Text mode menu configuration tools

• Timezone
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Window manager

In order to facilitate the configuration of certain issues, some tools are offered as a part of the distribution to configure the time zone, the keyboard map, the mouse, and the window manager.

Timezone

Set the time zone simply typing tzconfig. See below:

You can choose between the option "Local time" or "UTC".

By design, the Kernel of Linux is prepared to run in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), specially if you are using GNU/Linux as your single-system. Otherwise, select the option "Local time" if you have more than one operating system, and that system expects a Local time.

The next step is select the zone, like for example "Africa/Cairo". That's all.

Considerations

• /etc/sysconfig/hardwareclock is used to store your option (UTC or localtime).

• By default - tzconfig looks under the directory /usr/share/zoneinfo for the file that contains the information of your zone (ex. /usr/share/zoneinfo/Africa/Cairo). A copy of the file is performed to save the data zone as /etc/localtime. Note: The copy of the file under /etc is to guarantee the configuration of the time, because /usr could not be mounted if /etc/localtime is a symlink to /usr/share/zoneinfo/my_zone. Instead, the symlink /usr/share/zoneinfo/localtime is pointing out to your zone.

• Between reboots - the Stage 1 (/etc/runit/1) and Stage 3 (/etc/runit/3) call to the script /etc/rc.d/rc.clock which is used to set or save the current system time according to /etc/sysconfig/hardwareclock.

• The TZ_DIR variable can be passed to tzconfig to indicate a different location of the zoneinfo directory.

• The /etc/localtime file is interpreted by Glibc and is done by library functions that are linked into the application programs.

Keyboard

Change the keyboard map is easy, just typing keyconfig. See below:

The menu is ordered by "Keyboard Layout/Keyboard Map".

Select the option for your Keyboard and then, a second window is given for test the Keymap. Otherwise, you can go back and select the right option.

The most common layout is QWERTY. If you don't know which is your Keyboard Layout, take a look at Wikipedia.

Considerations

• Your selection is saved on /etc/sysconfig/keymap.

• A file called rc.keymap is generated by keyconfig under /etc/rc.d to load the Keyboard Map using loadkeys.

• /etc/rc.d/rc.keymap is executed by /etc/runit/1 on the Stage 1.

Mouse

The gpmconfig tool is used to configure your mouse type in console.

gpmconfig lets you set the mouse type through gpm. To know more, see the technical considerations.

Considerations

• Your selection is saved on /etc/sysconfig/gpm.

• The service located on /etc/sv/gpm reads the configuration file and is loaded by runit.

Window manager

The tool to select a window manager is called wmconfig. See below:

wmconfig allows to select to user and superuser to have his own window manager or desktop for load. To know more, see the technical considerations.

Considerations

• wmconfig reads all the files that begin as "xinitrc" followed of a dot (xinitrc.*). By default, under the directory /etc/X11/xinit.

• wmconfig presents the menu options for the user. After your choice, a copy of the xinitrc file is stored in your $HOME, like $HOME/xinitrc.

• wmconfig creates a symlink of the xinitrc file chosen on /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc. And it's used to determine the default item the next time that you run wmconfig.

• The DIR variable can be passed to wmconfig to indicate a different location of the xinitrc files.

All tools are acceded as superuser via console. Except for wmconfig.

07 November 2011, 14:04 | menutools.t2t - GNU Free Documentation License