out conky.  I'm not very familiar with it, but it can put various kinds of system status info directly on your desktop.  I don't know if you can put *any* text, but I'm fairly sure you can at least choose from various categories.  There are .tce and .tcz versions of a conky extension in the official repository.
--
Mike L.

[JoXo009]

... check out conky. 

I saw conky, but it's actually more a to do list than the system status I want to create as desktop background.

And it's first the idea and the question if possible at all.

In the meantime - with your help - I got the feeling, it's possible. So I'll create my automatic ToDo list and test if I can get it working.

Will take some time. If it's of any use I'll try to report the result here.

[MikeLockmoore]

Main webiste is http://conky.sourceforge.net/.  It says it has built-in support for showing processes, mem usage, cpu status, etc.  I sounds like it can be customized with scripts written in the Lua langurage (maybe others?) to show about anything. 
--
ML

[alu]

i would be very interesting to know much about how to do it; i find it funny and useful to have a black background with command lines or to do lists or something like that

[florian]

With TC2.2 you can put text on the desktop with everything included in the base.

aterm knows some nice tricks:

Code: [Select]

aterm -tr +sb -bl -sh 99
Used this in conjonction of your wm config, you maybe be able to achieve what you want.

For example, if you use jwm:
1 - add some group configuration magic in the configuration file:

Code: [Select]

<Group>
    <Name>backterm</Name>
    <Option>layer:1</Option>
    <Option>notitle</Option>
    <Option>noborder</Option>
    <Option>nolist</Option>
</Group>
2- restart jwm for the option to take effect.
3- create a symlink with name you specified in the goup config:

Code: [Select]

ln -s /usr/bin/aterm backterm4- and then finally:

Code: [Select]

./backterm -tr +sb -sh 99 -fade 100 [-e my_program...]tadaaaaaa!

tip: you can use the -g flag to specify the position on the desktop

[Lee]

...
tadaaaaaa!

You, sir, are a genius.

I have to go play with that -right now-.

[philip]

florian, that aterm trick is a real winner. Thanks! ... Now for an extra challenge: does anybody know how to do the same stuff with flwm instead of jwm? I mean run aterm in the root window with no border, title bar, etc.

[jpeters]

Nice idea, write on your desktop.
   with  vim:

[removed due to policy]apps/vim-desktop.png

[bmarkus]

Hm.... Inventing 'Active Desktop' I have seen it already somewhere 

[alu]

or do it with .setbackground:

Esetroot -s /opt/backgrounds/yourfavoritewallpaper && aterm -tr +sb -bl -sh 99 -geometry 120x50+1+1 -e vi

[jpeters]

or do it with .setbackground:

Esetroot -s /opt/backgrounds/yourfavoritewallpaper && aterm -tr +sb -bl -sh 99 -geometry 120x50+1+1 -e vi

That's a much better way to do it.  Loading "./backterm -tr +sb -sh 99  -e vim &" doesn't work
from a hotkey unless a terminal window is loaded. 

[alu]

i am not totally satisfied with my solution, because i am using evilwm and have my aterm only on the first workspace, and not on all workspaces; i have no solution to make it stick across workspaces; does anyone know how to perform this? thanks