The Jez McKinley Wiki

Here are 2 alternative files to launch games in a new, definable x-session :

The first is very basic and simply fires up a second lightweight window manager - I use fluxbox. You will need to set up your xinit.gaming to do this and your xorg.conf.singlemon.only if you want a different screen setup to your main xorg.

(:source:) #!/bin/bash startx /home/jezm/xinit.gaming -- :1 -ac -config xorg.conf.singlemon.only

The second is a perl script - Not mine - see the header info for credits. Save this as xgame.pl and make it executable (chmod +x xgame.pl). When you run it follow the instructions.

(:source:) #!/usr/bin/perl -w # Script to run games on a separate X session Version 1.7.1 # © Laurens Buhler and Troy Henderson 2002-2004 under the terms of the GPL-2, special thanks go to: Eelco (AcTiVaTe) # For help use: xgame --help # Here we dump the script in a huge while loop to keep it running while (!$quit){ &list; # Here we look at the given script parameters if ($ARGV[0]){ $switch = $ARGV[0]; } else { $switch = "-"; } if ($switch =~/-[nN]/){ if (!$ARGV[1] || $ARGV[1] !~/^\d+$/ || $ARGV[1] > @list || $ARGV[1] < 1){ print ("Invalid number, terminating...\n"); } else { $cmdoption = 1 if $ARGV[2] && $ARGV[2]=~/-c/; chomp ($input = $ARGV[1]); &checkbin; } $quit = 1; } elsif ($switch =~/--help/){ &help; $quit = 1; } elsif ($switch =~/--add/){ &gamelist; &addition; &gamelist; $quit = 1; } elsif ($switch =~/--del/){ if (@list < 1) { print("No games to delete!\n"); } else { &gamelist; &delete; &gamelist; } $quit = 1; } elsif ($switch =~/--edit/){ if (@list < 1){ print("No games to edit!\n"); } else { &gamelist; &edit; &gamelist; } $quit = 1; } elsif ($switch =~/--prefs/){ &preferences; $quit = 1; } elsif ($switch =~/--list/){ if (@list < 1){ print("No games to list!\n"); } else { &gamelist; } $quit = 1; } elsif ($switch =~/--move/){ if (@list < 2){ print("Not enough games to move!\n"); } else { &gamelist; &move; &gamelist; } $quit = 1; } elsif ($switch =~/-d/){ ($input = (split/\t/,$options[3])[1]) =~s/\n//; if ($input !~/^\d+$/ || $input > @list || $input < 1){ print ("Invalid default game, terminating...\n"); } else { if ($ARGV[1] && $ARGV[1]=~/-c/){ $cmdoption = 1; splice @ARGV, 1, 0, ""; } &checkbin; } $quit = 1; } else { &gamelist; &options; &input; } } # Writing out the list when Xgame stops write_out($gamelist, @list, @options); # Here come the subroutines sub input { while(!$valid) { print ("Please choose your desired game or option: "); chomp ($input = <stdin>); $input = lc($input); $valid = 1; if ($input =~ /^\D$/){ if ($input eq "a"){ undef $valid; &addition; &gamelist; &options; } elsif ($input eq "p"){ undef $valid; &preferences; &gamelist; &options; } elsif ($input eq "d" && @list > 0){ undef $valid; &delete; &gamelist; &options; } elsif ($input eq "e" && @list > 0){ undef $valid; &edit; &gamelist; &options; } elsif ($input eq "m" && @list > 1){ undef $valid; &move; &gamelist; &options; } elsif ($input eq "q"){ print ("Goodbye!\n"); $quit = 1; } else { undef $valid; print ("Option not available!\n"); } } else { if ($input !~/^\d+$/ || $input > @list || $input < 1){ undef $valid; print ("Invalid number/option!\n"); } else { &checkbin; } } } } sub list { # Checking if the gamelist exists $gamelist = "$ENV{HOME}/.xgamelist"; write_out($gamelist, "") if !-f "$gamelist"; # Here we grab the list of games @list = grep {!/^\s*$/} cat($gamelist); if (grep (/\[options\]/, @list)){ for (0 .. 3){ unshift @options, (pop @list); } } else { @options = ("[options]\t\n", "xconfig\t\n", "xinitops\t\n", "default\t\n"); } } sub gamelist { system "clear"; # Here we process that gamelist then display it print "\t-=<Your Games>=-\n\n"; $number = 1; foreach (@list){ /(.*?)\t/; print "[" . $number++ . "]\t$1\n"; } print "\n"; } sub checkbin { # And this is where we process the choice @choice = split/\t/,$list[--$input]; # Here we make sure the exe is correct and fire up if so @exe = split/\s+/,$choice[1]; chomp $exe[0]; if ($exe[0] =~/\//){ chomp ($executable = qx|echo $exe[0]|); if (-f "$executable"){ &startgame; } else { undef $valid; die ("Invalid executable!\n"); } } elsif (qx|which $exe[0] 2>&1| =~/which\: no $exe[0] in/){ undef $valid; die ("Invalid executable!\n"); } else { &startgame; } } sub startgame { print ("Starting $choice[0]...\n"); # Checking for another instance of xgame chomp ($xinit = (qx|ls ~/.xinitrc.* 2>&1|)[0]); $xinit = "$ENV{HOME}/.xinitrc" if $xinit !~ /\.xinitrc\.\w{6,6}/; # Backing up existing .xinitrc to random temp file chomp ($tmpxinit = qx|mktemp ~/.xinitrc.XXXXXXX|); if (-f $xinit){ write_out($tmpxinit, cat($xinit)); } else { write_out($tmpxinit, ""); } # Creating new .xinitrc from input and defined options if ($cmdoption){ undef $cmdoption; for (0, 0, 0){ splice @ARGV, $_, 1; } $choice[1] =~s/^(.*)$/$1 @ARGV/; } chomp ($choice = $choice[1]); # The new .xinitrc get's written ($xinitopts = (split/\t/,$options[2])[1]) =~s/\n//; write_out("$ENV{HOME}/.xinitrc", "$xinitopts\n", "exec $choice"); # Now we fire up the X server with the specified game if ((qx|ls /tmp/.X*lock 2>&1|)[-1] =~ /(\d+)/){ ($xnumber = $1)++; } else { $xnumber = 0; } ($xconfig = (split/\t/,$options[1])[1]) =~s/\n//; $xconfig =~s/(.*)/-xf86config $1/ if $xconfig ne ""; system "startx -- :$xnumber $xconfig"; # Placing the backup back to where it belongs unlink $xinit; if (cat($tmpxinit) ne ""){ rename ($tmpxinit, "$ENV{HOME}/.xinitrc") or die "Error moving file: $!\n"; } else { unlink $tmpxinit; } $quit = 1; } sub help { print ("Usage: xgame [OPTION] <enter> or: xgame <enter>\n"); print ("Options:\n\t-d,\t\t use the specified default game\n"); print ("\t-n,\t\t instantly run the choosen game (-n <number>)\n"); print ("\t-n/-d <> -c <>,\t run the chosen/default game with commandline arguments (-c <commandline args>)\n"); print ("\t--add,\t\t add a game to the gamelist\n"); print ("\t--del,\t\t delete a game from the gamelist\n"); print ("\t--edit,\t\t edit a game on the gamelist\n"); print ("\t--move,\t\t move a game on the gamelist\n"); print ("\t--list,\t\t display the gamelist\n"); print ("\t--prefs,\t change the preferences\n"); print ("\t--help,\t\t this message\n"); print ("Gamelist specific:\n"); print ("\tThe gamelist is located at ~/.xgamelist.\n"); print ("\tIt must be edited and maitained at all times through Xgame.\n"); print ("\tNot doing this could result in failure!\n"); } sub options { print "\t-=<Options>=-\n\n[A]\tAdd a game to the gamelist\n"; print "[D]\tDelete a game from the gamelist\n[E]\tEdit a game on the gamelist\n" if @list > "0"; print "[M]\tMove a game on the gamelist\n" if @list > "1"; print "[P]\tXgame Preferences\n[Q]\tQuit\n\n"; } sub preferences { while(!$pref_done){ ($xconfig = (split/\t/,$options[1])[1]) =~s/\n//; ($xinitopts = (split/\t/,$options[2])[1]) =~s/\n//; ($input = (split/\t/,$options[3])[1]) =~s/\n//; system "clear"; print "\t-=<Preferences>=-\n\n"; print "[1]\tX server config file is \"$xconfig\"\n"; print "[2]\tExtra startcommand on game launch \"$xinitopts\"\n"; print "[3]\tDefault game specified by it's number \"$input\"\n"; print "[S]\tSort the gamelist alphabetically\n"; print "[Q]\tExit these preferences\n\n"; print "Please choose your desired preference: "; chomp ($pref_input = <stdin>); $pref_input = lc($pref_input); $pref_done = 1; if ($pref_input =~ /(1)/ || $pref_input =~ /(2)/ || $pref_input =~ /(3)/){ @_ = ("", "Please give the new X config file \(example: xorg.conf\) or hit <enter> to leave empty: ", "Please specify the extra startcommand on game launch or hit <enter> to leave empty: ", "Please specify the default game or hit <enter> to leave empty: "); print $_[$1]; chomp ($newpref = <stdin>); $options[$1] =~s/(.*?\t).*/$1$newpref/; undef $pref_done; } elsif ($pref_input eq "s"){ @list = sort {uc($a) cmp uc($b)} @list; undef $pref_done; } elsif ($pref_input ne "q"){ undef $pref_done; } } undef $pref_done; } sub addition { # this is where we add games to the list print ("Please give the name of the game you'd like to add: "); chomp ($game = <stdin>); print ("Please give the command related to the game: "); chomp ($bin = <stdin>); # here the game get's added push (@list, "$game\t$bin\n"); } sub delete { # Here we check which game the user wants deleted print "Please choose the game you'd like to delete: "; chomp ($del = <stdin>); while ($del !~/^\d+$/ || $del > @list || $del < 1){ print "Invalid number, please choose again: "; chomp ($del = <stdin>); } # Here we create a new list without the choosen game splice @list, --$del, 1; } sub move { # First we ask which game has to be moved print "Please choose the game you'd like to move: "; chomp ($move = <stdin>); while ($move !~/^\d+$/ || $move > @list || $move < 1){ print "Invalid number, please choose again: "; chomp ($move = <stdin>); } # Then we ask the destination for the game print "Please choose the destination: "; chomp ($destin = <stdin>); while ($destin !~/^\d+$/ || $destin > @list || $destin < 1){ print "Invalid number, please choose again: "; chomp ($destin = <stdin>); } #Here we write the new gamelist $moving = $list[--$move]; splice @list, $move, 1; splice @list, --$destin, 0, $moving; } sub edit { # First we ask which game has to be edited print "Please choose the game you'd like to edit: "; chomp ($edit = <stdin>); while ($edit !~/^\d+$/ || $edit > @list || $edit < 1){ print "Invalid number, please choose again: "; chomp ($edit = <stdin>); } @display = split/\t/,$list[--$edit]; chomp $display[1]; print "You choose to edit: \"$display[0]\" with command: \"$display[1]\"\n"; # Here we grab the name to be used print "Please give the new name or hit enter to use the existing one: "; $name = <stdin>; $name = $display[0] if $name eq "\n"; chomp $name; # Here we grab the command to be used print "Please give the new command or hit enter to use the existing one: "; $command = <stdin>; $command = $display[1] if $command eq "\n"; chomp $command; # Now onto changing the entry in the gamelist $list[$edit] = "$name\t$command\n"; } sub cat { open MYFILE, $_[0] or die "$!"; @_ = <MYFILE>; close MYFILE; return (wantarray) ? @_ : join("", @_); } sub write_out { $_ = shift @_; open WRITE, ">", $_ or die "Error writing '$_': $!\n"; print WRITE @_; close WRITE; }