tkgoodstuff: Availability and Installation

Get the source for the current version here: tkgoodstuff8.0-final.tar.gz Older, and sometimes more stable, versions are available here.

To run this utility, you need tcl8.0 and tk8.0 (get the source at ftp://ftp.smli.com/pub/tcl ).

(I used to maintain an ftp archive and a binary distribution for Linux, but I don't have the time to deal with the requests for assistance that that has generated.)

Once you have the tkgoodstuff distribution

  1. Unpack it in a directory somewhere (say, /tmp). One way (suppose you have the distribution in /tmp/): 
    2.     cd /tmp
    cat tkgoodstuff8.0-final.tgz | gunzip | tar xpf -
  2. cd to the source directory: 
    3.     cd /tmp/tkgoodstuff8.0-final

    Then type 

        ./configure
    (If your relevant version of Tcl/Tk is in an odd place, such as /smurf/gleb/lib/tclConfig.sh, you can specify --prefix=/smurf/glep.)

    If all goes well, you can type 

        make

    and if all is still well, type 

        make install

    This process will compile C code needed by tkgoodstuff, and install tkgoodstuff's files in the appropriate places. Look in the FAQ for hints if you encounter problems.

    Once you are finished, you can remove the source directory if you like (all the needed files will have been copied to a library directory).

  3. If you have a standard unix spool setup, simply running tkgoodstuff should give you a working setup. Enter the Preferences manager via the tkgoodstuff menu to customize your setup.
  4. If you have problems, check the FAQ before emailing the tkgoodstuff mailing list
    5. .
  5. You probably will want to tell your window manager not to put a border, handles, or a title on tkgoodstuff, and perhaps to leave it always on top of other windows, and perhaps to make it "stick" in the same spot on the screen when you move about a virtual desktop. You may also want it not to be in the circulate list (the list of windows you go to by hitting alt-TAB or some key sequence). To do all of this in fvwm2 add the following lines to your .fvwm2rc: 
    6. Style "tkgoodstuff" NoTitle, NoHandles, Sticky, WindowListSkip, StaysOnTop
Style "tkgoodstuff" BorderWidth 0,CirculateSkipIcon,CirculateSkip

    HOWEVER, if you use tkgoodstuff as an fvwm module (which I recommend), you needn't do this, as tkgoodstuff will do it automatically. If you use some other window manager, read its documentation---almost certainly you can achieve most of the same effects.