NsCDE blinking vim document - xterm

Hi to you all;-), first time around on this forum.
I have an issue with NsCDE.
My setup is a little different from most for I’m running my FVWM setup from ISO, only!
This should of course not lead to the problem/s I have…
I have run FVWM default and with myExt from rasat without problems, from ISO.
So, now I have setup NsCDE, but when I open ‘xterm’ and a document with ‘vim’ I get a blinking document.
My setup is ArchLinux ISO with a complete X env. running FVWM with NsCDE.
It might be I forgot something but I can’t remember setting anything different and myExt theme, which is on the same ISO doesn’t have this issue.
Thanks for reading, hope I get this sorted.
Mark

Hi @qinohe

So you’re problem is running vim inside XTerm leads to a “blinking document”? Can you be more specific about what you mean?

Thomas

Hi @thomasadam thanks for your reply. I’ll try and be more specific.
I run an xterm terminal, in that terminal I open a document with vim.
If I open the document inside uxterm with vim everything is correctly displayed.
If I do the same with xterm, my color scheme is ignored and the whole document blinks like a ‘blinking-cursor’ on and off etc. This only happens using NsCDE.

Ah, OK. Probably a TERM issue then, or something exported/not exported in the environment. Hard to see how this could be a specific FVWM issue per-se.

If you open up uxterm and type echo $TERM followed by printenv what does that output?

Thomas

Sure, yes I thought about that too but couldn’t find any evidence…
Here are echo $TERM & printenv from uxterm

xterm

SHELL=/usr/bin/zsh
FVWM_SCRIPTDIR=/usr/lib/NsCDE/scripts
FVWMMFL_SOCKET=/home/binty/.NsCDE/tmp/fvwm_mfl.sock
XDG_MENU_PREFIX=nscde-
NSCDE_FONT_DPI=96
NSCDE_TOOLSDIR=/usr/lib/NsCDE
SDL_VIDEO_X11_DGAMOUSE=0
DPI=96
NSCDE_ROOT=/usr
SM_SAVE_DIR=/home/binty/.NsCDE/tmp
NSCDE_VERSION=2.0
XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/home/binty/.config
COMP_POINT=0
FVWM_OPTS=
NSCDE_PALETTE=Sand
EDITOR=vim
GTK_MODULES=canberra-gtk-module:canberra-gtk-module
XDG_SEAT=seat0
PWD=/home/binty
NSCDE_FVWM_VERSION_NUM=1.0.5
LOGNAME=binty
QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME=qt5ct
XDG_SESSION_TYPE=tty
HOSTDISPLAY=arial:1
FVWM_MODULEDIR=/usr/lib/fvwm3/1.0.5
FVWM3_LOGFILE=/home/binty/.NsCDE/tmp/fvwm.log
WINDOWPATH=1
NSCDE_PALETTE_NCOLORS=8
MOTD_SHOWN=pam
HOME=/home/binty
NSCDE_DPI=96
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
NSCDE_DATADIR=/usr/share/NsCDE
FVWM_FORMDIR=/usr/lib/NsCDE/forms
XDG_CACHE_HOME=/home/binty/.cache
FVWM_IS_FVWM3=1
XDG_SESSION_CLASS=user
TERM=xterm
GTK_OVERLAY_SCROLLING=0
USER=binty
FVWM_USERDIR=/home/binty/.NsCDE
NSCDE_OS=Linux
VISUAL=vim
SUDO_ASKPASS=/home/binty/bin/dpass
DISPLAY=:1
SHLVL=4
XDG_VTNR=1
XDG_SESSION_ID=1
XAPPLRESDIR=/home/binty/.NsCDE/app-defaults
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000
NSCDE_FVWM_VERSION_INFO=1.0.4-118-g44e21c5b
NSCDE_LIBDIR=/usr/lib/NsCDE
COMP_TYPE=0
XDG_DATA_DIRS=/usr/share/:/usr/local/share/
PATH=/home/binty/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/lib/jvm/default/bin:/usr/bin/site_perl:/usr/bin/vendor_perl:/usr/bin/core_perl
FVWM_DATADIR=/usr/share/NsCDE/fvwm
DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus
MAIL=/var/spool/mail/binty
CHROOT=/home/binty/chroot
COMP_KEY=0
A__z=F*COMP_KEY=F*COMP_POINT=F*COMP_TYPE="*SHLVL
OLDPWD=/home/binty
WINDOWID=35651596
XTERM_VERSION=XTerm(370)
XTERM_LOCALE=en_US.UTF-8
XTERM_SHELL=/usr/bin/zsh

edit: I don’t blame FVWM, I have a feeling (I know that’s no hard evidence) NsCDE has a setting that makes it be in this condition. I haven’t found it, yet. I will look further of course…

Hi qinohe, welcome to Fvwm forum.
From my test with NsCDE and myExt, it works fine besides a few changes. If the FrontPanel at the bottom does not appear, do edit .fvwm/config. Deactivate (tag) the below two lines.

Read $[myEXT_USERDIR]/1Functions/FVWM-Default/FVWM-StartFunction.sys
Read $[myEXT_USERDIR]/2-3Styles/FVWM-Default/FVWM-Page.sys

The first-line blocks FrontPanel, and the second line makes it jump from its bottom position after Restart NsCDE.

Hi @rasat thanks for your reply & warm welcome.
I’m not at the point where I can combine myExt & NsCDE.
They both run independently ATM and both run fine.
Both themes are on the same ISO both using all the same environment configs.
MyExt has no problems, but when using NsCDE I get the problem I described above^^
I think I should first find the setting that does this and do somehow agree with thomasadam, but, until now I’m unable to track it down.
When I’m done doing this I can have a look at bringing MyExt & NsCDE together;-)

Mark

This seems to me an issue with NsCDE and the way it “themes” xterm.
You can have a chat with Hegel in the irc channel or report the issue here: Issues · NsCDE/NsCDE · GitHub

Thanks, yes I think it’s a setting in NsCDE.
I removed all configs related to env. like ‘gtk-configs, Xresources’ and all local VIM config’s but it didn’t work. I used myExt also a spin-off, which works fine with all configs available and removed.

I tried to find what does this and didn’t. It may be a good idea to open a ticket on GitHub…

I have opened an issue ticket on GitHub because I can’t find the above problem.

It is not really NsCDE only bug, but “XTermVT100colorMode: off” X resource in combination with xterm or any xterm-256color or xterm-color $TERM combination will produce this effect with commands using “–color” or curses apps using ANSI colors. Setting this to “on” solves the problem as described here:

Sorry if I made it look like it’s an NsCDE bug only, not my intention.
Like I said on GitHub I went for option ‘1’ XTerm*VT100*colorMode: on
Long term I will set it to ~/.NsCDE/Xdefaults.local

I’m still not sure if a logout will override env. settings made to .Xresources.
It did do that with XTerm settings like BG which I set to #222222 in Xresources would be ‘white’ and unreadable.
First I’m going to rebuild the ISO than I will add my findings in this thread, thanks for now:-)

This is why we have the command xrdb -load ~/.some_file

Thank you @thomasadam, I already have that setting in my .xinitrc.
However, if I use ‘Style Manager’ and set a different color palette for NsCDE and logout and startup a different WM or theme like myExt, colors are messed up.
Still new to FVWM and it’s way of setting up environmental settings especially when using NsCDE.
I mostly don’t have problems when using default FVWM or FVWM-myExt combo.
It’s a little harder to use the NsCDE combo because it has a lot of env. files adopted in the theme…
Anyway, now that I have answer to my ‘vim issue’ most of my configuring issues seem a little easier to solve. :slightly_smiling_face:

edit: Ah, of course, I get it now. The only thing I need to do now is script if NsCDE is used to use ~/.NsCDE/Xdefault and use ~/.Xresources if another WM or theme is used…

In another thread, I have suggested adding a warning message when changing the color palette because the default “Apply” changes all user settings. Also, there is an unrepairable case when selecting two of the same colors. It doesn’t generate 8 but 7 colors. Everything becomes grey. The only solution is to delete /.NsCDE and reinstall.

EDIT: Reported on GitHub.

I want to have clear FVWM framework is not the problem!

Have read that in nscde-releases-changes-and-announcements.
Also, ‘NsCDE’ has updated that thread 2 days ago (had not read it until now) and says:

Well, I’m not that deep into NsCDE but I think part of the problem is the adoption of env files in the NsCDE theme. Using all these ‘extra’ files ‘*.local’ is necessary but add a lot of complexity not only for the user but I bet also for the dev - NsCDE! If I had an answer to that I would have done a PR but I don’t…

This is a problem I don’t have :sunglasses: because all my edits are done in a profile from which I build an ISO. I’m thinking about a solution for that setup which will probably be scripted.

Link to the Github ticket: Style Manager warning message and problem with two of the same colors. · Issue #95 · NsCDE/NsCDE · GitHub

There is no such bug in style managers which may force such drastic measure as deleting the whole ~/.NsCDE directory. Even if all samples in Color Style Manager are gray, choosing any palette and hitting OK will fix the things. That is: choosing good palete and regenerating everything on it’s basis. Also, a problem, which showed up to be FvwmScript problem which I must report is now worked around in the current master.

As of config files: it IS a bit complex, but it is very well documented. It is meaningful to have generated files have fvwmgen, local addons + smaller overrides fvwmlocal, and to have fvwmconf for complete overrides. This gives maximal flexibility and power to anyone to adapt things to their wishes. Style.override is an exception because of some complex issue in reading FVWM styles. No other config parts and files have possibility of .override files except Style.

I know, these aren’t my words, user rasat has that problem, I don’t!
There’s always a TTY to solve this problem from…

Haven’t looked at it, yet, but Thank you :+1:

Yes it is for a new user of FVWM, NsCDE IS ‘hard stuff’ but, I can only try and make mistakes and learn how to handle them.
Sometimes I may even blame you :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:
No, what I mean is 'I need to wrap my head around these concepts adopted from old school CDE and I’m sure I make it work in the end :ok_hand:

Thanks. I made a test on Style Manager-Color with two of the same colors (1st and 5th color buttons) and works fine. This fix allows creating all “black” or “pink” if anyone wants. :slight_smile:

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