Using Desktop modules

Using Desktop modules

To provide rules that apply to all users on the system, use a system-wide ``module''. Modules are sets of rules that have the same effect as if they were in the system rule file. You should not edit the system rule file itself.

Using modules provides the following advantages:

you do not need to understand the system rule file
your own sections are separated from others, making them easier to support
it is easier to replace or update a module than to maintain an edited system rule file
modules can be specified for individual users or UNIX groups, using resources

The MODULEDIR environment variable specifies which directories are searched for modules. By default, this includes /usr/lib/X11/IXI/XDesktop/rules/modules (for system-wide modules) and $HOME/.xdt_dir/modules (for your own custom modules).

To specify modules for a user or UNIX group, the system administrator should set the following system-wide resources, typically in the default preferences file for the appropriate user type:

XDesktop3.Rules.defaultModules: module1 module2 ...
The module1, module2 modules are loaded for all users.
XDesktop3.Rules.group_ID.groupModules: module1 ...
The modules are only loaded for those users in the UNIX group group_ID (for example, 100). The group must be specified in numeric form, and not by any symbolic group name.
XDesktop3.Rules.username.userModules: module1 ...
The modules are loaded only for the user username.

In addition to the modules described here, there are two special types of module: ``auto'' and ``loop''.