X11 application menu issue

[shadowfax]

i use apple's X11 for 2 things, really. one is just to mess around with it, and the other is to use a linux-only German-English dictionary i like.

this always worked fine under KDE with XDarwin, but there is an odd issue in X11 for OS X (under quartz-wm).

the program is called ding, and it's installed in /sw/ding/ding.

when i run xterm and enter "/sw/ding/ding," the program starts instantly and runs fine with all the good quartz stuff.

when i add the same line to the applications menu on X11, however, nothing happens. is there some kind of argument i need to add in, like some way to tell it to "run from terminal" or something?

 

[mnkeybsness]

i've never been able to get anything to word from the applications menu

either it's that i'm a newb to x11, or it just doesn't work for everything

 

[Taft]

For some reason quartz-wm only finds apps if they are installed in--or linked to--in the '/usr/X11R6/bin' directory.

So do this:

cd /usr/X11R6/bin
sudo ln -s /sw/ding/ding ding

Viola! It should now open from the application menu.

Taft

 

[Bear]

Originally posted by Taft
For some reason quartz-wm only finds apps if they are installed in--or linked to--in the '/usr/X11R6/bin' directory.

...

Sounds like a bug to me.

 

[FattyMembrane]

i have the same problem with kde, but it happens regardless of the window manager i'm using. it runs fine from a terminal window but gives me errors if i try it from the application menu. hopefully it's just part of the growing pains, after all, (apple)x11 is only at .2

 

[Taft]

Originally posted by Bear
Sounds like a bug to me.

It is a bug in X11...kinda. I've already reported it, but its basically just that the X server (not the window manager, but the layer under the wm) doesn't check against the PATH variable when looking for apps.

Inexplicably, it checks against an internal path. For now, you can just create symbolic links. It won't hurt your system, so long as the sym link points to a binary in a bin directory.

I would draw the line at doing this for apps installed outside a bin directory. That might get messy. But thankfully most will install a sym link into a bin directory which points to the correct app. Then, just make a sym link to a sym link.

Incidently, there may be a way to alter the X servers internal path. I'd check under /usr/X11R6/etc. I'd do it myself, but I only use X11 for gimp, so I really don't care much at all; one sym link does it for me.

Taft

 

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Taft
For some reason quartz-wm only finds apps if they are installed in--or linked to--in the '/usr/X11R6/bin' directory.

So do this:

cd /usr/X11R6/bin
sudo ln -s /sw/ding/ding ding

Viola! It should now open from the application menu.

Taft

strange. didn't help. it still does the same thing

i tried putting "/usr/x11R6/bin/ding" in the app menu, as well as the same old "/sw/ding/ding". but, entering "/usr/x11R6/bin/ding" into xterm, it runs perfectly.

 

[Taft]

Originally posted by Shadowfax
strange. didn't help. it still does the same thing

i tried putting "/usr/x11R6/bin/ding" in the app menu, as well as the same old "/sw/ding/ding". but, entering "/usr/x11R6/bin/ding" into xterm, it runs perfectly.

Hmmm. Evidently it isn't at all smart about how to recognize program names.

When I did it, I just put the command name. Not the path/command.

Try just putting 'ding' in the box. That should do it.

Taft

 

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Taft
Hmmm. Evidently it isn't at all smart about how to recognize program names.

When I did it, I just put the command name. Not the path/command.

Try just putting 'ding' in the box. That should do it.

Taft

nothing this is so weird. i wouldn't expect it to be this, because mozilla and gimp both run great out of /sw/bin, so i think i just need to get someone who knows how to put in a "run from xterm" argument, i think. i have seen this option in KDE, but it doesn't list an argument, just a check box.

 

[Taft]

Originally posted by Shadowfax
nothing this is so weird. i wouldn't expect it to be this, because mozilla and gimp both run great out of /sw/bin, so i think i just need to get someone who knows how to put in a "run from xterm" argument, i think. i have seen this option in KDE, but it doesn't list an argument, just a check box.

That's easy:

xterm -e "ding"

or

xterm -e "ding&"

The second one allows you to close the xterm after the program is started.

Taft

 

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Taft
That's easy:

xterm -e "ding"

or

xterm -e "ding&"

The second one allows you to close the xterm after the program is started.

Taft

cool. is there a way to make it close the xterm automatically?

also, i tried this too, and it didn't seem to work. i get a blank xterm window titled "ding" that closes the second i press any button.
lol, this must be a really poorly written program, but i'll still use it, because i am too cheap to use ultralingua. know any other OS X/linux german-english dictionaries that are free/close to free? i'd be all up for an English dictionary too; the sherlock one is annoying, and it only works when i am online (naturally). I used to use MS bookshelf ALL the time on my windows box. that wasn't free, but my dad bought it. one of the few apps i miss from windows.

 

[Taft]

Originally posted by Shadowfax
cool. is there a way to make it close the xterm automatically?

also, i tried this too, and it didn't seem to work. i get a blank xterm window titled "ding" that closes the second i press any button.
lol, this must be a really poorly written program, but i'll still use it, because i am too cheap to use ultralingua. know any other OS X/linux german-english dictionaries that are free/close to free? i'd be all up for an English dictionary too; the sherlock one is annoying, and it only works when i am online (naturally). I used to use MS bookshelf ALL the time on my windows box. that wasn't free, but my dad bought it. one of the few apps i miss from windows.

Thats dang wierd. You can't use quotes for some reason. I could have sworn you can do that with xterm.

Anyway, if you do this:

xterm -e ding

It should work. Unfortunately, the & will act on the xterm command in this case, so its useless and you are stuck with an open xterm.

What an annoying problem. Lets hope they fix this for the next release.

Taft

 

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Taft
Thats dang wierd. You can't use quotes for some reason. I could have sworn you can do that with xterm.

Anyway, if you do this:

xterm -e ding

It should work. Unfortunately, the & will act on the xterm command in this case, so its useless and you are stuck with an open xterm.

What an annoying problem. Lets hope they fix this for the next release.

Taft

this is something of an issue. this last suggestion didn't work either, but "xterm -e ding &" did the exact same thing--that is, opened a blank xterm window with title "ding" and not a thing in the window, except a blinking cursor. it closed upon any pressing of a button again. I guess i will just run it from an xterm manually. this is insane.

 

[Taft]

Originally posted by Shadowfax
this is something of an issue. this last suggestion didn't work either, but "xterm -e ding &" did the exact same thing--that is, opened a blank xterm window with title "ding" and not a thing in the window, except a blinking cursor. it closed upon any pressing of a button again. I guess i will just run it from an xterm manually. this is insane.

Just a thought, but do you have the latest version? .2 I think.

I'm really just grasping at straws here. This is insane.

Taft

 

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Taft
Just a thought, but do you have the latest version? .2 I think.

I'm really just grasping at straws here. This is insane.

Taft

It's funny how this so quickly turned to just you and me. thanks for trying to help, i really appreciate it.

i have .2.1, i think, it's the latest one.